FOUND: Lost Starry Night Harlequin Toad Makes Radiant Return to Science © Fundación Atelopus
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December 2019 AMPHIBIAN SURVIVAL ALLIANCE NEWTSLETTER Got a story you want to share? Drop Candace an email today! [email protected] Stories from our partners around the world FOUND: Lost Starry Night Harlequin Toad makes radiant return to science © Fundación Atelopus For the first time since 1994, biolo- America at these higher altitudes knowledge. We are tremendously gists have documented the stun- have largely vanished over the past grateful to the Arhuaco people for ning black-and-white-spotted Starry three decades as the result of a giving us this opportunity to work Night Harlequin Toad (Atelopus deadly fungal pathogen, it turns out with them.” aryescue). The photo documenta- that the Starry Night Harlequin Toad tion is the result of a unique and has bucked the trend,” said Lina The Starry Night Harlequin Toad, poignant partnership between Valencia, Colombia conservation known as ‘gouna’ to the Arhuaco Global Wildlife Conservation partner officer at Global Wildlife Conserva- people, is classified as Critically Fundación Atelopus—a Colombian tion. “This is a powerful story about Endangered by the IUCN Red List NGO—and the indigenous Arhuaco how working with indigenous and of Threatened Species. Although it people of the Sogrome commu- local communities can help us not had been lost to science for nearly nity in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada just find species lost to science, but 30 years, it has never been lost to de Santa Marta, the tallest coastal better understand how some spe- members of the Sogrome com- mountain on Earth. cies are surviving and how we can munity, who have always lived in conserve the natural world in a way harmony with the toad in their “While Harlequin Toads across Latin that connects spiritual and cultural shared home in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and have historically planting crops or performing spir- after a series of gatherings with the protected the amphibian, its habitat itual ceremonies—that has inspired community, the biologists awaited and the other wildlife living there. their ancestral culture for thousands word from the mamos, who con- of years. sulted with nature about the team’s “The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta intentions and whether they genu- is a place that we consider sacred, For this reason, the Sogrome com- inely shared the community’s inter- and harlequin toads are guardians munity has chosen the Starry Night est in protecting the Sierra Nevada of water and symbols of fertility,” Harlequin Toad as a flagship for their before granting them permission to said Kaneymaku Suarez Chaparro, a community-based project, Amas visit the toad again on a GWC-fund- member of the Sogrome community la Sierra. The project is aimed at ed expedition to get photographs. and a biology student at the Francis- demonstrating that it is possible for co José de Cladas District University. humans to accomplish their goals “It is an incredible honor to be “We manage our resources and con- while maintaining the equilibrium entrusted with the story of the serve our home as the law of origin of Earth, even achieving economic Starry Night Harlequin Toad and the dictates, which means that we live growth through the preservation of story of the Sogrome community’s in balance with Mother Earth and nature. Given their shared interests relationship with it,” said Fundación all of the life here. Now we have a to protect nature, a partnership with Atelopus vice president and biolo- great opportunity to bring together Fundación Atelopus seemed like a gist José Luis Pérez-González. “We two worldviews for the protection natural fit. But for the biologists to were hoping to find one individual and preservation of the Sierra spe- obtain permission to make the eight- of the Starry Night Harlequin Toad, cies: the Western scientific knowl- hour hike to co-document the starry and to our great surprise we found edge and the indigenous scientific, night harlequin toad for the rest of a population of 30 individuals. We cultural and spiritual knowledge.” the world required first building a were full of joy and hope as we had relationship with the indigenous the chance to observe a healthy The Starry Night Harlequin Toad has community. population from a genus for which not been scientifically documented very few species remain.” in nearly 30 years in part because After four years of dialogue among biologists have not had access to its Fundación Atelopus, Villafaña and The next steps will involve Fun- habitat. However, for the communi- Sogrome spiritual leaders, called dación Atelopus, Suarez Chaparro ty of Sogrome and their representa- mamos, the Fundación Atelopus and Villafaña Chaparro sitting down tive Ruperto Chaparro Villafaña, the team was allowed in April of this with the mamos and authorities of toad is a legitimate authority of the year to see the toad without taking the community to continue discuss- natural world—an indicator that photos (a test of trust the Arhuaco ing