Eleutherodactylus johnstonei
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
AMPHIBIA |
ANURA |
ELEUTHERODACTYLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei |
| Species Authority: |
Barbour, 1914 |
Common Name/s:
| English |
– |
Lesser Antillean Whistling Frog |
| Spanish |
– |
Coqui Antillano |
|
| Synonym/s: |
Eleutherodactylus barbudensis (Lynch, 1966)
|
| Taxonomic Notes: |
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei populations have often been referred to E. martinicensis (Tschudi, 1838). |
Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Least Concern
ver 3.1
|
| Year Published: |
2010 |
| Assessor/s: |
Blair Hedges, Beatrice Ibéné, Susan Koenig, Enrique La Marca, Roberto Ibáñez, Jerry Hardy |
| Reviewer/s: |
Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young) |
| Contributor/s: |
|
Justification:
Listed as Least Concern since, although its Extent of Occurrence is probably less than 20,000 km2, it is common and adaptable with a presumed large population, and it is unlikely to be declining to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
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| History: |
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Geographic Range
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| Range Description: |
This species occurs on most of the Lesser Antilles. Within the Lesser Antilles it is unclear which populations are indigenous, and which are introduced. It has been suggested that it originated in St Lucia, but for the purposes of this assessment it is considered to be indigenous throughout the Lesser Antilles. It has been introduced in many other regions including Jamaica; in Venezuela, it has been reported from the states of Aragua, Bolívar, Distrito Federal, Lara, Mérida, Miranda, Monagas and Sucre, and its range is still expanding. It has been reported as introduced to San José in Costa Rica. It is also known from one introduced locality in Colombia, and from one in Guyana. It has also been introduced to Panama City, Panama and to the Port of Spain dock area (from where it is expanding its range) on Trinidad Island (in Trinidad and Tobago). It has been introduced into the Bermuda islands. It occurs from sea level up to at least 1,300m asl. |
| Countries: |
Native: Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Dominica; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Martinique; Montserrat; Netherlands Antilles; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Introduced: Aruba; Bermuda; Colombia; Costa Rica; French Guiana; Guyana; Jamaica; Panama; Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela
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| Range Map: |
Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population
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| Population: |
This is an extremely abundant species, and its range is increasing.
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| Population Trend: |
Increasing
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Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
It is a very adaptive species and is found mainly in disturbed habitats, such as mowed fields, yards, gardens, sugar-cane fields, towns, houses, and plantations. It is even deliberately introduced to gardens. In some places it is also found inside forest, usually in gaps and clearings. The eggs are laid on the ground, and it breeds by direct development.
|
| Systems: |
Terrestrial |
| Major Threat(s): |
There are, overall, no significant threats to this very adaptable, invasive species. In Bermuda, however, studies strongly suggest that Bermuda’s whistling frogs and toads were exhibiting effects caused by exposure to environmental stressors (pesticides and heavy metals, see Bacon et al., 2006).
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Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
It occurs in many protected areas. Its introduced range is expanding due to human activity. It needs to be eradicated from its introduced range.
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