Rhinoderma rufum

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	ANURA	CYCLORAMPHIDAE

Scientific Name:	Rhinoderma rufum
Species Authority:	(Philippi, 1902)

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered A2ace ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2004

Assessor/s

Alberto Veloso, Herman Núñez, Helen Díaz-Paéz , Ramón Formas

Evaluator/s:

Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young)

Justification:
Listed as Critically Endangered because of an observed population decline, estimated to be more than 80% over the last ten years, based on the apparent disappearance of most or all of the population for reasons that are not understood.

History:

1996	–	Data Deficient
1994	–	Endangered (IUCN)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in Chile from 33° 30'S to 37° 50'S from Curico (Curico Province) to Ramadillas (Arauco Province) at elevations of 0-500m asl.
Countries:	Possibly extinct: Chile
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	It formerly occurred in small, isolated populations, and was fairly regularly seen until around 1978. However, since then, there have been no confirmed reports despite several attempts to relocate the species, giving rise to fears that it might be extinct.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It has been recorded in leaf-litter in temperate mixed forests, and also in bogs surrounded by forests. Females lay their eggs in the leaf-litter. When the larvae inside the eggs begin to move, adult males ingest the eggs and incubate them in their vocal sacs, where the larvae develop until they are regurgitated into streams where metamorphosis takes place.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The destruction of the native vegetation through the planting of pine plantations and for the building of second homes probably had some impact on this species. However, this is unlikely to explain fully its disappearance, the causes of which are not understood. Declines that have taken place within suitable habitat might be the result of threats such as climate change or disease (possibly chytridiomycosis, although this has not previously been reported from Chile).

Major Threat(s):

The destruction of the native vegetation through the planting of pine plantations and for the building of second homes probably had some impact on this species. However, this is unlikely to explain fully its disappearance, the causes of which are not understood. Declines that have taken place within suitable habitat might be the result of threats such as climate change or disease (possibly chytridiomycosis, although this has not previously been reported from Chile).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is not known from any protected areas. The species might well be extinct, but further survey work is urgently required to determine whether or not this is indeed the case. In view of the possible risk of disease, any surviving individuals might need to form the basis for the establishment of an ex-situ population.

Conservation Actions:

It is not known from any protected areas. The species might well be extinct, but further survey work is urgently required to determine whether or not this is indeed the case. In view of the possible risk of disease, any surviving individuals might need to form the basis for the establishment of an ex-situ population.

Citation:	Alberto Veloso, Herman Núñez, Helen Díaz-Paéz , Ramón Formas 2004. Rhinoderma rufum. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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