Assessment Results
Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis
Dattatreya Night Frog
Order:
Anura
Family:
Nyctibatrachidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
India
on:
16 Sep 2020
by:
AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop
Authors:
K.P. Dinesh and Vishnupriya Sankararaman
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
India
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
14.22713784
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) | New records have extended its range and increased the EOO, resulting in a non-genuine downlisting from Critically Endangered to Endangered. |
| 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? | Unknown | Although his species is only known from the vicinity of Manikyadhara Falls, within the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, in Chickmagalur district, Karnataka state, India (Dinesh et al. 2008) it is apparently not well-managed since it faces many threats. About 20% of the sanctuary falls in the hill ranges of 'Chandra Drona Parvatha' where this species is presumed to occur more widely (Dinesh et al. 2008, K.P. Dinesh pers. comm. April 2011). Intensive surveys in suitable neighbouring areas in the entire stretch of the Western Ghats parts of Karnataka over the last six years have not yielded the species beyond the type locality (K.P. Dinesh pers. comm. February 2011), considered as a single threat-defined location in this assessment. It occurs in Dattatreya Peeta, Kemmannugundi, and Bababudangiri of Chickmagalur District in Karnataka State (Biju et al. 2011). It is found at an elevation between 865 and 1,515 m asl (Biju et al. 2011, KP Dinesh pers. comm. February 2011). |
| 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 | Mullayangiri region - this is a small region. Bhadra Tiger Reserve 100% of the population. |
| 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.). | Yes / probably | It is found within the boundaries of Bhadra Tiger Reserve (about 20% of the sanctuary falls in the hill ranges of 'Chandra Drona Parvatha' where this species is presumed to occur more widely) (Dinesh et al. 2008, K.P. Dinesh pers. comm. April 2011). |
| 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 | Additional habitat protection is a priority for this species' conservation (K.P. Dinesh pers. comm. February 2011). The species is in the very edge of the sanctuary, so more protection is needed. If streams are maintained within coffee estates then this species may persevere fairly successfully in these types of habitats (Vishnupriya Sankararaman, pers. comm. September 2020). |
| 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 and threats. Further studies are required to investigate the full effects of Bd on this species (India RLA/CNA workshop September 2020). |
| 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 unlikely to be reversed in time to prevent further decline / extinction | Agricultural activities such as coffee, pepper, cardamom, ginger and other crop cultivations are extensive throughout Chickmagalur district, with coffee comprising the main crop of the region, and being present adjacent to the type locality (K.P. Dinesh pers. comm. February 2011). Residential and commercial development due to ecotourism activities and extensive illegal collection of medicinal plants are also considered major threats to this species' habitat, as together with agricultural activities, they clear the canopy and allow for penetration of natural light, creating unsuitable conditions for this species (K.P. Dinesh pers. comm. February 2011). Climate change is a potential future threat to the species since it is a high elevation species (Vishnupriya Sankararaman, pers. comm. September 2020). Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been confirmed in the genus, with morbidity observed but no mortalities to date, but further studies required to investigate full effects on this species (India RLA/CNA workshop September 2020). |
| 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 considered to be locally common (K.P. Dinesh pers. comm. February 2011). |
| 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 | Named after a local saint. |
| 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? | Yes / probably | N. sanctipalustris would make a good husbandry analog for this species. |
| 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 | Future potential because the habitat is restricted for holy visits within the community and is named after a saint (India RLA/CNA workshop, October 2020). |
| 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:
K.P. Dinesh and Vishnupriya Sankararaman 2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis, India
(AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/5599
Accessed 18 May 2024
