Ongoing harlequin toad declines suggest the amphibian extinction crisis is still an emergency

Lötters S.; Plewnia A.; Catenazzi A.; Neam K.; Acosta-Galvis A.R.; Alarcon Vela Y.; Allen J.P.; Alfaro Segundo J.O.; de Lourdes Almendáriz Cabezas A.; Alvarado Barboza G.; Alves-Silva K.R.; Anganoy-Criollo M.; Arbeláez Ortiz E.; Arpi Lojano J.D.; Arteaga A.; Ballestas O.; Barrera Moscoso D.; Barros-Castañeda J.D.; Batista A.; Bernal M.H.; Betancourt E.; da Cunha Bitar Y.O.; Böning P.; Bravo-Valencia L.; Cáceres Andrade J.F.; Cadenas D.; Chaparro Auza J.C.; Chaves-Portilla G.A.; Chávez G.; Coloma L.A.; Cortez-Fernandez C.F.; Courtois E.A.; Culebras J.; De la Riva I.; Diaz V.; Elizondo Lara L.C.; Ernst R.; Flechas S.V.; Foch T.; Fouquet A.; García Méndez C.Z.; García-Pérez J.E.; Gómez-Hoyos D.A.; Gomides S.C.; Guerrel J.; Gratwicke B.; Guayasamin J.M.; Griffith E.; Herrera-Alva V.; Ibáñez R.; Idrovo C.I.; Jiménez Monge A.; Jorge R.F.; Jung A.; Klocke B.; Lampo M.; Lehr E.; Lewis C.H.R.; Lindquist E.D.; López-Perilla Y.R.; Mazepa G.; Medina-Rangel G.F.; Merino Viteri A.; Mulder K.; Pacheco-Suarez M.; Pereira-Muñoz A.; Pérez-González J.L.; Pinto Erazo M.A.; Pisso Florez A.G.; Ponce M.; Poole V.; Quezada Riera A.B.; Quiroz A.J.; Quiroz-Espinoza M.; Ramírez Guerra A.; Ramírez J.P.; Reichle S.; Reizine H.; Rivera-Correa M.; Roca-Rey Ross B.; Rocha-Usuga A.; Rodrigues M.T.; Rojas Montaño S.; Rößler D.C.; Rueda Solano L.A.; Señaris C.; Shepack A.; Siavichay Pesántez F.R.; Sorokin A.; Terán-Valdez A.; Torres-Ccasani G.; Tovar-Siso P.C.; Valencia L.M.; Velásquez-Trujillo D.A.; Veith M.; Venegas P.J.; Villalba-Fuentes J.; von May R.; Webster Bernal J.F.; La Marca E. · Communications Earth and Environment (2023) · DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-01069-w

Resumen

Biodiversity loss is extreme in amphibians. Despite ongoing conservation action, it is difficult to determine where we stand in overcoming their extinction crisis. Among the most threatened amphibians are the 131 Neotropical harlequin toads. Many of them declined since the 1980s with several considered possibly extinct. Recently, more than 30 species have been rediscovered, raising hope for a reversing trend in the amphibian extinction crisis. We use past and present data available for harlequin toads (Atelopus), to examine whether the amphibian extinction crisis is still in an emergency state. Since 2004 no species has improved its population status, suggesting that recovery efforts have not been successful. Threats include habitat change, pathogen spread and climate change. More mitigation strategies need implementation, especially habitat protection and disease management, combined with captive conservation breeding. With harlequin toads serving as a model, it is clear that the amphibian extinction crisis is still underway.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina; Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa; Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal de Huamanga; Universidad Nacional de San Martín