Assessment Results
Nototriton barbouri
Yoro Salamander
Order:
Caudata
Family:
Plethodontidae
Synonym(s):
Chiropterotriton barbouri
Assessed for:
Honduras
on:
14 Mar 2019
by:
AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Kolby, J., Marcec, R., Mora, J., Townsend, J.
IUCN Global Red List:
Endangered (EN)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Honduras
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
14.79208489
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 | |
| 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 was previously thought to occur from five localities in north-central Honduras, in the departments of Atlántida, Yoro, and Cortes, between 860-1,990 m asl. However, following genetic and morphological analysis, subpopulations from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texíguat in Atlántida Department have now been assigned to Nototriton nelsoni, and subpopulations from Cerro Búfalo in Parque Nacional Pico Bonito have be assigned to N. oreadorum (Townsend 2016). This species has now been restricted to the Sierra de Sulaco: Montaña Macuzal and Parque Nacional Pico Pijol in Yoro Department, Honduras, between 1,524-1,920 m asl (Townsend 2016). (Townsend 2016). It is endemic to Sierra de Sulaco and is highly unlikely to be found more widely, or between the intervening area as there is no suitable habitat (J. Townsend pers. comm. March 2019). Its EOO is 670 km2. |
| 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 | |
| 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.)? | ||
| 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 | Major threats to this species include extensive habitat loss for coffee plantations, illegal selective logging for hardwoods, the creation of roads for coffee plantations and logging, and the subsequent erosion and pollution caused by coffee farming and logging. 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). |
| 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 is an uncommon species, and is not encountered often (J. Townsend, pers. comm. March 2019). In general, no population changes have been observed (F. Castañeda pers. comm. 2007, J. Townsend, pers. comm. March 2019). The population is likely to be declining due to habitat destruction (J. Townsend, pers. comm. March 2019). When it is found it is only one or two individuals (J. Townsend, 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 | It has the best documented behavior of all of the Nototriton species. It has been known to lay its eggs in old hummingbird nests, although other species in the genus are known to do this also (J. Townsend, pers. comm. March 2019). |
| 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? | Yes | A considerable amount is known about its reproduction, and would be a suitable analog for other species in the genus (J. Townsend, pers. comm. March 2019). |
| 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? | 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 | This species was previously considered to be a complex of several species (D. Wake and L.D. Wilson pers. comm.). Following genetic and morphological analysis, subpopulations from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texíguat in Atlántida Department have now been assigned to Nototriton nelsoni, and subpopulations from Cerro Búfalo in Parque Nacional Pico Bonito have be assigned to N. oreadorum (J. Townsend, 2016). |
Citation:
Kolby, J., Marcec, R., Mora, J., Townsend, J. 2019. Conservation Needs Assessment for Nototriton barbouri, Honduras
(AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/4724
Accessed 23 Jan 2025
