FROGLOG Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force

Atelopus ziteki by Tim Halliday ISSN 1026-0269

June 2005, Number 69

A number of commentators have Amphibian Research and Monitoring suggested that the public, and its Initiative (ARMI); we are very grateful to The Future of the leaders, are in a state of denial about them for their continuing support. We environmental issues. The prospect of are delighted to have a new source of DAPTF environmental collapse is too awesome, support this year, Chester Zoo UK, and too remote, to think about. I which is funding three projects, in

The Mission of the DAPTF is to suggest that we biologists engage in our Argentina, Nigeria and Trinidad. determine the nature, extent and causes own form of denial by operating within Since 1992, the DAPTF has of amphibian declines throughout the the general area called ‘conservation funded 171 projects through its Seed world, and to promote the means by biology’. This is a comforting, feel-good Grant programme, distributing which declines can be halted or title but the results of the GAA suggest US$298,401 to researchers in 79 reversed. that we’re not doing a very good job. I different countries. Our listing of papers Last year’s Global Amphibian now call myself an ‘extinction biologist’ that acknowledge the DAPTF as a Assessment (GAA) brought to the and find that this generates much source of funding, most of them in high- greater interest in what I do than calling impact journals, now stands at 90. attention of the wider world what those myself a conservationist. I have Tim Halliday of us concerned with amphibian declines already knew. We are faced with a suggested to a number of publishers that Further exploration in search of major extinction event, in the light of they should launch a journal on which our current mission statement extinction biology; this idea is politely Atelopus varius in Costa Rica seems increasingly unrealistic. While rejected, on the grounds that the topic is By Mason Ryan, Erick Berlin and Ron the DAPTF can claim considerable credit too depressing. This comes from Gagliardo for initiating and supporting research that companies that publish innumerable has helped us to understand the causes journals focussing on the most In December 2003 an expedition funded of amphibian declines, real successes in gruesome of human medical conditions. through a DAPTF Rapid Response Fund terms of conserving threatened We must face up, I suggest, to an Grant led by Gagliardo (2004; Atlanta amphibian species are few and far extinction agenda. Faced with a very Botanical Garden) confirmed the between. Later this year, the DAPTF large number of threatened species, existence of an extant population of leadership will meet with our partners, which ones should we seriously try to Atelopus varius in Costa Rica, a species the Global Amphibian Specialist Group conserve? By what criteria do we presumed extinct and last seen in 1996 (GASC), and many other herpetologists choose those species? What (Bolaños pers. comm.). This expedition to discuss our future strategy. information should we gather, for the found three individuals in the streambed How should biologists act in benefit of future generations, about the and, based on current information, there response to mass extinction? I suggest much larger number of species that we are no other populations. Hence, this that the first thing we should do is put will probably not be able to conserve? small population should be of high more effort into alerting the wider world What would we most like to know about conservation priority. Since the first to the significance of amphibian dinosaurs had there been eye-witnesses expedition, efforts to establish a viable declines. The general public, and its to their demise? conservation plan have stalled due to political leaders, seem indifferent to This short editorial is intended to the apparent remoteness of the site, a amphibians and are unimpressed by provoke a response. In particular, we conflict of interests among some of the statistics on threatened species, welcome your comments on these parties involved, and the lack of baseline however large the numbers. We need to issues as we plan our discussions on the data on the population size. long-term future of the DAPTF. The extant population was emphasise that amphibian declines are Tim Halliday found in Fila Chonta, located ~ 10 km a symptom of a rapid decline in the

