Amphibians of the Oriental Region and the Moulouya River Basin of Morocco: Distribution and Conservation Notes

Basic and Applied Herpetology 33 (2019) 19-32 Amphibians of the Oriental Region and the Moulouya River Basin of Morocco: distribution and conservation notes Youness Mabrouki1,*, Abdelkhaleq Fouzi Taybi1, Ali Skalli2, Alberto Sánchez-Vialas3,4 1 Université Mohamed Premier, Faculté des Sciences, Département de Biologie, Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Eau, de l’environnement et du Développement Durable, B.P. 717, Oujda, Morocco 2 Université Mohamed Premier, Faculté Pluridisciplinaire de Nador, Observatoire de la lagune de Marchica de Nador et Région Limitrophes, BP 300, 62700, Selouane, Nador, Morocco. 3 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain. 4 Asociación Bio+. Av. de América, 64, 7ºB, 28028 Madrid, Spain. *Correspondence: E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Received: 09 July 2018; returned for review: 25 October 2018; accepted: 29 March 2019. Monitoring amphibian populations, especially over fragile ecosystems such as arid and semiarid landscapes, helps to detect demographic trends and ecological risks. During several campaigns carried out between 2013 and 2017 across the Moulouya River Basin and the Oriental Region of Morocco, we identified nine amphibian species from the 11 previously recorded. Amphibian population threats were also detected. In this work, we focused on the amphibians of the Oriental Re- gion of Morocco with the aims to (1) update their distribution providing new records, (2) confirm the prevalence of some vulnerable species in the region, and (3) provide an overview of the ecology and conservation status of each species at a regional level. Key words: conservation; endemic species; faunistic inventory; Gambusia; habitat loss; new records. Amphibian population declines are nerable group among vertebrates observed worldwide (Blaustein Wake, (Anthony et al., 2008). Particularly, amphibi- 1990; Stuart et al. 2004). These declines are an diversity in northern Africa is formed generally driven by the combination of by groups originated from different bioge- climate change, chemical pollution, infec- ographic regions. Species richness of Mo- tious diseases, habitat degradation and rocco differs from most of the African introduction of predators (Kiesecker et al., countries by the presence of a high propor- 2001; Blaustein et al., 2003, Daszak et al., tion of relict elements of Eurosiberian 2003). In the last decades, many species origin, several of which are currently en- have seen their numbers diminished, demic (Schleich et al., 1996; Beukema et al., suffering local or complete extinctions 2013; Reques et al., 2013). Unfortunately, (Houlahan et al., 2000). many threats are having profound effects Amphibians constitute a key compo- on this particular diversity that inhabits nent of vertebrate diversity in the western aquatic ecosystems and wetlands. In this Mediterranean, representing the most vul- sense, the Oriental Region of Morocco and DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11160/bah.134 MABROUKI ET AL. the Moulouya River Basin are suffering uated at a global level; however, Plegue- from severe environmental degradation by zuelos et al. (2010) suggested that Moroccan domestic, industrial and agricultural pol- populations of the common toad could be lution sources (Mabrouki et al., 2016a, considered as Near Threatened (Table 1). 2017a; Taybi et al., 2016a; Bensaad et al., Basic information from distribution 2017; Yahya et al., 2017). These anthropic data within a temporal framework togeth- pressures over the few wetlands present in er to the identification of species potential the arid eastern Morocco result in signifi- threats are important starting points for cant disturbances to the local biodiversity monitoring amphibian populations and (Mabrouki et al., 2016b; Taybi et al., 2016b, help to detect population trends and 2017a). threats. It also could allow for identifica- Eleven species of amphibians have tion of broad ecological problems related been recorded within the Oriental Region to global change (Stuart et al., 2008). This and the Moulouya River Basin (Bons work aims to contribute to the knowledge Geniez, 1996; Beukema et al., 2013; Medi- of amphibians in the Oriental Region of ani et al., 2015). Among them, one species is Morocco by (1) updating their distribution considered as Vulnerable (Salam and ra and providing new records, (2) confirming algira), three as Near Threatened (Pleurodeles the prevalence of some vulnerable species waltl, Alytes maurus and Barbarophryne in the region, and (3) providing an over- brongersmai), and six as of Least Concern view of the ecology and conservation sta- (Discoglossus pictus, Discoglossus scovazzi, tus of each species at a regional level. Bufotes boulengeri, Sclerophrys