Assessment Results
Scinax alcatraz
Alcatraz Snouted Treefrog
Order:
Anura
Family:
Hylidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Brazil
on:
20 Aug 2020
by:
AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop
Authors:
C.A. Brasileiro, C.S. Lisboa, L.F. Toledo and M.R.C. Martins
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
Distribution:
Brazil
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
17.23112901
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
| Question # | Short Name | Question Text | Response | Comments |
| 1 | Extinction risk | Current IUCN Red List category. [Data obtained from the IUCN Red List.] | Critically Endangered (CR) | |
| 2 | Possibly extinct | Is there a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild? | No / unlikely | |
| 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 | |
| 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? | Yes / probably | This species is endemic to the Alcatrazes Island (state of São Paulo), which is inserted in the Refúgio de Vida Silvestre do Arquipélago de Alcatrazes since 2016. Then, the entire population is within a protected area. |
| 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 | Alcatrazes Island. |
| 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.). | Yes / probably | The Refúgio de Vida Silvestre do Arquipélago de Alcatrazes has efficient surveillance and a well-managed management plan. |
| 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.)? | Yes / probably | Although tourists are currently not allowed to access the island, diving around it is permitted. Thus, it is important to strengthen and continue the inspection of the illegal landing of tourists on the Island. It is also necessary to maintain the agreement with the Navy so that the shooting training on the island will not be practiced again. It is also necessary to have a fire-fighting plan, a project to restore native forest and to control invasive plants. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Studies are needed on population long-term monitoring and presence and vulnerability to pathogens. In addition, it is interisting to test an experimental reintroduction. |
| 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 are being managed - conservation dependant | Until recently, the Brazilian Navy used the Alcatrazes Island as a target for heavy artillery practice, threatening the habitat of S. alcatraz. This practice ended in 2013 through an agreement between the Navy, government, and environmental protectionists. The conservation of S. alcatraz is dependent on this agreement. Currently, the main potential threats for this species are accidental fire on vegetation, invasive vegetation and illegal landing of tourists on the Island. The Navy has predisposed to control invasive vegetation, but this management has not yet been implemented (C.A. Brasileiro, pers. comm. 2020). |
| 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? | Yes / probably | |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | No | Between 2010-2015, Scinax alcatraz was part of the Plano de Ação Nacional para a Conservação da Herpetofauna Insular Ameaçada de Extinção (National Conservation Plan for the Endangered Island’s Herpetofauna (ICMBio), which contained specific actions for this species. As a result of these actions, an Action Plan was informally developed in partnership between the São Paulo Zoo and the managers of Alcatrazes Island. Currently, 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)" and of the management plan for the Refúgio de Vida Silvestre do Arquipélago de Alcatrazes. |
| 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? | Yes | Studies on ecophysiology and health, such as locomotor performance and chytridiomycosis. |
| 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.) | Yes / probably | São Paulo Zoo has maintained a captive breeding program for Scinax alcatraz since 2011 (C.S. Lisboa, pers. comm. 2020). |
| 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? | No / unlikely | Scinax perpusillus was used as an analog species and the husbandry protocol has already been developed. |
| 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? | Yes | Scinax faivovichi (VU) and Scinax peixotoi (CR-PEX). |
| 21 | Captive breeding | Has this species been successfully bred and/or maintained in captivity? | Yes, bred to F2 | The husbandry and breeding protocol for this species is well established. Currently, there is a captive population of around 100 individuals in São Paulo Zoo, and, in case of necessity, it is possible to increase such population and rear more frogs in artificial conditions (C.S. Lisboa, pers. comm. 2020). |
| 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 | This species is charismatic and active with potential for zoo exhibits. São Paulo Zoo maintains a group of Scinax alcatraz in a special area in its amphibian exhibit “O Pulo do Sapo” (The Leap of the Frog), which aims to provide knowledge about the species and to inspire the visitors to reflect on the importance of amphibian conservation (C.S. Lisboa, pers. comm. 2020). This species is also part of the DOTs Project, which aims to promote scientific communication and highlight conservation needs of the Brazilian threatened amphibians (https://www.projetodots.org). |
| 23 | Mandate | Is there an existing conservation mandate recommending the ex situ conservation of this taxon? | Yes | The National Action Plan "Plano de Ação Nacional para a Conservação da Herpetofauna Insular Ameaçada de Extinção, developed by the governmental institution "Institituto Chico Mendes (ICMBio)" between 2010-2015, reccomended and ex situ conservation program for Scinax alcatraz, which was implemented. |
| 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? | Yes / probably | |
| 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:
C.A. Brasileiro, C.S. Lisboa, L.F. Toledo and M.R.C. Martins
2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Scinax alcatraz, Brazil
(AArk/ASG Brazil Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/2460
Accessed 02 Feb 2025