NW of the city of Quepos (Gagliardo, capacity of the environment, especially its freshwater component, to support life. DAPTF Seed Grants 2005 2004). This portion of the coastal We face an uphill struggle in getting this mountain range is topographically message across. During the recent We have completed our allocation of rugged ranging from 400 – 1700 m general election in the UK, every party DAPTF Seed Grants for 2005. We elevation, and consists of 4 life zones: leader repeated the mantra that climate received 48 proposals from 24 countries, tropical wet forest, premontane change is the most serious issue that we and we are funding 14 projects, an rainforest, premontane wet forest, and face; none presented any policies that outlay of $25,450. The number of lower montane rainforest (Holdridge, address the problem, but several that proposals submitted was considerably 1967). Due to the size and relief of Fila will make it worse. The recent report of lower this year than in previous years; so Chonta, it is probable that additional ‘exploding toads’ in Europe was featured is the number of projects we can populations of A. varius may exist in by newspapers, radio and TV, but was support, reflecting a difficult year for the streams not yet surveyed. A second typically treated as a ‘strange but true’ DAPTF in financial terms. This year, for population will further augment the item, relegated to the inside pages or to the first time, we are funding a project in species recovery plan, add genetic the filler slot at the end of a bulletin. Trinidad. Five of the projects we are diversity, and mitigate the susceptibility supporting in the USA are funded by the

1 to extirpation by a single, stochastic (Bd), catastrophic stochastic events of the source population; 2) placement event. such as landslides, and inbreeding of individuals into an ex situ captive On 17 February – 26 February depression. breeding program at the Atlanta 2005, a second expedition was In 2003, one out of three frogs Botanical Garden and other North organized with the following goals: captured tested positive for Bd infection American institutes; and 3) repatriation

•Identify other populations of A. varius in (Gagliardo, 2004), yet this species has of A. varius for education and possible Fila Chonta, persisted with this disease present. This reintroduction programs in Costa Rica.

•Identify an alternative route to the one warrants further study as to how this Due to the threats stated above, the known population, population can persist with Bd while so management plan needs to be written many other populations of A. varius have immediately and presented to MINAE, •Revisit the known population to verify its been extirpated (Young et al., 2001; Lips Costa Rican officials, and funding persistence, et al., 2004). During the 2005 expedition agencies in order to begin the •Identify potential threats to the known one dying female Smilisca phaeota was implementation process. Assuming the population, recovered from a neighbouring stream population subsists, long-term •Gather information on other species for valley; the animal was exhibiting monitoring should be implemented on a conservation efforts. sloughing skin and was lethargic and 5 to 10 year time scale in order to We surveyed Fila Chonta near unable to right itself in a manner understand the population dynamics and Quepos Hotsprings (N 09º33.466'; W consistent with Bd infection (Lips, 2003). monitor trends of this enigmatic and 084º.043'; ~ 255 m) for 10 days during This animal was collected, preserved in tenacious population. Concurrently, the dry season 17 February – 26 formalin, and deposited at the University more expeditions need to be conducted February 2005. Quepos Hotsprings is a of Costa Rica for histological in the Fila Chonta area in an attempt to 600 ha property surrounded by examination. Bd has been implicated in locate more populations. Additional contiguous forest within a matrix of cattle the decline of numerous amphibian funding is being pursued to continue this pastures, that connects the NE and SW populations throughout Central America project. edges of the mountain range. Visual (Young et al., 2001; Collins & Storfer, References encounter surveys (VES) with a time 2004; Lips et al., 2004) and its presence Collins, J.P. and A. Storfer. 