mauritanica, Materials and Methods Hyla meridionalis and Pelophylax saharicus) based on IUCN Red List criteria. The con- Study area servation status of Bufo spinosus, current- The field work was carried out over the ly considered a distinct species from B. Oriental Region of Morocco, one of the 12 bufo (Recuero et al. 2012), has not been eval- regions of the country that extends along Table 1: Amphibian species of Eastern Morocco . Order Family Species IUCN category Detected Caudata Salamandridae Salamandra algira Bedriaga, 1883 Vulnerable No Pleurodeles waltl Michahelles, 1830 Near Threatened No Anura Alytidae Alytes maurus Pasteur & Bons, 1962 Near Threatened Yes Bufonidae Barbarophryne brongersmai (Hoogmoed, 1972) Near Threatened Yes Bufo spinosus Daudin, 1803 Not evaluated Yes Sclerophrys mauritanica (Schlegel, 1841) Least Concern Yes Bufotes boulengeri (Lataste, 1879) Least Concern Yes Discoglossidae Discoglossus pictus Otth, 1837 Least Concern Yes Discoglossus scovazzi Camerano, 1878 Least Concern Yes Ranidae Pelophylax saharicus (Boulenger, 1913) Least Concern Yes Hylidae Hyla meridionalis Boettger, 1874 Least Concern Yes 20 AMPHIBIANS OF THE ORIENTAL REGION AND MOULOUYA RIVER BASIN Figure 1: Sampled localities of the Orien- tal Region of Morocco and the Moulouya River Basin. For a correct visualization, the reader is referred to the online, colored version of the article. most of the eastern side (Fig. 1). This re- Atlas; 11 in the Oued Melloulou, Middle gion covers 90 127 km2 (see Taybi et al., Atlas; and 12 in the Oued Za, High Plat- 2017b), and is formed by the wilaya of eau) and 58 over other areas of the Orien- Oujda (Oujda-Angad prefecture) and the tal Region (25 in the Oujda prefecture in provinces of Berkane, Taourirt, Jerada, the north-east, 24 in the Nador province in Nador, Figuig, Driouch and Guercif. The the north, and 9 in the Figuig province in watershed of the Moulouya (Fig. 1), with the south). Data about the environmental an area of 43 412 km2, covers a great por- impacts affecting some of these sampling tion of the Oriental Region. Moulouya Riv- sites are also provided by Mabrouki et al. er is the largest Moroccan river that flows (2016a,b, 2017a,b) and Taybi et al. (2016a,b, into the Mediterranean, extending along 2017a,b, 2018). 600 km. The principal tributaries of Mou- Tadpoles were collected using a dip louya river are the Oued Ansegmir, net, fixed and preserved in ethanol for Melloulou, Za and Msoun, all of which are subsequent identification. Adults and ju- permanent, while other minor tributaries veniles were not collected, and were di- flow sporadically (3-5 flashfloods on aver- rectly identified in the field. age per year) (Mabrouki et al., 2016b). Maps of the study region were made using ArcGIS software. For species’ range Field surveys and mapping maps, we used the available published Field surveys were carried out between information (Bons Geniez, 1996; Vences 2013 and 2017. A total of 103 localities et al., 2014; Beukema et al., 2013; Mediani et were sampled (Table S1), including 45 al., 2015) and completed them with the records within the Moulouya watershed (18 in the identified from the present study. main river; 4 in the Oued Anzegmir, High 21 MABROUKI ET AL. Figure 2: Distribution maps of the amphibian species found during the course of the study. Pho- tos: authors. 22 AMPHIBIANS OF THE ORIENTAL REGION AND MOULOUYA RIVER BASIN Figure 2 (cont.) Results and Discussion 2. Several local threats have been found in General results the study region, including (1) deforesta- Nine of the 11 amphibian species re- tion in the Gourougou forest, (2) intensifi- ported in the Oriental Region were found cation of agriculture over the high and the during our field surveys (Table 1). Two low Moulouya, (3) use of fertilizers and taxa were not found during our field sur- pesticides along the plain of Triffa, and (4) veys: S. algira spelaea Escoriza and Comas, water pollution by wastewaters and drain- 2007 and Pleurodeles waltl (Michahelles, age of water bodies in the watershed of the 1830), which are listed as Vulnerable and Za river and in the Nador lagoon. The Near Threatened, respectively, being latter specially affects to species that occur therefore two of the most threatened am- in large water bodies such as S. mauritani- phibians of the Region. Distribution maps ca and P. saharicus. for each detected species are shown in Fig. During the breeding season of S. m au- 23 MABROUKI ET AL. ritanica, we found a high mortality caused by Some of the records of the present road traffic in the northern region, at study are of special interest. Bufo spinosus Selouan and Beni Snassen (Fig. 3). This has ben rediscovered at the massif of could represent a local threat that affects Gourougou. The easternmost localities of populations inhabiting

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