Assessment Results
Plectrohyla calvata
Order:
Anura
Family:
Hylidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Honduras
on:
10 May 2019
by:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Honduras
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
7
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) | Changed from Not Evaluated to Critically Endangered, under criterion C2 a(ii) because the size of the population is estimated to be less than 250 individuals, 100% of the population occurs in a single subpopulation, and a decline is projected to be ongoing due to the species' susceptibility to chytridiomycosis. |
| 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 | According to McCranie, (2017), this species is known from the eastern slope of Montaña de Celaque, Department of Lempira, and the second locality is from El Chaguiton, Department of Ocotepeque. This species occurred in one protected area in Montaña de Celaque. It is also known from Monte de la Virgen also in Lempira (J. Townsend, pers. comm 2019). It occurs between 1,250-2,500 m asl (J. Townsend unpubl. data March 2019). It is endemic to the mountain, and is not likely to be found more widely (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). |
| 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? | Yes / probably | Montaña de Celaque |
| 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.). | ||
| 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 | Ongoing efforts should be maintained by Mapance NGO to prevent further habitat encroachment within this species range. Conservation actions needed: 2 Land/water management, 2.1 Site/area management. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Additional fieldwork is necessary at higher elevations of Montaña de Celaque to determine the current status of this population (McCranie 2017). |
| 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 | Where the species is currently known from on Montaña de Celaque, it is not currently threatened by habitat destruction (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). However, local communities are encroaching up on the west-southwest side of Montaña Celaque up to 2,000 m asl and this may spread further up into higher elevations (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). The Mapance NGO are working with these local communities to try to prevent this (J. Townsend and L. Herrera pers. comm. March 2019). The habitat is currently not threatened at Monte de la Virgen as it is a fairly inaccessible area (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). El Chaguiton is now fully deforested, but the only known specimen may have been found in a disturbed habitat when collected (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). Chytridiomycosis is a known threat to this genus, and tadpoles of this species have been found with deformed mouthparts on Montaña de Celaque (McCranie 2017). No adults or tadpoles of this species were found on the last trip taken to the higher elevations of Montaña de Celaque (May 1997); however the tadpoles of the congeneric P. psiloderma encountered at that time showed deformed mouthparts (McCranie 2017), indicating the presence of chytridiomycosis. Reports for other moderate to intermediate elevation localities in Honduras, have shown that stream-associated anurans have disappeared or have declined drastically after the discovery of deformed tadpoles (McCranie 2017), and it is possible that the disease may be a threat to this species (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019). Climate change is also considered to be a threat to this species. Highland amphibians are adapted to inhabitat a narrow climatic envelope. Changes in climate are expected to reduce the available suitable habitat and required microclimates. Rapid shifts in the climate conditions required by these species would not allow sufficient opportunity for adaptation, especially in light of the limited possibility for elevational migration. Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (>1,000 m asl) has been demonstrated to be negatively affected by climatic changes to a greater extent than other habitats (Foden et al. 2013, Wicaksono et al. 2017, Lyra et al. 2017, Neate-Clegg et al. 2018). An increase in high rainfall events are being observed throughout its range, as well as an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events (hurricanes and droughts) in the Caribbean, destroying the riparian habitat required by stream-dwelling and stream-associated amphibian species (Honduras Amphibian Red List Workshop March 2019). Climate change is therefore considered to be both a current and future threat to all amphibian species in this habitat type. Furthermore, amphibians globally are at an increased risk of disease (e.g. chytridiomycosis) and a decline in fecundity due to such changes (Pounds et al. 2006, Blaustein et al. 2010). |
| 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? | Unknown | Adults were collected and numerous tadpoles were present on three of the four trips (25–27 April 1982; 1–4 August 1985; 31 July–3 August 1990; see McCranie 2017), but neither adults nor tadpoles were found on a trip during 6-7 May 1997, which was the last trip made to the region (McCranie 2017). Four trips were made to the El Chagüitón site on the western slope of Montaña de Celaque (25 May 1980; 4 August 1982; 4 August 1987; and 20 July 1995), but only one adult was collected in August 1982 and no tadpoles were found (McCranie 2017). It is only known from three metamorphs in Monte de la Virgen (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). Based on this, the size of the population is estimated to be less than 250 individuals, all of which occur in a single subpopulation. |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | ||
| 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 | |
| 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.) | ||
| 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? | ||
| 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? | Not held in captivity to date | |
| 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 | It is a large, charismatic Plectrohylid (J. Townsend, pers. comm. March 2019). |
| 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? | Unknown | Research into availability of founders needs to be prioritised. |
| 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:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop. 2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Plectrohyla calvata, Honduras.
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/4698
Accessed 17 May 2024
