Pelophylax shqipericus

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	RANIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pelophylax shqipericus

Species Authority:

(Hotz, Uzzell, Guenther, Tunner and Heppich, 1987)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Albanian Water Frog

Synonym/s:

Pelophylax shqiperica Hotz, Uzzell, Guenther, Tunner & Heppich, 1987

Rana shqiperica Hotz, Uzzell, Guenther, Tunner and Heppich, 1987

Taxonomic Notes:

Although Schneider and Haxhiu (1994) had difficulty distinguishing the voice of Pelophylaxa shqipericus from that of P. lessonae, morphology, allozymes, mtDNA sequences, and crossing experiments all indicate that P. shqipericus is very distinct from P. lessonae. Its relationships with other western Palearctic water frogs are less clear (T. Uzzell pers. comm.). This species does not make hybridogenetic hybrids (Guerrini et al. 1997).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered B1ab(iii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2009

Assessor/s:

Thomas Uzzell, Jelka Crnobrnja Isailovic

Reviewer/s:

Cox, N. and Temple, H.J. (Global Amphibian Assessment)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Endangered because its Extent of Occurrence is less than 5,000 km2, its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat.

History:

2004

–

Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This lowland species is restricted to western Albania and southern Montenegro at elevations below 500m asl.
Countries:	Native: Albania; Montenegro
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	There is no information on the population status of this species.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It has been reported from heavily vegetated aquatic habitats including ditches, swamps, marshes, the edges of slow-flowing rivers and the shoreline of Lake Skadar. Breeding, and larval development, takes place in these wetland habitats. It is not known if the species can successfully adapt to habitat modification.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The major threat is drainage of wetland habitats and aquatic pollution of many waterways caused by agrochemical and industrial (including mining) contaminants. In the northern parts of its range (e.g. Lake Skadar) it is significantly threatened by over collection for commercial purposes. An additional threat is the accidental introduction of commercially transported non-native water frogs.

Major Threat(s):

The major threat is drainage of wetland habitats and aquatic pollution of many waterways caused by agrochemical and industrial (including mining) contaminants. In the northern parts of its range (e.g. Lake Skadar) it is significantly threatened by over collection for commercial purposes. An additional threat is the accidental introduction of commercially transported non-native water frogs.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention. 'Green frogs', including R. shqiperica, are not protected by law in Yugoslavia (Kalezic and Dzukic 2001; Ljubisavljevic, Dzukic and Kalezic 2003). The species is present in the Lake Skadar protected area, on the border of Montenegro and Albania.

Conservation Actions:

It is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention. 'Green frogs', including R. shqiperica, are not protected by law in Yugoslavia (Kalezic and Dzukic 2001; Ljubisavljevic, Dzukic and Kalezic 2003). The species is present in the Lake Skadar protected area, on the border of Montenegro and Albania.

Citation:	Thomas Uzzell, Jelka Crnobrnja Isailovic 2009. Pelophylax shqipericus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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