Assessment Results
Cardioglossa occidentalis
Western Long-fingered Frog
Order:
Anura
Family:
Arthroleptidae
Synonym(s):
Astylosternus occidentalis, Astylosternus occidentalis
Assessed for:
Ghana
on:
24 Sep 2021
by:
AArk/ASG Ghana Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Adum, G., Kouamé, N.G., Ofori-Boateng, C. and Penner, J.
IUCN Global Red List:
Least Concern (LC)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
23.57389777
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.] | Vulnerable (VU) | Previously listed as Least Concern because of its wide distribution and presumed large population. Tentatively re-listed as VU |
| 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 - 50 | |
| 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? | Yes / probably | This species is found in Kakum National Park, Sui River and Suhuma Forest Reserves and Ankasa Conservation Area in Ghana. |
| 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 | This species has been recorded in the rainforest zone in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, between 0-650 m asl (Blackburn et al. 2008). It is assumed that the species is widespread from southwestern Ghana to eastern Sierra Leone (M.-O. Rödel pers. comm. July 2016). This species is found in Kakum National Park, Sui River and Suhuma Forest Reserves and Ankasa Conservation Area in Ghana. |
| 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 | This species is found in a number of protected areas. |
| 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 | Ongoing and improved management of protected areas is required including forest restoration, enforcement of protected area boundaries, the provision of livelihood alternatives for locals to reducing mining activities, and additional resource provision for the protection of existing protected areas [e.g. equipment such as cars and fuel provision] (G. Adum and J. Penner pers. comm. September 2021). The protection of all remaining forest and freshwater habitats in the region is also urgently required (N.G. Kouamé, pers. comm., September 2021). |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | |
| 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 | This species occurs predominantly in primary and some good secondary rainforests, and is closely associated with flowing water (Rödel et al. 2001). The major threat to the species is habitat loss and degradation due to mining, subsistence agriculture and livestock farming. Wherever mining activities occur in rainforest throughout its range, habitat destruction and pollution are threats. Artisanal and large-scale gold mining is a major threat, which is causing forest loss and pollution of streams including areas downstream from the mining areas (J. Penner and G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). Hill sanctuaries across Ghana were more secure in 2009, but observations since 2016 have confirmed that habitat degradation and loss are now occurring within these areas (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). Increasing development for human settlements is also a threat throughout Ghana (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). Multiple threats currently exist in the Sui River Forest Reserve. Large-scale selective logging (both legally and illegally) and deforestation for cacao plantations (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021) - in 2021, the government allowed 15 ha of the 333.9 km² Sui River Forest Reserve to be cleared (G. Adum and J. Penner, pers. comm., September 2021). Other threats include the use of agrochemicals, encroachment due to over-population, wildfires as a result of slash and burn activities and the spread of the invasive weed (Chromolaena odorata), (Ghana RLA/CNA assessment workshop, 2021). Large-scale selective logging is occurring throughout the reserve, which has resulted in areas becoming more accessible and led to a recent increase in illegal commercial logging activities (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). |
| 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 | Where present, this species is common; more specifically, it has been reported as very common in western Côte d’Ivoire and southeastern Guinea (Blackburn et al. 2008) and Liberia (J. Penner, pers. comm., September 2021). However it is considered to be quite rare in Ghana (G. Adum and C. Ofori-Boateng, pers. comm., September 2021), and this is on the edge of its distribution (J. Penner, pers. comm., September 2021). Due to ongoing decline in the extent and quality of habitat, the population is suspected to be decreasing. |
| 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 | Some distinct variation in color occurs occasionally in this species, although these animals have been genetically confirmed as belonging to this species (J. Penner, pers. comm., September 2021). |
| 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 | |
| 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 | It could be used as an analog for more threatened Central African species (J. Penner, pers. comm., September 2021). |
| 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? | Yes | This is a very colorful species, and could be attractive to tourists (J. Penner and G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). |
| 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 | This species was previously confused with Cardioglossa leucomystax - the subpopulations from Guinea to Ghana previously assigned to the latter have now been assigned to this species (Blackburn et al. 2008). |
Citation:
Adum, G., Kouamé, N.G., Ofori-Boateng, C. and Penner, J. 2021. Conservation Needs Assessment for Cardioglossa occidentalis, Ghana
(AArk/ASG Ghana Assessment Workshop).
https://www.conservationneeds.org/assessment/6915
Accessed 17 May 2024
