Pristimantis caryophyllaceus
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
AMPHIBIA |
ANURA |
STRABOMANTIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Pristimantis caryophyllaceus |
| Species Authority: |
(Barbour, 1928) |
| Synonym/s: |
Eleutherodactylus caryophyllaceus (Barbour, 1928)
|
Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Near Threatened
ver 3.1
|
| Year Published: |
2004 |
| Assessor/s: |
Alan Pounds, Federico Bolaños, Frank Solís, Roberto Ibáñez, Gerardo Chaves, Jay Savage, César Jaramillo, Querube Fuenmayor, Fernando Castro, Taran Grant, John Lynch, Karen Lips |
| Reviewer/s: |
Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young) |
| Contributor/s: |
|
Justification:
Listed as Near Threatened because this species is in significant decline (but probably at a rate of less than 30% over ten years), because of declines associated with the disease chytridiomycosis and ongoing habitat loss through much of its range, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable. It remains possible that this species will soon qualify for a higher threat category, depending on the potential future declines of populations in central and eastern Panama.
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Geographic Range
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| Range Description: |
This species is known from lowland, premontane, and lower portions of the lower montane belts from the Atlantic slope of northern Costa Rica to northern Panama along the Pacific versant from extreme southwestern Costa Rica to western Panama up to 1,900m asl. In Colombia it is currently known only from one locality; Las Orquideas in Choco department, from 1,500m asl, but it is probably more widespread, occurring up to the Panamanian border. |
| Countries: |
Native: Colombia; Costa Rica; Panama |
| Range Map: |
Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population
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| Population: |
The species has disappeared from lower portions of its range (<1000m) since the mid 1990's in Costa Rica but it appears to be stable at higher elevations (Federico Bolaños pers. comm. 2007). In western Panama the species has declined substantially at El Copé, Coclé (during 2004), although it is still present here in much reduced numbers (Lips et al., 2006; Karen Lips pers. comm. 2007). In eastern Panama, 2007 surveys have found this species to still be common at higher elevations (Roberto Ibáñez pers. comm. 2007). There is little current information on the status of the populations in Colombia.
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| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
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Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
This species occurs in the leaf-litter and low vegetation of primary lowland moist and wet forest, premontane wet forest and rainforest. It breeds by direct development. Females lay their eggs on leaf surfaces and brood them. It has not been recorded outside forest habitats.
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| Systems: |
Terrestrial |
| Major Threat(s): |
The most likely cause of decline at lower altitudes is destruction of natural forests as a result of logging, agriculture and human settlement, and possibly infection with the disease chytridiomycosis. This is a paradoxical species because it has remained stable at higher elevations in Costa Rica, in contrast to many other species in which the higher elevation populations have declined most drastically. In Panama, some higher elevation populations have declined at El Copé, presumably through the impacts of chytridiomycosis (see Lips et al., 2006). Further studies are needed into the persistence of this species in areas of former decline.
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Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
It is protected in Tapantí, Volcán Poas, Amistad, Volcán Irazu National Parks in Costa Rica, and in at least four protected areas in Panama. The one known location in Colombia is within Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquideas. Further studies are needed into the declines of this species in Costa Rica and western Panama, and the potential impacts of chytridiomycosis on eastern populations.
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