Assessment Results
Craugastor lauraster
Order:
Anura
Family:
Craugastoridae
Synonym(s):
Eleutherodactylus lauraster
Assessed for:
Honduras
on:
10 May 2019
by:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Cruz, G., Köhler, G., McCranie, J.R. & Wilson, D.
IUCN Global Red List:
Least Concern (LC)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Honduras, Nicaragua
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
20.00211102
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.] | Endangered (EN) | |
| 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 - 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 | In Honduras, it is only distributed in the eastern half of the country from Olancho to Gracias a Dios and Colón Department (J. Ramos Galdámez, pers. comm. March 2019). This species occurs in several protected areas in both countries. Protected areas where the species occur are not well-managed. Parque Nacional Patuka and Reserva Tawahka are experiencing very high rates of deforestation. |
| 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? | No / unlikely | |
| 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.). | ||
| 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 | Improved and strengthened management of protected areas is needed. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | ||
| 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 likely to be reversible in time frame to prevent further decline / extinction | Its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat, and in the number of mature individuals, in Honduras and Nicaragua. The main threats are habitat loss, due to deforestation, livestock and agriculture. Although this species occurs in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, forest destruction throughout this species' range, mainly as a result of agricultural expansion and extensive cattle ranching mainly fueled by drug trafficking and illegal selective logging for hardwoods, is nonetheless rampant and causing a decrease in available habitat for this species (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). The main threats to the species are forest fires, especially during extended dry seasons. The fires are normally in the surrounding cloud forest, but still represent a threat to the species. The elfin forest is still intact, however the surrounding cloud forest is being destroyed and fragmented by subsistence agricultural use and coffee plantations. As of 2016, a native boring pine beetle has devastated the pine forests of the region where this species occurs, which encourages widespread harvesting of the dying timber for energy production; increased intentional fires to eliminate the excess biomass; and subsequent conversion of burned areas to cropland. The destruction of the forests by the beetle have ceased as of 2019, however another outbreak will likely occur in the future during the next El Niño cycle (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). The reform to the Ley de Protection de la Actividad Caficultora y Cacaotera (Decreto 37-2016; Articulos I, V, VI) has incentivised the cultivation of coffee in national lands, including the core zones of protected areas, which is increasing the alteration of primary forest (Honduras Red List Assessment Workshop March 2019). In 2014 chytrid was found in this species in Nicaragua (García-Roa et al, 2014). |
| 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 | It can be very common where it occurs in Honduras (J. Ramos Galdámez pers, comm. March 2019). In Honduras, is generally stable. For example in 2017 and 2018 this species recorded at three sites in Rio Plátano Reserve including the Sitio Arqueológico Ciudad Blanca; 1o individuals found in one nigh at Pico Dama (J.R. Galdámez, pers. comm. March 2019) |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | ||
| 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.) | ||
| 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? | ||
| 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 | |
| 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? | No | |
| 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? | ||
| 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)? | No | Research into species validity needs to be prioritised. Research into species validity needs to be prioritized. There are morphological differences with population in Nicaragua (Gunther Koller, 2001) |
Citation:
Cruz, G., Köhler, G., McCranie, J.R. & Wilson, D. 2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Craugastor lauraster, Honduras
(AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/4681
Accessed 31 Jan 2025
