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FROGLOG Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force

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FROGLOG Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force Pseudotriton ruber by Robin Moore ISSN 1026-0269 FROGLOG Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force April 2006, Number 74 Rebekah Gibble (2004) Modulating development. (2006) PhD Thesis, DAPTF Seed Grants 2006 effects of atrazine on antimicrobial Wageningen University, The Netherlands. peptide secretion from the skin of ISBN 90-8504-354-9 We have completed our allocation of Xenopus laevis. ([email protected]) (Grant to Arno Gutleb, 1997) DAPTF Seed Grants for 2006. We Tibor Hartel, László Demeter & Dan ([email protected]) received 32 proposals from 23 countries, and we our funding 12 projects, an outlay Cogalniceanu (2004) The factors Herrera, R. A., Steciow, M. M. & Natale, of $23,133. This year, for the first time, influencing breeding habitat use of the G. S. (2005) Chytrid fungus parasitizing we are funding projects in Bolivia, Italy amphibians in the middle Târnava Mare the wild amphibian Leptodactylus and the Seychelles. Five of the projects Valley and upper Olt River Valley, ocellatus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in Romania. ([email protected]) Argentina. Diseases of Aquatic we are supporting in the USA are funded Organisms: 64; 247-252. by the ARMI; we are very grateful to them James Harvey (2004) Distribution and for their continuing support. Chester Zoo, estimation of adult global population size (Grant to Mónica Steciow & Raúl Herrera, UK is funding two projects, in Bolivia and of the critically endangered mistbelt moss 2003) Ecuador. frog Arthroleptella ngongoniensis. ([email protected]) Since 1992, the DAPTF has ([email protected]) Orton, F., Carr, J. A. & Handy, R. D. funded 167 projects through its Seed Stephen C. Richter & Brian I. Crother (2006) Effects of nitrate and atrazine on Grant programme, distributing $321,634 (2003). Genetic consequences of larval development and sexual to researchers in 49 different countries. population reduction and isolation in the differentiation in the northern leopard frog Our listing of papers that acknowledge critically endangered frog, Rana sevosa, Rana pipiens. Envtl. Toxicol. & Chem: the DAPTF as a source of funding, most with comparison to non-isolated 25; 65-71. of them in high-impact journals, now populations of two sister taxa, Rana (Grant to Frances Orton et al., 2003) stands at over 100. areolata and Rana capito. ([email protected]) Tim Halliday ([email protected]) Smith, G. R., Temple, K. G., Dingfelder, Anna Schotthoefer (2004) Temporal and H. A. & Vaala, D. A. (2006) Effects of Reports on DAPTF Seed Grants spatial analysis of Ribeiroia ondatrae nitrate on the interactions of the tadpoles Recipients of DAPTF Seed Grants are infection risk within reconstructed of two ranids (Rana clamitans and R. generally expected to publish the results wetlands. ([email protected]) catesbeiana). Aquatic Ecology: 40; 125- of their projects in refereed journals, or as Anna Schotthoefer (2004) Effects of a 130. articles in Froglog. They are also required crayfish predator and cover on the (Grant to Geoffrey Smith & Jessica to send us reports, so that their results transmission of Ribeiroia ondatrae, the Rettig, 2002) ([email protected]) can be made available to DAPTF trematode that causes limb deformities in members. Below is a list of reports that amphibians. ([email protected]) New Swiss we have received recently. Anyone David J. Zafft (2003) Cytridiomycosis in wanting a copy of a report should contact boreal toads from the Green River Amphibian Red the author in the first instance; we can List drainage, Wyoming. (Report by William supply copies if you cannot reach the M. Turner et al.) author. By Benedikt R. Schmidt and Silvia ([email protected]) Sebastián Barrionuevo & María Laura Zumbach Amy J. Lind (2004) Development of a Ponssa (2004) Monitoring three species database on reintroductions, Seventy percent of the twenty amphibian of Telmatobius (Anura: Leptodactylidae) translocations, and associated captive species that inhabit Switzerland are listed from montane streams of Tucumán breeding in amphibians. ([email protected]) on the updated Red List that was Province, northwest Argentina. The following papers report work compiled by the Swiss Amphibian and ([email protected]) Reptile Conservation Program KARCH supported by DAPTF Seed Grants: Arvin C. Diesmos (2002) The status of (http://www.karch.ch/) and published Philippine caecilians (Amphibia: Bank, M. S., Crocker, J. B., Davis, S., officially by the Swiss Governmental Ichthyophiidae). ([email protected]) Brotherton, D. K., Cook, R., Behler, J. & Agency for the Environment BUWAL Connery, B. (in press) Population Ansel Fong & Jean-Marc Hero (2003) (from 