Assessment Results
Nototriton limnospectator
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.
IUCN Global Red List:
Endangered (EN)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Honduras
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
15.00648849
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) | |
| 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 from the Montana de Santa Barbara, in the department of Santa Barbara, west-central Honduras, between 1,640-1,980 m asl. It is now also known from Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar, in Comayagua Department in west-central Honduras, between 1,600-1,980 m asl (Townsend et al. 2011). This species occurs in the 12,000-ha Parque Nacional Montana de Santa Barbara and the well-managed Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar. It probably occurs a little more widely than current records suggest. Approximately 20% of the habitat for this species within Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar (NW part of the park around Los Pinos) is effectively protected (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 | Additional research is needed on this species' distribution, population status and trends. Another avenue for future research includes natural history studies. Studies are needed to determine the carrying capacity for tourism activities in the park (F. Castaneda pers. comm. 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 major threat is continued forest loss due to expanding subsistence agriculture, forest fires, logging and deforestation for coffee, fruits and flowers in Montana de Santa Barbara (L. Herrera, pers. comm.). Prolonged dry seasons are an increasing problem. The species is probably unable to tolerate habitat disturbance. The reform to the Ley de Protection de la Actividad Caficultora y Cacaotera (Decreto 37-2016; Articulos I, V, VI) has incentivized and increased habitat alteration in primary montane cloud forest in national lands including the core zones of protected areas primarily for coffee and avocado cultivation (Honduras Assessment Workshop, March 2019). Eco tourism could also be having a negative impact on the the habitat for this species within Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar (F. Castañeda, pers. comm.). A lack of capacity to manage the national park is an additional concern (L. Herrera pers. comm. March 2019). In addition, selective logging for timber and intentional forest fires are affecting its habitat in Parque Nacional Montaña de Santa Bárbara (L. Herrera, F. Castaneda and J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). Expansion of rural developments into the park is causing further habitat loss (L. Herrera pers. comm. March 2019). About 20% of its habitat in Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar (NW part of the park around Los Pinos) is well-protected; however, stomping of the leaf-litter and erosion of trails from tourism activities could be a potential issue (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). In the southern portion of this park (Rio Bonito and San José de los Planes) clear-cutting of the forest for small-holder crops is taking place (J. Townsend pers. comm. 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 was formerly thought to be an uncommon species; however, further field surveys have revealed that it is moderately common at all sites from which it is known (J. Townsend, J.M. Solis and F. Castaneda pers. comm. March 2019). The subpopulation in Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meámbar is relatively stable due to the park being well-managed. The subpopulation in Parque Nacional Montaña de Santa Bárbara is probably declining due to habitat loss, and overall, the population is probably declining (J. Townsend, J.M. Solis and F. Castaneda pers. comm. March 2019). It was not seen during a recent (short) survey (F. Castañeda, pers. comm. March 2019). In general the population is decreasing. |
| 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 | |
| 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:
Castañeda, F., Cruz, G., Wilson, L.D. & McCranie, R. 2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Nototriton limnospectator, Honduras
(AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/4726
Accessed 13 May 2024
