Assessment Results
Indosylvirana indica
Indian Golden-backed Frog
Order:
Anura
Family:
Ranidae
Synonym(s):
Hylarana indica
Assessed for:
India
on:
14 Oct 2020
by:
AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Sandeep Das, Prudhvi Raj Gunturu, Dr Anand Padhy, S.R. Chandramouli, S.R. Ganesh, Chelmala Srinivasulu and Gururaja K.V.
IUCN Global Red List:
Not Evaluated (NE)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
India
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
20.33316844
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.] | Data Deficient (DD) | Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, and its presumed large population. |
| 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 | This golden-backed frog occurs in the Western Ghats states of Karnataka and Kerala in India (Biju et al. 2014). In Karnataka, it is known from the districts of Chikmagalur, Dakshin Kannada, Hassan, Kodagu, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada, and in Kerala from the districts of Kannur and Wayanad and occurs in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. October 2020). It is present in the protected areas Brahamagiri National Park, Bhadra Tiger Reserve and Kudremukh National Park and Someshwara Wildlife Reserve (S.R. Ganesh and S.R. Chandramouli, pers. comm. October 2020) and Western Ghats World Heritage Site (IUCN and UNEP-WCMC 2020) It is found in Kottiyur Wildlife Sanctuary Kerala (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. October 2020). It is also known from three localities in the Eastern Ghats: Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Sri Venkateshwara National Park and Gundla Brahmeshwaram Wildlife Sanctuary (Prudhvi Raj, pers. comm. August 2020) and Ahobilam Ghats. It may be found more widely in the southern Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu (P.R. Gunturu, pers. comm. August 2020) 50% of the population likely occurs in protected areas in the Western Ghats but not in the Eastern Ghats It ranges between 66 and 1,300 m asl (Biju et al. 2014). |
| 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.). | Yes / probably | It is present in a number of protected areas, including Brahamagiri National Park and Western Ghats World Heritage Site (IUCN and UNEP-WCMC 2020). It is known from Kottiyur Wildlife Sanctuary and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala (Sandeep Das, pers . comm. October 2020). |
| 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 | While this species is relatively tolerant of a degree of habitat modification, the ongoing protection of its habitat in protected areas is beneficial and should continue. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Further research is required on its taxonomy, distribution and ecology (Biju et al. 2014, India RLA/CNA workshop, 2020). |
| 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 unlikely to be reversed in time to prevent further decline / extinction | This species requires canopy and is not very adaptable. In the Eastern Ghats the species is mostly in protected areas, and so not threatened (P.R. Gunturu pers. comm. August 2020). In the Western Ghats the species is subject to pesticides and chemical fertilizers which are used in commercial coffee plantations (Chelmala Srinivasulu, pers. comm. August 2020). It has been observed in Areca nut plantations, which do not provide closed canopy cover indicating that the species is somewhat adaptable to the opening up of its habitat (S.R. Ganesh and S.R. Chandramouli, pers. comm. October 2020). In the Eastern Ghats pilgrimage tourism could be a potential threat as this results in disturbance and habitat degradation, tourism also likely degrades the stream habitat in the Western Ghats (S.R. Ganesh, pers. comm. October 2020). Plastic pollution from tourism around streams - including the popular destination Jog Falls - is also a threat (India RLA/CNA workshop, October 2020). The species is likely threatened by road kills (S.R. Ganesh, pers. comm. October 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 | This species is patchily abundant and few individuals are found at a time (Prudhvi Raj Gunturu, pers. comm. August 2020). The population is very low in the Eastern Ghats (Prudhvi Raj Gunturu, pers. comm. August 2020). In the Western Ghats, it is uncommon and patchily abundant (Chelmala Srinivasulu, pers. comm. August 2020). |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | No | |
| 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? | No / unlikely | |
| 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 | Would make a good husbandry analog for Indosylvirana magna and I. montana, however many species from this group have been kept in captivity, and husbandry protocols have already been determined. |
| 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? | Yes | This is a very colorful species. |
| 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 |
Citation:
Sandeep Das, Prudhvi Raj Gunturu, Dr Anand Padhy, S.R. Chandramouli, S.R. Ganesh, Chelmala Srinivasulu and Gururaja K.V. 2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Indosylvirana indica, India
(AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/5473
Accessed 23 Jan 2025
