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The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Atelopus varius

 – Critically Endangered

Taxonomy

Kingdom: ANIMALIA
Phylum: CHORDATA
Class: AMPHIBIA
Order: ANURA
Family: BUFONIDAE
Scientific Name: Atelopus varius
Species Authority: (Lichtenstein & von Martens, 1856)
Common Name/s:
English—HARLEQUIN FROG
Spanish—RANA ARLEQUIN

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria: CR A2ace    ver 3.1 (2001)
Year Assessed: 2004
Assessor/s: Pounds, A., Puschendorf, R., Bolaños, F., Chaves, G., Crump, M., Solís, F., Ibáñez, R., Savage, J., Jaramillo, C., Fuenmayor, Q. & Lips, K.
Evaluator/s: Stuart, S., Chanson, J., Cox, N. & Young, B. (Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team)
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.

Geographic Range

Range Description: This species is known from both Atlantic and Pacific versants of the cordilleras of Costa Rica and western Panama, up to 2,000 m asl. It is also present on outlying ridges and hills down to 16 m asl at a few lowland sites. The species is absent from the lowlands of the Pacific north-west (Savage 2002). Records from Colombia are in error. Recent declines have reduced the Costa Rican range to only one known locality, Fila Chonta, 10 km north-west of the city of Quepos.
Range Map:
(click for detailed map)
Countries: Native:

Costa Rica; Panama

Population

Population: Over 100 populations of this species were known from Costa Rica where it was often quite common. Drastic declines began in Monteverde in 1988 and the species was thought to have been extirpated in Costa Rica by 1996. However, after nearly eight years during which the species was thought to be extinct, a remnant population was discovered near Quepos, on the Pacific coastal range, in 2003, and was surveyed again in 2005 when more individuals were found. In Panama, some populations have declined, but others persist. For example, Lips (1999) reported a mass mortality in Fortuna, Provincia de Chiriquí, which affected this species in December 1996-January 1997. This site was visited again in February 1998, but the species was not found (Ibáñez 1999). It has been recorded in Panama as recently as November 2002, but it is believed to still be in serious decline.
Population Trend: Down

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology: It is a terrestrial species of humid lowland and montane forest; specimens recorded at lowland rainforest localities were all found along high-gradient, rocky streams, in hilly areas (Savage 2002). It is associated with small fast-flowing streams and is often found along the banks and sitting out on rocks in streams; at night they sleep in crevices or low vegetation. They forrmely occurred in large concentrations during the dry season, from December to May (Savage 2002). Eggs are laid in water and are probably attached to rocks.
System: Terrestrial; Freshwater
List of Habitats:
1.6Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland
1.9Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane
5.1Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)

Threats

Threats: The major threat is likely to be chytridiomycosis, which has led to catastrophic population declines in many other montane species of Atelopus. Museum specimens of this species have been found to have chytrid fungi. One specimen collected in 2003 from the only known site at which the species survives in Costa Rica tested positive for chytrid infection, and the disease was also confirmed in individuals in 1986, 1990, 1992 and 1997. Other threats to the species include habitat loss due to the destruction of natural forests, and predation by introduced trout. The only known site in Costa Rica is under serious threat of a landslide that could potentially destroy the entire stream section where they are presently found. It was collected by the thousands in the 1970s and shipped to Germany as part of the international pet trade.
List of Threats:
1.1.1.2Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Crops - Small-holder farming (ongoing)
1.1.1.3Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Crops - Agro-industry farming (ongoing)
1.1.2.1Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Wood plantations - Small-scale (ongoing)
1.1.2.2Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Wood plantations - Large-scale (ongoing)
1.1.4.2Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Livestock - Small-holder (ongoing)
1.1.4.3Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Livestock - Agro-industry (ongoing)
1.4.2Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development - Human settlement (ongoing)
1.4.4Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development Transport (land/air) (ongoing)
1.4.6Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development - Dams (past, future)
2.2Invasive alien species (directly affecting the species) - Predators (ongoing)
3.5.2Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Cultural/scientific/leisure activities - Sub-national/national trade (past)
3.5.3Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Cultural/scientific/leisure activities - Regional/international trade (past)
6.3.1Pollution (affecting habitat and/or species) - Water pollution - Agriculture (ongoing)
6.3.2Pollution (affecting habitat and/or species) - Water pollution - Domestic (ongoing)
7.6Natural disasters - Avalanches/landslides (ongoing)
8.5Changes in native species dynamics - Pathogens/parasites (ongoing)
9.4Intrinsic factors - Inbreeding (ongoing)

