Assessment Results
Nototriton lignicola
Order:
Caudata
Family:
Plethodontidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Honduras
on:
01 Apr 2019
by:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Castañeda, F., Cruz, G., Wilson, L.D. & McCranie, R., Boza , E., Antunez , C., Carias , E., Castañeda, F., Cruz, G. Flores, A., Galdamez, J., Hernandez, J., Herrera, E., Herrera, L., Kolby, J., Marcec, R., Sagastume, K., Solis, M., Townsend, J., Turcios, M.
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Honduras
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
16.64175758
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.] | Endangered (EN) | Probably downgraded since a second population has been discovered. |
| 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 was previously only known only from the type locality in Cerro de En Medio in Parque Nacional la Muralla, Department of Olancho, north-central Honduras, between 1,760-1,780 m asl. It is now also known from Cataguana in Parque Nacional Montaña de Yoro, Honduras, between 1,820-2,020 m asl (Townsend et al. 2011, Townsend et al. 2013). Its range is unlikely to occur much more widely and this species is probably endemic to suitable elevations of the two national parks (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). However, these two areas are poorly managed and enforced, and habitat loss is continuing and intensifying inside the core areas of the parks (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop 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 | Additional research is needed on this species' distribution, population status and trends. Another avenue for future research includes natural history studies. |
| 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 | At Cataguana in Parque Nacional Montaña de Yoro, the species' habitat is threatened by ongoing deforestation for marijuana plantations (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). 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). As a result of the decree, coffee plantations are increasing inside Parque Nacional Montaña de Yoro and Parque Nacional La Muralla (F. Castaneda pers. comm. March 2019). The remaining habitat of this species is threatened by encroaching subsistence agriculture and livestock grazing activities (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). As of 2016, a native boring pine beetle has devastated the pine forests of the region where this species occurs, which encourages widespread harvesting of the dying timber for energy production; increased intentional fires to eliminate the excess biomass; and subsequent conversion of burned areas to cropland. The destruction of the forests by the beetle have ceased as of 2019, however another outbreak will likely occur in the future during the next El Niño cycle (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 generally uncommon, although it can be found in reasonable numbers in suitable habitat. For example, four to five individuals have been encountered over three days of surveys in April 2017 (dry season) in Cerro de En Medio (E. Boza pers. comm. March 2019). At Cataguana in Parque Nacional Montaña de Yoro, the species is uncommon to locally common: one juvenile and two adults were recorded in June 2006 and March 2007 and a single adult was observed in September 2008 (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). Given that the species is semi-fossorial, they are difficult to find which may reflect their low encounter rate in Parque Nacional Montaña de Yoro (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). The subpopulation in Parque Nacional Montaña de Yoro is thought to be declining due to ongoing decline in its habitat (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop 2019). The subpopulation is thought to be relatively stable at Cerro de En Medio (J.M. Solis pers. comm. March 2019). |
| 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? | 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 | Legislation in Honduras currently prevents the export of live amphibians. |
| 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:
Castañeda, F., Cruz, G., Wilson, L.D. & McCranie, R., Boza , E., Antunez , C., Carias , E., Castañeda, F., Cruz, G. Flores, A., Galdamez, J., Hernandez, J., Herrera, E., Herrera, L., Kolby, J., Marcec, R., Sagastume, K., Solis, M., Townsend, J., Turcios, M. 2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Nototriton lignicola, Honduras
(AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/4725
Accessed 17 May 2024