the role of the Sierra and its signals when to take actions like call “resisting temptation”). Then wildlife, to establish a monitoring © Fundación Atelopus © Fundación Atelopus program for the Starry Night Har- elevations in the Sierra Nevada lequin Toad, and to bring together de Santa Marta, surprising biolo- both the scientific and spiritual per- gists who associate high-elevation spectives to best continue protect- habitats with dramatic amphibian ing the amphibian. declines. Eighty of the known 96 Harlequin “With the Starry Night Harlequin Toad species are Endangered, Criti- Toad records, we confirm that Sierra cally Endangered or Extinct in the Nevada de Santa Marta is one of wild, according to the IUCN Red List the most important sites for the of Threatened Species, as the result conservation of harlequin toads in of infectious disease, habitat de- Latin America,” said Luis Alberto struction and degradation, invasive Rueda, professor at Universidad del species and climate change. As of Magdalena and Fundación Atelopus 2018, 37 Harlequin Toad species cofounder. “And thanks to the indig- had disappeared from their known enous communities like Sogrome, homes and have not been seen this special place continues to be a since the early 2000s, despite efforts sanctuary for these special animals.” to find them. The Starry Night Har- lequin Toad is one of four Harlequin Toads with seemingly steady popu- lations living in mid-to-high-level issues. There is a fascinating sum- to your holiday reading and enjoy mary of the recent Atelopus Surviv- yet more fantastic stories from the al Initiative workshop in Colombia, ASA partnership. We look forward which was convened to develop an to an exciting 2020 as we make eve- essential network and conservation ry effort to support global biodiver- strategy for threatened Harlequin sity conservation targets, including Toads across the Neotropics. As promoting Key Biodiversity Areas a recent boost to this initiative, and amphibian disease mitiga- we share a story from Fundación tion. Getting the New Year off to a EDITORIAL Atelopus announcing the rediscov- strong start, in early 2020 we will ery of the Starry Night Harlequin reveal the recipients of our newly In a bumper Holiday edition of Toad (Atelopus arsyecue) in Colom- launched ASA Conservation Grants the Frogress Report, we bring you bia. We also celebrate some richly and share news from the 9th World exciting updates from new and deserved commendations given Congress of Herpetology (5th-10th established ASA partners all over to members of our community, January 2020), where ASA is run- the world. In a long and inspiring including the IUCN SSC Amphibian ning the Amphibian Conservation list, we share contributions from Specialist Group (awarded the IUCN Research Symposium as a double the Smithsonian Conservation SSC Chair’s Citation of Excellence), session. Biology Institute, Zoological Society Ariadne Angulo (awarded The Harry of London, Froglife, Zoos Victoria, Messel Award for Conservation We sincerely thank all of our Save The Frogs! Ghana, Global Leadership) and Gina Della Togna partners and supporters for their Wildlife Conservation, Synchronicity (awarded the L’Oréal-UNESCO For tireless efforts in amphibian conser- Earth and the Conservation Plan- Women in Science Award). vation, and for helping develop ASA ning Specialist Group. We welcome into a strong and collaborative part- new partners to ASA, including the It has been an eventful and re- nership. May the New Year bring Wildlife Trust of India, Taita Taveta warding year for ASA. Our part- you much peace and happiness, Wildlife Forum in Kenya, Elgon nership has grown and we have and the promise of better things to Wildlife Conservation Organization relished celebrating novel initiatives come for your beloved amphibians! in Uganda, COANA in Argentina, for amphibians in diverse global Grupo RANA in Peru, and the Moni- locations. As 2019 draws to a close, Helen Meredith, PhD tor Conservation Research Society, we are publishing the ASA Annual Executive Director which is based in Canada and works Report for the 2019 fiscal year. We Amphibian Survival Alliance internationally on amphibian trade strongly encourage you to add this Saving the Intermediate Puddle Frog © Daniel Portik SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana (STF! Gha- The Ankasa Conservation Area The project is expected to benefit na) is dedicating hundreds of work- is one of Ghana’s best-protected co-occurring threatened amphibian ing hours in search of one of West forests. Regardless, there still is species such as Ghana River Frog (P. Africa’s rarest frogs, the critically heavy dependence on Non-Timber ghanensis) and Yapo River Frog (P. endangered Intermediate Puddle Forest Products, including raffia villiersi), as well as non-amphibian Frog (Phrynobatrachus intermedius) palm tapped for a local ‘wine.’ This species including Forest Elephant at south-western Ghana’s Ankasa activity within the species’ habi- (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) and Conservation Area, it’s only known tat puts it in imminent danger of White-breasted Guinea Fowl (Age- home.