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions: The species is present in three protected areas in Panama, and was previously found in a number of Costa Rican protected areas. Ex-situ conservation measures are now needed to ensure the future survival of this species, and a captive-breeding program has been initiated.
List of Conservation Actions:
1.1.1Policy-based actions - Management plans - Development (needed)
1.1.2Policy-based actions - Management plans - Implementation (needed)
1.2.1.2Policy-based actions - Legislation - Development - National level (needed)
1.2.2.2Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - National level (needed)
3.1Research actions - Taxonomy (needed)
3.2Research actions - Population numbers and range (needed)
3.3Research actions - Biology and Ecology (needed)
3.4Research actions - Habitat status (needed)
3.5Research actions - Threats (needed)
3.8Research actions - Conservation measures (needed)
3.9Research actions - Trends/Monitoring (needed)
4.1Habitat and site-based actions - Maintenance/Conservation (in place, needed)
4.4.2Habitat and site-based actions - Protected areas - Establishment (in place)
4.4.3Habitat and site-based actions - Protected areas - Management (in place, needed)
5.4Species-based actions - Recovery management (needed)
5.5Species-based actions - Disease, pathogen, parasite management (needed)
5.7.1Species-based actions - Ex situ conservation actions - Captive breeding/Artificial propagation (in place, needed)

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Amphibian Data. For additional documentation about utilization and CITES status, click on the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) link above to see the GAA account for this species or alternatively follow this link to the search function on the Global Amphibian Assessment web site and run your own search.

Crump, M.L. 1986. Homing and site fidelity in a Neotropical frog, Atelopus varius (Bufonidae). Copeia 1986(4): 1007-1009.

Crump, M.L. and Pounds, J.A. 1989. Temporal variation in the dispersion of a tropical anuran. Copeia 1989(1): 209-211.

Ibáñez, R. 1999. Report from Panama. FrogLog 33: 1.

Ibáñez, R., Solís, F., Jaramillo, C. and Rand, S. 2000. An overwiew of the herpetology of Panama. In: J.D. Johnson, R.G. Webb and O.A. Flores-Villela (eds), Mesoamerican Herpetology: Systematics, Zoogeography and Conservation, pp. 159-170. The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas.

La Marca, E., K.R. Lips, S. Lotters, R. Puschendorf, R. Ibanez, J.V. Rueda-Almoncid, R. Schulte, C. Marty, F. Castro, J. Manzanilla-Puppo, J.E. Garcia-Perez, E.Toral, F.Bolanos, G. Chaves, A. Pounds, B. Young 2005. Catastrophic population declines and extinctions in Neotropical harlequin frogs (Bufonidae: Atelopus). Biotropica 37(2): 190-201.

Lips, K.R. 1999. Mass mortality and population declines of anurans at an upland site in western Panama. Conservation Biology 13: 117-125.

Lips, K.R., Green, D.E. and Papendick, R. 2003. Chytridiomycosis in wild frogs from southern Costa Rica. Journal of Herpetology 37: 215-218.

Lips, K.R., Reeve, J.D. and Witters, L.R. 2003. Ecological traits predicting amphibian population declines in Central America. Conservation Biology 17: 1078-1088.

Lötters, S. 1996. The Neotropical Toad Genus Atelopus. Checklist-Biology-Distribution. Vences, M. and Glaw, F. Verlags GbR, Köln, Germany.

Pounds, J.A. and Crump, M.L. 1987. Harlequin frogs along a tropical montane stream: aggregation and the risk of predation by frog-eating flies. Biotropica 19: 306-309.

Pounds, J.A. and Crump, M.L. 1994. Amphibian declines and climate disturbance: The case of the golden toad and the harlequin frog. Conservation Biology 8: 72-85.

Pounds, J.A., Bustamante, M.R., Coloma, L.A., Consuegra, J.A., Fogden, M.P.L., Foster, P.N., La Marca, E., Masters, K.L., Merino-Viteri, A., Puschendorf, R., Ron, S.R., Sánchez-Azofeifa, G.A., Still, C.J. and Young, B.E. 2006. Widespread amphibian extinctions from epidemic disease driven by global warming. Nature 439: 161-167.

Pounds, J.A., Fogden, M.P.L. and Campbell, J.H. 1999. Biological response to climate change on a tropical mountain. Nature 398: 611-615.

Savage, J.M. 1972. The harlequin frogs, genus Atelopus, of Costa Rica, and western Panama. Herpetologica 28: 77-94.

Savage, J.M. 2002. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between two Continents, between two Seas. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.

Young, B., Sedaghatkish, G., Roca, E. and Fuenmayor, Q. 1999. El Estatus de la Conservación de la Herpetofauna de Panamá: Resumen del Primer Taller Internacional sobre la Herpetofauna de Panamá. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia.

Zippel, K. 2005. Zoos play a vital role in amphibian conservation. See: http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/aw/declines/zoo/index.html 26 July 2005.

Citation: Pounds, A., Puschendorf, R., Bolaños, F., Chaves, G., Crump, M., Solís, F., Ibáñez, R., Savage, J., Jaramillo, C., Fuenmayor, Q. & Lips, K. 2004. Atelopus varius. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 July 2008.
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