Atelopus oxyrhynchus

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	BUFONIDAE

Scientific Name:

Atelopus oxyrhynchus

Species Authority:

Boulenger, 1903

Common Name/s:

Spanish

–

Sapito Arlequin De Merida

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered A2ace ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

Enrique La Marca, Irwin García, Rubén Albornoz, Juan Elías García-Pérez

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 drastic population decline, estimated to be more than 80% over the last three generations, inferred from the apparent disappearance of most of the population, probably due to chytridiomycosis.

History:

2004

–

Critically Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species has a very restricted distribution, in cloud forests in the vicinities of the city of Mérida, in Mérida State, in the Cordillera de Mérida in the Venezuelan Andes. Its elevation ranges from 2,100-3,500 m asl.
Countries:	Possibly extinct: Venezuela
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is now an extremely rare species, and although found in good numbers in 1978 and 1985, it was last recorded in 1994. Subsequent survey attempts to locate this species have failed to find any individuals, suggesting a serious population decrease.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is an inhabitant of montane cloud forests. It is photophillic and lays egg chains in streams, where the tadpoles also develop.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The major threat is likely to be chytridiomycosis, leading to a catastrophic population decline, as has occurred in many other montane species of Atelopus. Habitat loss and degradation is also a major threat, due to agriculture (crops, livestock, and plantations), logging (in the past), and mining. Climate data from 1975-1990 revealed years with dry spells, which appear to correlate with years where drastic population declines occurred in this species (García et al. 2007).

Major Threat(s):

The major threat is likely to be chytridiomycosis, leading to a catastrophic population decline, as has occurred in many other montane species of Atelopus. Habitat loss and degradation is also a major threat, due to agriculture (crops, livestock, and plantations), logging (in the past), and mining. Climate data from 1975-1990 revealed years with dry spells, which appear to correlate with years where drastic population declines occurred in this species (García et al. 2007).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Some subpopulations occur within the Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada and Parque Nacional Sierra de la Culata. Surveys are needed to establish whether or not this species still persists in its natural range. In view of the threat of chytridiomycosis, surviving individuals might need to form the basis for the establishment of an ex-situ population.

Conservation Actions:

Some subpopulations occur within the Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada and Parque Nacional Sierra de la Culata. Surveys are needed to establish whether or not this species still persists in its natural range. In view of the threat of chytridiomycosis, surviving individuals might need to form the basis for the establishment of an ex-situ population.

Citation:	Enrique La Marca, Irwin García, Rubén Albornoz, Juan Elías García-Pérez 2010. Atelopus oxyrhynchus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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