2006 on: BAFU) in November 2005. decline of northern dusky salamanders at This figure is more than twice that Population ecology of the stream-dwelling Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Biol. Eleutherodactylus cuneatus on La Gran produced by the Global Amphibian Conservation: Assessment (Stuart et al. 2004). Piedra, eastern Cuba. (Grant to Michael Bank et al., 2002) ([email protected]) The updated Red List is based ([email protected]) on two years of field work. About 300 Ron Gagliardo (2004)Further exploration Gutleb, A. C. (2006) Detecting the sites were visited multiple times and in search of Atelopus varius in Costa effects of environmentally relevant thoroughly searched for amphibians. This Rica. concentrations of thyroid hormone field protocol allowed for the estimation of ([email protected]) disrupting compounds on amphibian detection probabilities and the proportion 1 of sites occupied by each species References: and Food Supply. This is clear evidence (Schmidt 2005). Hence, absence is not Grossenbacher K., Lippuner M., that invasion into natural habitats has confounded with non-detection. Indeed, Zumbach S., Borgula A. & Lüscher B. already begun in Brazil (Feio, 1997). statistical analyses show that field 2002. Phenology and reproduction of 3 Adult bullfrogs are voracious predators workers did an excellent job and that brown frog species Rana latastei, R. and may be responsible for significant most species are present only in a few dalmatina, R. temporaria; developments levels of predation on native anurans and sites where they were not recorded. and status of the R. latastei populations other aquatic and terrestrial fauna, such Red List status was assessed in Mendrisiotto, southern Ticino, as snakes, frogs, mice and turtles, according to the criteria of the World Switzerland, pp. 91-100 in Ferri V. (ed.): including young bullfrogs (Jim, 1997). Conservation Union (IUCN). Because Atti del terzo Convegno Salvaguardia Bullfrogs are highly aquatic and inhabit Switzerland is a small country, one might Anfibi. Progetto ROSPI & Museo warm, open, permanent ponds and rivers expect that many species will be red- Cantonale di Storia Naturale di Lugano, (Bruneau & Magnin, 1980; Bury & listed simply because their distributional Lugano. Whelan, 1984; Govindarajulu, 2004). ranges in Switzerland are small. They prefer non-vegetated or impacted Schmidt B. R., 2005. Monitoring the However, this is true for only a small areas, tolerating polluted waters better distribution of pond-breeding amphibians fraction of the species, such as Hyla than the majority of native species. In when species are detected imperfectly. intermedia and Triturus carnifex (both addition, the early stages of bullfrogs Aquatic Conservation, 15: 681-692. EN) and Rana latastei (VU) which are (eggs and larvae) are not palatable to the restricted to southern Switzerland. Most Schmidt B. R. & Zumbach S., 2005. Rote majority of predators, favouring its species are red-listed because they have Liste der gefährdeten Amphibien der expansion into new habitats. suffered strong population declines. Schweiz. BUWAL-Reihe: Vollzug Umwelt, Until now, there has been no Bern, Switzerland. 48 p. Population declines were estimated as report of R. catesbeiana occurring in the proportion of sites where the species Stuart S. N., Chanson J. S., Cox N. A., natural habitat within the Federal District. were known in the past but where they no Young B. E., Rodrigues A. S. L., However, three specimens of R. longer occur (IUCN Red List criterion Fischman D. L. & Waller R. W., 2004. catesbeiana have recently been found in A2c). Several species have experienced Status and trends of amphibian declines Santa Maria stream (16º02`07``S declines in the last twenty years of more and extinctions worldwide. Science, 306: 48º00`38``W) during a University of than 50% (Alytes obstetricans, Bombina 1783-1786. Brasilia study. There are no official variegata, Bufo calamita, Hyla arborea, bullfrog farms near this collecting site, but Triturus cristatus, and T. vulgaris – all First it is possible that there are illegal farms in EN). These declines are staggering, Occurrence of the region of Santa Maria city. This given the fact that amphibians have been Bull Frogs hypothesis is confirmed by a report from protected by federal law since 1966 and (Rana a farmer that some neighbors had started that it is (at least in theory) forbidden to catesbeiana) in bullfrog farming, but had abandoned it destroy amphibian breeding sites. Federal District, due to a lack of a market, killing the Only one species has Central Brazil adults and releasing young bullfrogs into responded favourably to conservation nature. action. Rana latastei was formerly CR By Rocha-Miranda, F.; Martins Silva, All animals collected were adult and is now in category VU. This is M.J.
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