Assessment Results
Bolitoglossa diaphora
Order:
Caudata
Family:
Plethodontidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Honduras
on:
01 Apr 2019
by:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Gustavo Cruz, Larry David Wilson, Randy McCranie, Franklin Castañeda, Jonathan Kolby.
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Honduras
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
11.15547485
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
In addition to regular monitoring for Bsal, the general public can also support these efforts through reporting any dead salamanders to the iNaturalist global project: Saving Salamanders with Citizen Science (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019).
| 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 | This species is known only from the Sierra de Omoa on the Atlantic versant of north-western Honduras at 1,470-2,200 m asl. It occurs in the Parque Nacional Cusuco, and while the protection of the south-eastern portion of Parque Nacional Cusuco has been improved in recent years, there is still a need for additional protection of the remaining habitat in the area is needed (e.g., north-western portion; (F. Castañeda pers. comm. March 2019). . There is an effective team of conservation rangers in place, who conduct regular patrolling (F. Castañeda, pers. comm. March 2019). Improved enforcement and management of the national parks and the elimination of incentives to convert forest (e.g., Decreto 37-2016) is urgently needed to halt anthropogenic land use change in the national parks and reserves of Honduras (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop 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? | No / unlikely | |
| 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.)? | ||
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Further survey work is needed to determine the current population status of this species as well as the possible impact of chytrid fungus. Another avenue for future research includes natural history studies. Proactive, precautionary steps should be taken to detect the arrival of Bsal in Honduras and to establish a baseline by including the swabbing of salamanders encountered during routine amphibian monitoring activities in the country (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). |
| 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 reform to the Ley de Protection de la Actividad Caficultora y Cacaotera (Decreto 37-2016; Articulos I, V, VI) has incentivised the cultivation of coffee in national lands, including the core zones of protected areas, which is increasing the alteration of primary forest (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). The cultivation of cardamom, coffee, and flowers is taking place within the boundaries of Parque Nacional Cusuco (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). Another major threat is an increase in intentional human-induced fires for clearing of habitat for agriculture (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019). The building of roads in view of increasing hydroelectric development, increasing human settlements, and selective logging are causing habitat loss within the park (J. Kolby, F. Castañeda, J.M. Solís, L. Herrera pers. comm. March 2019). Local people harvest 'hearts of palm' from the palm tree species used by this salamander, which represents an additional threat (L. Herrera pers. comm. March 2019). The trampling of leaf-litter, erosion of trails, and physical disturbance caused by high numbers of people through tourism activities and international research groups is an additional issue (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019). The species habitat is threatened by deforestation for marijuana plantations (F. Castañeda pers. comm. March 2019). Anecdotal evidence suggests that the climate in the area where this species occurs has become much drier and warmer in the last three decades, which represents a major concern for this cloud forest species (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019). 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. 2016, Lyra et al. 2017, Neate-Clegg et al. 2018). An increase in high rainfall events are being observed throughout this species' 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). Chytrid (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) infection was reported in this species in 2008 (J. Kolby pers. comm. 2008). There has been no further work on the specific effects of this disease on this species since then; however, there is no indication that is a major threat to the species at present (J. Kolby pers. comm. March 2019). The emergence of the salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, “Bsal”) as an amphibian pathogen has caused dramatic declines in European salamanders since its arrival in 2010 through the international pet trade (Feldmeier et al. 2016). While the presence of this fungus has not been confirmed in the Americas, it is spreading in Europe and risks spreading further. The threat of infection and population declines in salamanders is thought to be highly likely and detrimental to the majority of native species, should the fungus arrive in Honduras (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). |
| 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 believed to be a locally common species (Honduras Assessment Workshop, March 2019). In recent years, this species is well-known in Parque Nacional Cusuco, where it has been observed very common in trails such as El Danto and El Quetzal, (J. M., Solís pers. obs.). The population is presumed to be declining, due to habitat loss. |
| 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.)? | Aspect of biology identified that is unique to species | This species has extreme sexual dimorphism. Unlike other species in this clade, they do not have long toes (J. Townsend, pers. comm.). |
| 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 | Because of their coloration, local people consider them to be venomous. |
| 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? | 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? | 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:
Gustavo Cruz, Larry David Wilson, Randy McCranie, Franklin Castañeda, Jonathan Kolby.
2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Bolitoglossa diaphora, Honduras
(AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/4714
Accessed 17 May 2024
