Assessment Results
Physalaemus caete
Order:
Anura
Family:
Leptodactylidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Brazil
on:
08 Oct 2020
by:
AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop
Authors:
B. Lisboa and F. Nascimento
IUCN Global Red List:
Data Deficient (DD)
National Red List:
Endangered (EN)
Distribution:
Brazil
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
16.65770532
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
An ex situ backup population is recommended by the authors.
| 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? | Unknown | This species currently occurs in 3 municipalities: Passos de Macaragibe (type-locality, Alagoas), Murici (Alagoas) and Paulista (Pernambuco). Of these three, only in Paulista are individuals in a protected area (Estação Ecológica - ESEC - de Caetes), in which the population is stable and has been studied. In Passos de Macaragibe, a plant area, it is unknown how is the population, however there were no collection efforts. In Murici, the species was not found at ESEC in efforts from 2014 to date. For these reasons, it is unknown whether at least 50% of individuals are located in a protected area, making it necessary to review the distribution. |
| 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 | Estação Ecologica de Caetes and ESEC de Murici. |
| 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 | Basic research is being carried out to assist in conservation actions. |
| 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.)? | Unknown | As a work to collect basic information is in progress, in situ conservation actions will still be outlined. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Currently (2020), basic research is being carried out by Emerson Dias (Pedro Ivo Simões's PhD student ) at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, generating information on natural history, sexual selection and population dynamics, to assist in conservation actions. Research is needed on taxonomy and phylogeny, distribution, impacts of Batrachochytrium dendobatidis (Bd) on the population, genetic diversity, and search effort in the type-locality to verify the status of the population. |
| 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 main threats to this species are fragmentation, habitat loss and decline of its quality due to agricultural expansion and cattle raising, illegal deforestation and invasions to human settlements. Another possible threat is the impact of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on the population. |
| 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? | Unknown | |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | No | There is no specific plan to this species, but it is part of the National Action Plan "Plano de Ação Nacional para Conservação da Herpetofauna Ameaçada da Mata Atlântica Nordestina - PAN Nordeste". |
| 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? | Yes | Studies on the effects of Bd on the species. |
| 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 | Some species of Physalaemus gr signifer. Note: check in Bahia which species occurs and which would be the closest. |
| 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 | This species is part of the DOTs Project, which aims to promote scientific communication and highlight conservation needs of the Brazilian threatened amphibians (https://www.projetodots.org). |
| 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 | At ESEC de Caetes it is possible to find founders. |
| 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 | However, it would be important to do a phylogenetic review. |
Citation:
B. Lisboa and F. Nascimento
2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Physalaemus caete, Brazil
(AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/6768
Accessed 14 May 2024
