Assessment Results
Plectrohyla chrysopleura
Order:
Anura
Family:
Hylidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Honduras
on:
13 Mar 2019
by:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Antúnez, C., Wilson, D., Castañeda, F., Cruz, G., Kolby, J., Townsend, J.H., Galdámez, J.R., Wilson, L.D. & Herrera, L.
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Honduras
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
8.501066025
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
Ex-situ populations might need to be established. Given the threat of chytridiomycosis, a captive-breeding programme might need to be established for this species.Continued survey work is required in the core zone of Parque Nacional Pico Bonito and adjacent watersheds at suitable elevations to determine if the species occurs in additional sites, and to monitor the population status and trends of this species in view of the severe risk of chytridiomycosis. Additional studies into this species' natural history are recommended.
| 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 | According to Townsed et al (2011b), with the discover of the species in La Liberacion, this provide us with the first evidence of survival in 14 years. Recently it was seen at Río Mezapa in February 2019 14 individuals were observed and at Río Jilamito in September 8 individuals and December 2018 - 30 individuals were observed. |
| 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? | Yes / probably | It was believe that this species occurs in only one locality, Cerro Bufalo, Quebrado de Oro, Sierra Nombre de Dios, Departamento Atlantida in north-central Honduras, however according to Townsend et al (2011b), a population of this species was discovered in Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat, in the Liberacion region, and Río Jilamito, Honduras. The only known localities are Parque Nacional Pico Bonito (core area and adjacent watersheds at suitable elevations) and Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat (Río Hilamito watershed) (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019) and adjacent watershed Río Mezapa (2018) (J.R. Galdamez 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 | |
| 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 | While the official designation of Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat and Parque Nacional Pico Bonito affords this species an official high level of protection, there is ongoing habitat loss within these areas. Therefore, improved enforcement and management of the two protected areas and the elimination of incentives to convert forest (e.g., Decreto 37-2016) is urgently needed to halt anthropogenic land use change in the protected areas of Honduras (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Continued survey work is required in the core zone of Parque Nacional Pico Bonito and adjacent watersheds at suitable elevations to determine if the species occurs in additional sites, and to monitor the population status and trends of this species in view of the severe risk of chytridiomycosis. Additional studies into this species' natural history are recommended. |
| 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 | Habitat destruction, due to smallholder farming activities and subsistence wood collection, and landslides represent major threats to this species. Tadpoles have been found infected with the chytrid fungus (Quebrada de Oro), and this is likely along to habitat lost the cause of the recently observed decline. The area from which this species was recorded is subject to extensive landslides; these often severely impact the species habitat. Additional major threats include deforestation as a result of agricultural and large-scale livestock encroachment, human settlements, selective logging of harwoods, and human induced fires fires Hondureas workshop, 2019). In Texiguat major threats to the species include high-rate of deforestation and encroachment for extensive cattle ranching and coffee plantation, agricultural crops (avocado, beans) including the core area. Illegal selective hardwoods cutting, construction of several hydroelectric dams - human settlements along this. Palm plants an mimbre hartvest is an issue too. There is a proposal to elevate the lower limit of the core area (1,250 m all) that would allow the legal use of the expanded buffer zone. Tadpoles have been found infected with the chytrid fungus in Quebrada de Oro, and this together with habitat loss is likely the cause of the historic population decline (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019). The area from which this species was recorded in Parque Nacional Pico Bonito is subject to extensive landslides; these often severely impact the species habitat. Additional major threats include deforestation as a result of agricultural and large-scale livestock encroachment, human settlements, selective logging of hardwoods, and human-induced fires (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). Highland amphibians are adapted to inhabit a narrow climatic envelope. Changes in climate are expected to reduce the available suitable habitat and required microclimates. Rapid shifts in the climatic 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 is 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? | Yes / probably | It is moderately infrequent and seems to be in decline. It was believed that the last time the existence of P. chrysopleura was documented was in May 1996, when two metamorphs and two tadpoles were collected along the Quebrada de Oro, with deformed mouthparts. that could be correlated of presence of chytrid (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019), this species is apparently extirpated from that locality. Further survey work is required to monitor the population status and trends of this species; in view of the severe risk of chytridiomycosis. Might be extirpated from type locality but it is likely in areas that have not been surveyed. areas. The discovery of the species in La Liberación - Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat, is the first evidence of survival in 14 years (J. Townsend et al. 2011) Río Mezapa in February 2019 14 individuals were observed and at Río Jilamito in September 8 individuals and December 2018 - 30 individuals were observed. |
| 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? | Maintained but no successful breeding | Maintained by J.M. Solís, (pers. comm. March 2019). One specimen kept for about 6 months. |
| 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? | No | |
| 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? | ||
| 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:
Antúnez, C., Wilson, D., Castañeda, F., Cruz, G., Kolby, J., Townsend, J.H., Galdámez, J.R., Wilson, L.D. & Herrera, L. 2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Plectrohyla chrysopleura, Honduras
(AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/4699
Accessed 21 May 2024