2003. constraint were used for each surveyed in this population makes disease Global amphibian declines: sorting out stream. management and mitigation a high the hypotheses. Diversity and Results and Evaluation of Threats priority. Distributions 9:89-98. Populations with restricted In 10 days a total of 93.5 person-hours Gagliardo, R. 2004. Report of ranges are more susceptible to local were logged and a total of 12 streams Rainmaker Conservation Project. were thoroughly surveyed. No new extinction than widespread populations because a stochastic event can alter or Lips, K. R., D. E. Green, and R. populations of A. varius were discovered Papendick. 2003. Chytridiomycosis in but, due to limited time, adjacent valleys destroy one restricted habitat. In this population there is a serious threat of a wild frogs from southern Costa Rica. and watersheds were not surveyed and Journal of Herpetology 37:215-218. there remain a large number of landslide that could inundate the section Lips, K. R., J. D. Reeve, and L. R. unexplored streams in the mountain of stream inhabited by these frogs. This Witters. 2004. Ecological traits range. The principal field investigators stream valley is extremely steep and predicting amphibian population declines (MJR and EB) identified several stream there was evidence that a minor in Central America. Conservation valleys that should be priorities for landslide recently occurred, and a major Biology 17:1078-1088. future exploration. landslide may be imminent due to the Fila Chonta has a high level of high relief and landslide proneness of Primack, R.B. 1995. A primer of herpetological diversity with 51 species the hills in this region (Tosi et al., 1993). conservation biology. Pp. 277. Sinauer Associates Inc., Sunderland M.A. of amphibians and reptiles recorded in Presently this is the only known 10 days: 20 frogs, 1 salamander, 18 population of A. varius in Costa Rica and Tosi, J.A., E. Alpizar, J. Sanchez, and Q. lizards and 12 snakes. Of the 21 until a second population is discovered, Jimenez. 1993. Reconnaissance study species of amphibians, 1 is considered we have to assume this is a closed and of Fila Chonta located to the north of critically endangered (Atelopus varius) isolated population with no emigration or Quepos, in the Province of Puntarenas, and 2 are vulnerable, (Bolitoglossa immigration among adjacent Costa Rica. Tropical Science Center. populations. Such isolation can lead to San Jose, Costa Rica. lignicolor and Dendrobates granuliferus). The D. granuliferus found in this area low genetic diversity and result in the Young, B. E., K.R. Lips, J. K. Reaser, R. are green and should be of special expression of harmful traits and may Ibáñez, A. W. Salas, J. R. Cedeño, L. A. concern because it comprises a unique lead to an extinction vortex. Further Coloma, S. Ron, J. R. Meyer, A. Muñoz, race within this species’ restricted range DNA kinship analysis would be F. Bolaños, G. Chavez, and D. Romo. to South-west Costa Rica. necessary to evaluate the genetic 2001. Population declines and priorities We were successful in gaining relationship of the animals in the for amphibian conservation in Latin an easier access route to the existing population. America. Conservation Biology population and verified the continued Finally, because we were able to 15:1213-1223. persistence of A. varius. In an locate an easier, alternate route to the For further information please contact: approximately 125 m section of stream, site, it is possible that people with Mason Ryan: [email protected] five A. varius were observed: three adult dubious intentions may also know of the or Ronald W. Gagliardo: males, one adult female, and one sub- same route. Since this population is rgagliardo@atlantabotanicalgarden. adult female. Dorsal and ventral already small, any unscrupulous org

