Ptychohyla hypomykter

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	HYLIDAE

Scientific Name:	Ptychohyla hypomykter
Species Authority:	McCranie and Wilson, 1993
Taxonomic Notes:	Much of the scientific literature uses the name Ptychohyla spinipollex for this species. McCranie and Wilson (1993b) explain the correct usage of the names.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered A3e ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

Manuel Acevedo, Gustavo Cruz, Larry David Wilson, Randy McCranie, Gunther Köhler, Joseph Mendelson III, Jonathan E. Kolby

Reviewer/s:

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

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Critically Endangered because of a predicted drastic population decline of more than 80% over the next ten years, due to chytridiomycosis.

History:

2006	–	Critically Endangered (IUCN 2006)
2006	–	Critically Endangered
2004	–	Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species ranges from western Guatemala, through most of Honduras to central Nicaragua, from 620-2,070 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is still relatively common in some areas, but is in decline.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is a forest species, living on low vegetation along mountain streams where it breeds, but is tolerant of some habitat disturbance. However, it does require some woody vegetation cover, such as trees along steams in pastureland.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The main threats are habitat loss due to expanding agriculture and pasture, forest fires, and water pollution. Chytridiomycosis is also a threat. Tadpoles have been found with deformed mouthparts, and one was confirmed with chytridiomycosis in Río Cafetal, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala in the Sierra de las Minas, where there has been an observed dramatic population decline (although the species is still present at this site) (Mendelson et al. 2004), while an additional positive chytrid test (57.5% prevalence) was confirmed for Parque Nacional Cusuco in Honduras (Kolby J.E., Padgett-Flohr, G.E. and Field, R. in press). Although this species is widely distributed across Mesoamerica, its fragmented distribution leaves populations highly vulnerable to local extirpation (J.E. Kolby pers. comm. 2008).

Major Threat(s):

The main threats are habitat loss due to expanding agriculture and pasture, forest fires, and water pollution. Chytridiomycosis is also a threat. Tadpoles have been found with deformed mouthparts, and one was confirmed with chytridiomycosis in Río Cafetal, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala in the Sierra de las Minas, where there has been an observed dramatic population decline (although the species is still present at this site) (Mendelson et al. 2004), while an additional positive chytrid test (57.5% prevalence) was confirmed for Parque Nacional Cusuco in Honduras (Kolby J.E., Padgett-Flohr, G.E. and Field, R. in press). Although this species is widely distributed across Mesoamerica, its fragmented distribution leaves populations highly vulnerable to local extirpation (J.E. Kolby pers. comm. 2008).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in a number of protected areas in its range. In view of the threat of chytridiomycosis, the status of this species should be closely monitored, and ex-situ populations should be established.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in a number of protected areas in its range. In view of the threat of chytridiomycosis, the status of this species should be closely monitored, and ex-situ populations should be established.

Bibliography [top]

	Campbell, J.A. 2001. Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Guatemala. University of Texas, Arlington, Web published: http://www.uta.edu/biology/campbell. Duellman, W.E. 2001. The Hylid Frogs of Middle America. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, New York, USA. IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.2). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 29 June 2010). Köhler, G. 2001. Anfibios y Reptiles de Nicaragua. Herpeton, Offenbach, Germany. Kolby J.E., Padgett-Flohr, G.E. and Field, R. In press. Amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in Cusuco National Park, Honduras. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. McCranie, J.R. and Wilson, L.D. 1993. Taxonomic changes associated with the names Hyla spinipollex Schmidt and Ptychohyla merazi Wilson and McCranie (Anura: Hylidae). Southwestern Naturalist: 100-104. McCranie, J.R. and Wilson, L.D. 2002. The Amphibians of Honduras. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, New York, USA. Mendelson III, J.R., Brodie Jr., E.D., Malone, J.H., Acevedo, M.E., Baker, M.A., Smatresk, N.J. and Campbell, J.A. 2004. Factors associated with the catastropic decline of a cloudforest frog fauna in Guatemala. International Journal of Tropical Biology: 991-1000. Townsend, J.H., Wilson, L.D., Talley, B.L., Fraser, D.C., Plenderleith, T.L. and Hughes, S.M. 2006. Additions to the herpetofauna of Parque Nacional El Cusuco, Honduras. Herpetological Bulletin 96: 29-39.

Campbell, J.A. 2001. Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Guatemala. University of Texas, Arlington, Web published: http://www.uta.edu/biology/campbell.

Duellman, W.E. 2001. The Hylid Frogs of Middle America. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, New York, USA.

IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.2). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 29 June 2010).

Köhler, G. 2001. Anfibios y Reptiles de Nicaragua. Herpeton, Offenbach, Germany.

Kolby J.E., Padgett-Flohr, G.E. and Field, R. In press. Amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in Cusuco National Park, Honduras. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.

McCranie, J.R. and Wilson, L.D. 1993. Taxonomic changes associated with the names Hyla spinipollex Schmidt and Ptychohyla merazi Wilson and McCranie (Anura: Hylidae). Southwestern Naturalist: 100-104.

McCranie, J.R. and Wilson, L.D. 2002. The Amphibians of Honduras. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Mendelson III, J.R., Brodie Jr., E.D., Malone, J.H., Acevedo, M.E., Baker, M.A., Smatresk, N.J. and Campbell, J.A. 2004. Factors associated with the catastropic decline of a cloudforest frog fauna in Guatemala. International Journal of Tropical Biology: 991-1000.

Townsend, J.H., Wilson, L.D., Talley, B.L., Fraser, D.C., Plenderleith, T.L. and Hughes, S.M. 2006. Additions to the herpetofauna of Parque Nacional El Cusuco, Honduras. Herpetological Bulletin 96: 29-39.

Citation:	Manuel Acevedo, Gustavo Cruz, Larry David Wilson, Randy McCranie, Gunther Köhler, Joseph Mendelson III, Jonathan E. Kolby 2010. Ptychohyla hypomykter. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2013.
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