Somuncuria somuncurensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	ANURA	LEIUPERIDAE

Scientific Name:

Somuncuria somuncurensis

Species Authority:

(Cei, 1969)

Common Name/s:

Spanish

–

Rana De Somuncura

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B2ab(iii,iv) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2004

Assessor/s:

Carmen Úbeda, Esteban Lavilla

Reviewer/s:

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

Justification:
Listed as Critically Endangered because its Area Of Occupancy is less than 10km2, its distribution is severely fragmented, there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its aquatic habitat, and a decline in the number of subpopulations, on the Somuncura Plateau, Argentina.

History:

1996	–	Endangered (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1994	–	Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Indeterminate (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Indeterminate (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is known only from the Somuncura Plateau, an isolated basaltic plateau in the Río Negro Province, Argentinean Patagonia. It has an altitudinal range of 500-700m asl.
Countries:	Native: Argentina
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is generally quite rare, and thought to be declining.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is wholly aquatic, inhabiting and breeding in permanent thermal springs and streams originating in the northern slopes of Somuncura Plateau. It is not present in modified habitats.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is probably threatened by introduced predatory fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and by the canalization of spring water towards local towns and villages for domestic use. In addition, the impacts of livestock farming (sheep and goats) result in overgrazing, as well as chemical pollution of waterways from sheep baths.

Major Threat(s):

The species is probably threatened by introduced predatory fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and by the canalization of spring water towards local towns and villages for domestic use. In addition, the impacts of livestock farming (sheep and goats) result in overgrazing, as well as chemical pollution of waterways from sheep baths.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The range of the species is within the Reserva Provincial Somuncura, but the reserve currently is poorly managed, and there is little real protection for the species. Strengthening the management of such existing protected areas is necessary, and further field research is needed to determine the current population status of the species.

Conservation Actions:

The range of the species is within the Reserva Provincial Somuncura, but the reserve currently is poorly managed, and there is little real protection for the species. Strengthening the management of such existing protected areas is necessary, and further field research is needed to determine the current population status of the species.

Bibliography [top]

	Cei, J.M. 1969. La meseta basáltica de Somuncura, Río Negro. Herpetofauna endémica y sus peculiares equilibrios biocenóticos. Physis (Buenos Aires): 257-271. Cei, J.M. 1969. The patagonian telmatobiid fauna of the Volcanic Somuncura Plateau of Argentina. Journal of Herpetology: 1-18. Cei, J.M. 1970. Further observations on endemic telmatobiid frogs from the Patagonian Somuncurá Plateau (Río Negro, Argentina). Journal of Herpetology: 57-61. IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004. Lynch, J.D. 1978. A re-assessment of the Telmatobiine leptodactylid frogs of Patagonia. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas: 1-57.

Cei, J.M. 1969. La meseta basáltica de Somuncura, Río Negro. Herpetofauna endémica y sus peculiares equilibrios biocenóticos. Physis (Buenos Aires): 257-271.

Cei, J.M. 1969. The patagonian telmatobiid fauna of the Volcanic Somuncura Plateau of Argentina. Journal of Herpetology: 1-18.

Cei, J.M. 1970. Further observations on endemic telmatobiid frogs from the Patagonian Somuncurá Plateau (Río Negro, Argentina). Journal of Herpetology: 57-61.

IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004.

Lynch, J.D. 1978. A re-assessment of the Telmatobiine leptodactylid frogs of Patagonia. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas: 1-57.

Citation:	Carmen Úbeda, Esteban Lavilla 2004. Somuncuria somuncurensis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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