removal of individuals could further drawings were made of four individuals Desperation fuels for future identification. Detailed notes exacerbate an extinction vortex for this population. hunger strike for on substrate (type and temperature), behaviour, and size were recorded (MJR Recommendations South Korean unpubl.). We propose that as a first step, a Buddhist Nun

The persistence of this conservation management plan (CMP) By Robert Kaplan and Daesik Park population indicates it may be self- be drafted and presented to all involved Korean Working Group Co-Chairs sustaining, considering that it is small parties in North America and Costa Rica A recent event in South Korea involving and faces numerous threats that include identifying each step of the 3-stage a salamander, a train and a Buddhist an outbreak of the lethal, pathogenic process: 1) establishment of a long-term nun made international headlines and fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis monitoring and population biology study

2 prompted us to share the story with planning. This is particularly true during nation's attention and is looming large in DAPTF members and introduce the election periods. Once a project is the minds of many Koreans. An Korean Working Group of the DAPTF to approved and started, proponents important challenge facing the country is interested parties. Jiyul, a 48 year-old routinely state that not finishing the how to continue the long and rich Buddhist nun from Naewon Temple on project would have serious economic tradition of protecting and preserving Mount Cheonseong, northwest of Pusan, consequences and argue that stopping wildlife in the face of unbridled recently fasted for 100 days demanding the project would result in the loss of development. an immediate halt to the construction of jobs. References a highway tunnel. She believed that the In 2001 when the construction Kuzmin SL. 1995. The clawed tunnel would change underground water project reached the mountain area, salamanders of Asia; biology, systems, resulting in drying of swamps many environmental organizations and a distribution, and conservation. Westarp and marshes and destroying plants and local buddhist group argued that the Wissenschaften, Magdeburg. animals living in the area. In particular, tunnel would disrupt the watershed and For further information please contact: she was concerned about the long-tailed probably result in significant Daesik Park: [email protected] clawed salamander, Onychodactylus environmental perturbation. In particular, or Robert Kaplan: [email protected] fischeri. This national crisis soon the long-tailed, clawed salamander, Website in Korean: became more than a story about the Onychodactylus fischeri, lives there. As http://academic.reed.edu/biology/kore plight of the hynobiid clawed a lungless hynobiid that requires a_daptf/ salamander. Jiyul's fast focused an relatively mature forest systems to entire nation's attention to the issue and survive (Kuzmin, 1995) it has been provided an important insight into a recognized as an environmental culture whose values are not well indicator species in Korea. The appreciated on an international scale, members of the organizations and Fish introduction is a major cause of but whose people have a long and rich temple made the salamander the plaintiff paedomorphosis extinction in tradition of protecting and preserving against the Ministry of Environment, European newts (Triturus spp.) wildlife in the face of commonly suing to stop the project until another understood setbacks. The problem is environmental assessment could be By Georg Džukić, Ruža Ćirović, Mathieu Denoël and Miloš L. Kalezić both complex (related to economics, undertaken. This was the first time a religion, politics, and the environment) non-human animal was a plaintiff in a Contrary to the numerous studies on and compelling. law suit in Korea and it became known worldwide declines of amphibian The story begins in 1992 with the as the "salamander trial." Several diversity at the species level, the loss of construction of a Korean train express thousand people appeared before the intraspecific biodiversity, particularly in (KTX) system intended to save 3 hours court testifying on the salamanders' species with polyphenism, is much less of travel time between Seoul and Pusan, behalf, some even trying to represent a studied. The adaptive switching the second largest city in the country. salamander's "feelings" to the judge. (depending on environmental The project had already cost more than The courts ultimately decided in 2004 conditions) between two alternative 18 billion dollars. The 13th portion of the that Onychodactylus had no legal ontogenetic pathways and project required the construction of a standing. corresponding highly dissimilar morphs, 13.2 km long tunnel under Mt. The current President Rho, as a are of special interest. In some newts Cheonseong, where a buddhist temple candidate in 2002, promised that and salamanders, mainly from Europe and 22 unusual mountain swamps can another fair environmental evaluation and North America, facultative be found. Due to the highly developed would be carried out and the project paedomorphosis occurs when larvae swamp systems and well-conserved carefully re-considered if he were either metamorphose into a terrestrial forests, many endangered species live in elected. The promise was not kept, morph (i.e. the common life history the Mt. Cheonseong area, including 11 however, prompting the nun, Jiyul, to get pathway), or attain sexual maturity in species listed as endangered in the involved. She urged the government to retaining an aquatic larval structure (e.g. Korean Red Data Book, including two conduct another evaluation to be external gills) to become paedomorphic mammals, six birds, one snake, one undertaken by researchers selected by (Denoël et al., 2001). salamander, two insects, and four both the government and private Here we report that fish plants. environmental organizations. introduction has a negative impact on In Korea, the Ministry of the Several months ago, Jiyul the European newt (Triturus spp.) Environment must submit an started her third hunger strike in front of populations with facultative environmental evaluation to the Court the President's house taking only water paedomorphosis. The majority of before beginning any major construction and salt for 87 days. But when no European paedomorphic populations project. Researchers are drawn from progress was made she suddenly left occur in the Mediterranean area: the universities, government agencies and the location without a word, leading palmate newt (T. helveticus) in southern private research institutes. In this case people to imagine that she went off to an France, the alpine newt (T. alpestris) in an environmental evaluation conducted unknown place to die for her beloved southeastern France, Italy, and in the in 1994 "indicated" that the tunnel salamanders. Huge national debates Balkans, and the smooth newt (T. project would not affect any rapidly ensued arguing both for and vulgaris) mainly in the Dinaric Alps (e.g. environmentally sensitive locations or against the nun and her salamander. Džukić et al., 1990; Denoël et al., 2001). animals living in them. Unfortunately, the After several days, a Buddhist In particular, we studied 22 populations environmental evaluation is not available organization found her and started to of alpine newts (France, Italy, Slovenia, for public review. The Ministry of take care of her. She still refused to eat Bosnia, Montenegro and Greece) and Environment approved the project and as her condition deteriorated the 17 populations of palmate newts allowing the Ministry of Construction and national debate turned to one of (France) in which fish were originally Transportation to start the work. The questioning the impact of her death on absent and in which paedomorphs were whole rail-line was approved at that time Korean society as a whole. At the abundant at the time of their first and a 293.7 km segment from Seoul to eleventh hour on the 100th day, the description (Denoël et al., 2005). Taegu began operating in 2004. government relinquished and agreed to In the paedomorphic alpine It has become standard conduct another environmental newt populations, some introductions procedure in Korea for large scale evaluation within three months. were of “native” species (Salmo trutta, development projects to be planned with The plight of the hynobiid clawed Phoxinellus alepidotus), but most of little attention to long-term environmental salamander has focused an entire them contained non-European species

