Assessment Results
Melanophryniscus admirabilis
Red-belly Toad
Order:
Anura
Family:
Bufonidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Brazil
on:
17 Aug 2020
by:
AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop
Authors:
C. Zank, L.F.M. Fonte, M. Borges-Martins and M. Abadie
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
Distribution:
Brazil
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
12.97812754
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
| Question # | Short Name | Question Text | Response | Comments |
| 1 | Extinction risk | Current IUCN Red List category. [Data obtained from the IUCN Red List.] | Critically Endangered (CR) | |
| 2 | Possibly extinct | Is there a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild? | No / unlikely | |
| 3 | Phylogenetic significance | The taxon’s Evolutionary Distinctiveness (ED) score, as generated by the ZSL EDGE program. (These data are not editable by Assessors). | ED value < 20 | |
| 4 | Protected habitat | Is a population of at least 50% of the individuals of the taxon included within a well-managed or reliably protected area or areas? | No / unlikely | Micro-endemic species, it is not found inside or near any protected area (it is found in a private and unprotected area). |
| 5 | Habitat for reintroduction, conservation translocation or supplementation | Does enough well-managed and reliably protected habitat exist, either within or outside of currently protected areas that is suitable for conservation translocation, including population restoration or conservation introduction? | No / unlikely | This species needs a very specific habitat (flagstone with solar incidence on the riverside in a forested area); searches in the region did not find any protected area with these characteristics. |
| 6 | Previous reintroductions | Have reintroduction or translocation attempts been made in the past for this species? | No | |
| 7 | In situ conservation activities | Are any in situ conservation actions currently in place for this species? (Only required if a Red List Assessment has not been completed, or if new actions have been implemented since the last Red List Assessment. (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.). | Yes / probably | Research and conservation projects carried out by Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and Instituto Curicaca, such as: search for new populations, project to replace tobacco and soybean crops by agroforestry systems of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), specific actions for environmental education, monitoring of eventual projects hydroelectric and studies to create a protected area in the locality. |
| 8 | In situ conservation activities | Are additional in situ conservation actions required to help conserve this species in the wild (e.g. habitat restoration and/or protection, control of invasive species, national legislation etc.)? | Yes / probably | Prevent the implementation of hydroelectric projects, create a protected area in the locality, convince more producers to switch to agroforestry systems (Insituto Curicaca and UFRGS). |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | There are already studies on biology, natural history, population ecology, population genetics, presence of chytrid fungus (Bd), effect of pesticides (in laboratory), population monitoring and search for new areas of occurrence. Research is needed on: analyze the impact of pollutants (pesticides used in tobacco (boral) and soy (glyphosate) plantations); additional studies on diseases (Bd, ranavirus) and chemical defenses; perform additional searches for new areas of occurrence and continue with population monitoring. |
| 10 | Threat mitigation | Are the threats facing the taxon, including any new and emerging threats not considered in the IUCN Red List, potentially reversible? | Threats are likely to be reversible in time frame to prevent further decline / extinction | The main threats to this species are: destruction, fragmentation and alteration of habitat, use of agrochemicals in tobacco plantations, trampling by tourists, illegal collection, possible occurrence of diseases, such as chytridiomycosis (would be irreversible) and hydroelectric installation (currently not a threat, but would be irreversible). |
| 11 | Over-collection from the wild | Is the taxon suffering from collection within its natural range, either for food, for the pet trade or for any other reason, which threatens the species’ continued persistence in the wild? | No / unlikely | |
| 12 | Population recovery | Is the known population of this species in the wild large enough to recover naturally, without ex situ intervention if threats are mitigated? | Yes / probably | |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | Yes - currently being developed | An specific action plan to this species is being developed by UFRGS and Instituto Curicaca. It is also part of the National Action Plan "Plano de Ação Nacional para Conservação de Anfíbios e Répteis Ameaçados de Extinção da Região Sul do Brasil - PAN Herpetofauna do Sul". |
| 14 | Biological distinctiveness | Does the taxon exhibit a distinctive reproductive mode, behaviour, aspect of morphology or physiology, within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.)? | No aspect of biology known to be exceptional | |
| 15 | Cultural/socio-economic importance | Does the taxon have a special human cultural value (e.g. as a national or regional symbol, in a historic context, featuring in traditional stories) or economic value (e.g. food, traditional medicine, tourism) within its natural range or in a wider global context? | No | |
| 16 | Scientific importance | Is the species vital to current or planned research other than species-specific ecology/biology/conservation within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.) e.g. human medicine, climate change, environmental pollutants and conservation science? | No research dependent on this species | |
| 17 | Ex situ research | Does conserving this species (or closely related species) in situ depend upon research that can be most easily carried out ex situ? | No | Impact of pesticides and effects of climate change. |
| 18 | Ex situ conservation activities | Is any ex situ research or other ex situ conservation action currently in place for this species? (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.) | Yes / probably | Research on the impacts of pesticides (UFRGS and PUCRS) and on the effects of climate change (ecophysiology, UFRGS) are underway in laboratory. |
| 19 | Husbandry analog required | If an ex situ rescue program is recommended for this species, would an analog species be required to develop husbandry protocols first? | Yes / probably | Possible analogs would be Melanophryniscus stelzneri (an Argentinian species with breeding protocols stablish by managers of captive amphibians) or M. rubriventris |
| 20 | Husbandry analog | Do the biological and ecological attributes of this species make it suitable for developing husbandry regimes for more threatened related species? i.e. could this species be used in captivity to help to develop husbandry and breeding protocols which could be used for a similar, but more endangered species at a later stage? | No | |
| 21 | Captive breeding | Has this species been successfully bred and/or maintained in captivity? | Maintained but no successful breeding | Some egg clutches were sucessfully kept in laboratory conditions until metamorphosis. But froglets/juveniles seems to be not easy to keep, dying soon. In a short and isolated experiment (2009) three adults (not sexed) were maintened unsuccessfully in laboratory conditions. |
| 22 | Conservation education/ecotourism potential | Is the species especially diurnal, active or colourful, or is there an interesting or unusual aspect of its ecology that make it particularly suitable to be an educational ambassador for conservation of the species in the range country, either in zoos or aquariums or within ecotourism activities? | Yes | This species is charismatic and it is also part of the DOTs Project, which aims to promote scientific communication and highlight conservation needs of the Brazilian threatened amphibians (https://www.projetodots.org). Considering its micro-endemism this toad could be the animal symbol of municipality of Arvorezinha or of the region of yerba mate production in Rio Grande do Sul. |
| 23 | Mandate | Is there an existing conservation mandate recommending the ex situ conservation of this taxon? | No | |
| 24 | Range State approval | If an ex situ initiative was proposed for this species, would it be supported (and approved) by the range State (either within the range State or out-of-country ex situ)? | Yes / probably | |
| 25 | Founder specimens | Are sufficient animals of the taxon available or potentially available (from wild or captive sources) to initiate an ex situ program, if one was recommended? | Yes / probably | |
| 26 | Taxonomic status | Has a complete taxonomic analysis of the species in the wild been carried out, to fully understand the functional unit you wish to conserve (i.e. have species limits been determined)? | Yes |
Citation:
C. Zank, L.F.M. Fonte, M. Borges-Martins and M. Abadie 2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Melanophryniscus admirabilis, Brazil
(AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/1644
Accessed 12 May 2024
