Due to the role amphibians play in maintaining ecological balance and controlling many pests, especially mosquitoes and flies, specialists have become increasingly interested in studying this group in recent years. However, the classification of amphibians is still unclear in many areas due to the significant similarities between species and the variations in shape and color within the same species. Despite the limited number of amphibian species in Libya, they are of particular interest because distinctive species from North Africa and the southern Sahara overlap in many places within the country.

There are several documented frog populations in small, isolated water bodies scattered across the country’s large arid regions. Libya is home to only five species, as most of the country is dominated by the Sahara Desert, which lacks fresh water bodies.

Among the five amphibian species recorded in Libya, two are widely distributed across Libya and North Africa: the Mud Frog (Pelophylax saharicus) and the Green Toad (Bufotes boulingeri). The other three species are restricted to the southwestern region of Libya: Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, Ptychadena sp., and Sclerophrys xeroz.