3 of fish, such as Oncorhynchus mykiss, important kind of intraspecific required to send us reports, so that their Salvelinus alpinus, S. fontinalis, and biodiversity will disappear. Some sites results can be made available to DAPTF Carassius auratus). Fish stocking in in Europe still contain large members. Below is a list of reports that palmate newt ponds mainly involved paedomorphic populations and should we have received recently. Anyone small and ornamental fish species: be closely protected and surveyed to wanting a copy of a report should Carassius auratus, Gambusia affinis, assure their persistence. Legislation contact the author in the first instance; Lepomis gibbosus, and Phoxinus should take into account paedomorphic we can supply copies if you cannot phoxinus. The introduction of fish dates populations as conservation units (see reach the author. back to the second half of the Fraser & Bernatchez, 2001) and Rapid Response Fund: nineteenth century, but reached its peak consider stopping fish introductions, Ron Gagliardo (2003) Further in the last three decades and continues especially non-native ones. exploration in search of Atelopus varius nowadays (Denoël et al., 2005). All fish Management measures should also be in Costa Rica. (Mason Ryan, Erick species had detrimental effects on the taken to restore disturbed habitats by Berlin & Ron Gagliardo) studied paedomorphic newt removing introduced fish. rgagliardo@atlantabotanicalgarden. populations. Salmonids are active Acknowledgements org predators on adult newts, while smaller This text is based on a recently Books received fish species consume egg and larval published paper in Conservation stages of newts. Biology (Denoël et al., 2005). This • Craig Guyer & Maureen A. Donnelly. Our research on alpine and research was supported by the Belgian (2005) Amphibians and Reptiles of La palmate newts confirmed that fish FNRS (chargé de recherches, credits Selva, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean introductions were always followed by aux chercheurs), Serbian Ministry of Slope. University of California Press, Berkeley. (299 pp.) the extirpation of paedomorphic Science, Nature Protection (grant 1623) individuals. The abundance of and the DAPTF. Collection permits were This is truly intended as a field guide, metamorphs decreased after fish given by the Ministère de l’Ecologie et being pocket-sized and with a font size introduction, but this morph remained du Développement durable (France), to challenge senior herpetologists. present in some of the fished ponds and the Ministry of Environment (Greece) Lavishly illustrated, it contains numerous lakes (Denoël et al., 2005). Thus, our and the Institute for Protection of Nature identification keys and is fully research showed that fish introductions of Montenegro. referenced. Based on the authors’ first- hand experience of Costa Rica over have altered both paedomorphic and References metamorphic newt populations. more than 25 years, this is an essential Denoël, M., Duguet, R., Džukić, G., However, because paedomorphs are book for any herpetologist visiting the Kalezić, M.L., Mazzotti, S. (2001) present in a considerably smaller tropical forest of Central America. Biogeography and ecology of number of places than their Tim Halliday

