Assessment Results
Nyctimystes persimilis
Milne Big-eyed Treefrog
Order:
Anura
Family:
Hylidae
Synonym(s):
Litoria persimilis
Assessed for:
Papua New Guinea
on:
25 Jul 2019
by:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop
IUCN Global Red List:
Least Concern (LC)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Papua New Guinea
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
10.46827641
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
Assessors: Allison, A., Kraus, F., Zweifel, R.G., Clulow, S. & Richards, S.
Presently, there are no records of infectious amphibian chytrid fungi (Batrachochytrium spp.) on New Guinea (Bower et al. 2017, 2019). There is a risk that human activities may introduce the fungus to the island. Declines of approximately 10-20% in limnodynastids, myobatrachids, and pelodryadids in Australia have been recorded (Bower et al. 2019). Therefore, should chytrids be detected on New Guinea, this species should be re-assessed as a matter of urgency as it could be at high risk of infection and decline (Melanesia Red List Assessment Workshop July 2019).
| Question # | Short Name | Question Text | Response | Comments |
| 1 | Extinction risk | Current IUCN Red List category. [Data obtained from the IUCN Red List.] | Least Concern (LC) | This species is now known to be much more widely distributed than previously known. |
| 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 the north-east slope of Mount Dayman and the eastern slope of Mount Simpson 40 km further south, in the Owen Stanley Mountains of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. Its true range is probably small, but is likely to include Mount Suckling to the north of Mount Dayman, although it is unlikely to extend further north than this. While type locality of Mount Dayman is at 1,370 m asl, this species has been recorded from 1,300-1,700 m asl on the eastern slope of Mount Simpson (Kraus 2012, Menzies 2014). Its estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is 378.2144 km2. This species has not been recorded in any protected habitats. |
| 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.). | No / unlikely | No conservation actions are currently in place for this species and its immediate habitat. This species has not been recorded in any protected habitats. |
| 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 | This species would likely benefit from improved habitat protection at sites where it is known to occur. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | More information is needed on this species' distribution, population status, ecology, and threats. Given the declines of torrent-dwelling hylids in Australia, the population status of this species requires close monitoring. |
| 10 | Threat mitigation | Are the threats facing the taxon, including any new and emerging threats not considered in the IUCN Red List, potentially reversible? | Species does not require conservation action at this time | There are no known threats to this species. It is unlikely that there are any major threats to this species at present, even though the degree of habitat destruction that has taken place within its range is unknown. This species is tolerant of the degree of disturbance that is characteristic of the area at present. |
| 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 | This species is known to be very common in areas of suitable habitat on Mount Simpson. |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | No | |
| 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.) | No / unlikely | |
| 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? | No / unlikely | Declines due to the arrival of chytrids are known to be rapid and severe. Therefore, a common analog species should be identified and the capacity for ex-situ conservation (e.g. captive assurance populations and genome banking) should be developed in country. There is a high risk that the introduction of chytrids could be caused by human activities, “enforcing quarantine measures through policy changes, investing in compliance, promoting education, and minimizing risks, including transportation of infected sources” (Bower et al. 2019) is strongly recommended (Melanesia Red List Assessment Workshop July 2019). |
| 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? | Yes | For other similar stream-dwelling species. |
| 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:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop. 2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Nyctimystes persimilis, Papua New Guinea.
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/4848
Accessed 17 May 2024
