Assessment Results
Phrynomedusa marginata
Bi-colored Leaf Frog
Order:
Anura
Family:
Hylidae
Synonym(s):
Phyllomedusa marginata
Assessed for:
Brazil
on:
20 Aug 2020
by:
AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop
Authors:
D. Baêta, J.L. Gasparini and R.B. Ferreira
IUCN Global Red List:
Least Concern (LC)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Brazil
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
27.53204369
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
There is an indication that the species has been taken to Germany and Belgium, due to a photo from 1998 available in the Call Photo Hugo Claessen. It is necessary to check if there is an ex situ population being created in Europe.
Photo caption: "date of photo Jul 1998, this photo depicts an animal that was captive or collected, photo location Belgium, animal's place of origin not provided"
| Question # | Short Name | Question Text | Response | Comments |
| 1 | Extinction risk | Current IUCN Red List category. [Data obtained from the IUCN Red List.] | Least Concern (LC) | |
| 2 | Possibly extinct | Is there a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild? | Yes / probably | Species of difficult encounter and, when it is found, it is in low density. The region of occurrence has been well sampled by several experts in recent decades, but the last collection of the species was in 1987. In 1988, José Pombal Júnior and Rogério Bastos captured in the yard of the Museu de Biologia Professor Mello Leitão, an urban forest, and they took the specimen to Campinas. After that it was found again in the same yard. After these encounters, the yard area was drained for constructions and the species was never found again, even after great sampling effort. Recently, a study was carried out with environmental DNA, which did not detect the species. The original puddle in the area no longer exists and there is now an enclosure for macaws on the site. |
| 3 | Phylogenetic significance | The taxon’s Evolutionary Distinctiveness (ED) score, as generated by the ZSL EDGE program. (These data are not editable by Assessors). | ED value 20 - 50 | |
| 4 | Protected habitat | Is a population of at least 50% of the individuals of the taxon included within a well-managed or reliably protected area or areas? | No / unlikely | This species occurred within the urban forest Museu de Biologia Professor Mello Leitão and within Sitio do Boza (which became a coffee plantation), in the municipality of Santa Teresa, state of Espírito Santo. |
| 5 | Habitat for reintroduction, conservation translocation or supplementation | Does enough well-managed and reliably protected habitat exist, either within or outside of currently protected areas that is suitable for conservation translocation, including population restoration or conservation introduction? | Yes / probably | Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi and Parque Natural Municipal São Lourenço, both located in Santa Teresa-ES. |
| 6 | Previous reintroductions | Have reintroduction or translocation attempts been made in the past for this species? | No | |
| 7 | In situ conservation activities | Are any in situ conservation actions currently in place for this species? (Only required if a Red List Assessment has not been completed, or if new actions have been implemented since the last Red List Assessment. (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.). | No / unlikely | |
| 8 | In situ conservation activities | Are additional in situ conservation actions required to help conserve this species in the wild (e.g. habitat restoration and/or protection, control of invasive species, national legislation etc.)? | No / unlikely | If any individuals are found, it is recommended to establish an ex situ population and introduce into one of the suggested areas. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Extensive field surveys (active search and pitfall traps) have been carried out to find this species, including eDNA, which has not detected it (D. Baêta, pers. comm. 2020). Automated acoustic recorder and citizen science are underway to increase detection likelihood. It’s also necessary to understand the causes for the species' disappearance. |
| 10 | Threat mitigation | Are the threats facing the taxon, including any new and emerging threats not considered in the IUCN Red List, potentially reversible? | Threats unknown | The main threat for this species is the reduction and disconnection of the habitat, due to deforestation for the conversion of native vegetation into agricultural areas and urbanization. Furthermore, the region has occurrence and increase of Bd. The Bd was also detected in specimens of the genus Phrynomedusa collected in the 70-80s. Tadpoles of the genus appear to be very sensitive to pesticides. However, the causes for the species' disappearance are unknown. |
| 11 | Over-collection from the wild | Is the taxon suffering from collection within its natural range, either for food, for the pet trade or for any other reason, which threatens the species’ continued persistence in the wild? | No / unlikely | |
| 12 | Population recovery | Is the known population of this species in the wild large enough to recover naturally, without ex situ intervention if threats are mitigated? | No / unlikely | |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | No | There is no specific plan for this species, but it is part of the National Action Plan "Plano de Ação Nacional para a Conservação da Herpetofauna Ameaçada da Mata Atlântica da Região Sudeste do Brasil" (PAN Herpetofauna do Sudeste). |
| 14 | Biological distinctiveness | Does the taxon exhibit a distinctive reproductive mode, behaviour, aspect of morphology or physiology, within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.)? | No aspect of biology known to be exceptional | |
| 15 | Cultural/socio-economic importance | Does the taxon have a special human cultural value (e.g. as a national or regional symbol, in a historic context, featuring in traditional stories) or economic value (e.g. food, traditional medicine, tourism) within its natural range or in a wider global context? | No | |
| 16 | Scientific importance | Is the species vital to current or planned research other than species-specific ecology/biology/conservation within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.) e.g. human medicine, climate change, environmental pollutants and conservation science? | No research dependent on this species | |
| 17 | Ex situ research | Does conserving this species (or closely related species) in situ depend upon research that can be most easily carried out ex situ? | No | |
| 18 | Ex situ conservation activities | Is any ex situ research or other ex situ conservation action currently in place for this species? (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.) | No / unlikely | |
| 19 | Husbandry analog required | If an ex situ rescue program is recommended for this species, would an analog species be required to develop husbandry protocols first? | Yes / probably | Phrynomedusa dryade |
| 20 | Husbandry analog | Do the biological and ecological attributes of this species make it suitable for developing husbandry regimes for more threatened related species? i.e. could this species be used in captivity to help to develop husbandry and breeding protocols which could be used for a similar, but more endangered species at a later stage? | No | |
| 21 | Captive breeding | Has this species been successfully bred and/or maintained in captivity? | Not held in captivity to date | Review the bibliography of Peter Weygoldt, who has breeding studies in captivity. |
| 22 | Conservation education/ecotourism potential | Is the species especially diurnal, active or colourful, or is there an interesting or unusual aspect of its ecology that make it particularly suitable to be an educational ambassador for conservation of the species in the range country, either in zoos or aquariums or within ecotourism activities? | Yes | Citizen science. |
| 23 | Mandate | Is there an existing conservation mandate recommending the ex situ conservation of this taxon? | No | |
| 24 | Range State approval | If an ex situ initiative was proposed for this species, would it be supported (and approved) by the range State (either within the range State or out-of-country ex situ)? | Yes / probably | |
| 25 | Founder specimens | Are sufficient animals of the taxon available or potentially available (from wild or captive sources) to initiate an ex situ program, if one was recommended? | No / unlikely | |
| 26 | Taxonomic status | Has a complete taxonomic analysis of the species in the wild been carried out, to fully understand the functional unit you wish to conserve (i.e. have species limits been determined)? | Yes |
Citation:
D. Baêta, J.L. Gasparini and R.B. Ferreira
2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Phrynomedusa marginata, Brazil
(AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/1978
Accessed 30 Jan 2025