paedomorphosis in Triturus alpestris metamorphic counterparts, they are (Amphibia, Caudata). J. Biogeogr. more vulnerable to extinction. Moreover, 28:1271-1280. Froglog Shorts paedomorphs cannot escape fish Denoël, M., Džukić, G., Kalezić, M.L. predation by hibernating in terrestrial (2005) Effects of widespread fish habitats as metamorphs can do. DONATIONS: introductions on paedomorphic newts in Beside the loss of variability in Special thanks to Jim Murphy Europe. Cons. Biol. 19: 162-170. developmental pathways, fish For many years, Jim has been our most introduction can be attributed to the Džukić, G., Kalezić, M.L., Tvrtković, N., reliable and active supporter. Thanks to reduction of taxonomic diversity. For Đorović, A. (1990) An overview of the him, we have received a generous example, in the Balkans, all the local occurrence of paedomorphosis in donation that will keep us going for “subspecies” of the alpine newt Yugoslav newts (Triturus, another year. Salamandridae) populations. Brit. (lacustris, reiseri, montenegrinus, We also gratefully acknowledge Herpetol. Soc. Bull. 34: 16-22. piperianus and serdarus), disappeared receipt of the following donations or are critically endangered due to the Fraser, D.J., Bernatchez, L. (2001) received prior to May 13, 2005: Mrs. detrimental effect of fish (Denoël et al., Adaptive evolutionary conservation: Moira Hope, Richard Bruce and Danna 2005). towards a unified concept for defining Schok.

Regarding conservation conservation units. Cons. Biol. 10:2741- 2752. RANA and the US National Science matters, paedomorphosis is recognized as a vulnerable source of variation in life Kalezić, M.L., Cvetković, D., Đorović, A., Foundation grant DEB-0130273 helped support the publication of this issue. history and morphological traits, as well Džukić, G. (1994) Paedomorphosis and as a bioindicator of population and differences in life-history traits of two FROGLOG is the bi-monthly newsletter neighbouring crested newt (Triturus ecosystem health (Whiteman & Howard, of the Declining Amphibian Populations carnifex) populations. Herpetol. J. 4: 1997). If we take into consideration Task Force. Articles on any subject Europe only, conservation concerns 151-159. relevant to the understanding of should also be devoted to newt species Whiteman, H.H., Howard, R.D. (1998) amphibian declines should be sent to: which exhibit facultative Conserving alternative amphibian Jeanne McKay, Editor, Department of paedomorphosis. This is not only the phenotypes: Is there anybody out there? Biological Sciences, The Open case of T. helveticus and T. alpestris, In: The Status and Conservation of University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, but also for other dimorphic species Midwestern Amphibians. M. J. Lannoo MK7 6AA, U.K. such as T. vulgaris and T. carnifex (ed.), pp. 317-324. Iowa Univ. Press. Tel: +44 (0) 1908 - 652274. which are found in the Montenegrin For further information please contact: Fax: +44 (0) 1908 - 654167 holokarst region. Indeed, recent Mathieu Denoël, Behavioural Biology E-mail: [email protected] research shows that paedomorphic T. Unit, University of Liège, 22 Quai van vulgaris risks disappearance because of Beneden, 4020 Liège, Belgium. Funding for FROGLOG is underwritten fish introductions, notably Leuciscus [email protected] by the Detroit Zoological Institute, P.O. cephalus and Ictalurus nebulosus (R. Box 39, Royal Oak, MI 48068-0039, USA Ćirović, unpubl. data). Paedomorphic T. Reports on DAPTF Seed Grants carnifex populations are also highly Recipients of DAPTF Seed Grants are threatened because they are extremely generally expected to publish the results of their projects in refereed journals, or rare (Kalezic et al., 1994). If urgent measures are not taken soon, an as articles in Froglog. They are also