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Assessment Results

 

Mysticellus franki

Franky’s Narrow-mouthed Frog

Order: Anura Family: Microhylidae
Synonym(s):

Assessed for: India   on: 14 Sep 2020   by: AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop
Authors: Nikhil Modak, Sandeep Das, Vishnupriya Sankararaman, Madhushri Mudke, Dr. Trupti Jadhav, Gururaja K.V. and Karthikeyan Vasudevan
IUCN Global Red List: Not Evaluated (NE)
National Red List: (not assessed)
Distribution: India
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:

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) Listed at Critically Endangered in view of its highly restricted known range and resulting extent of occurrence (EOO) of 2 km2, which are thought to contain just a single threat-defined location due to the ongoing decline in the quality and extent of its habitat.
2 Possibly extinct Is there a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild? No / unlikely Seen in 2019 (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 2020).
3 Phylogenetic significance The taxon’s Evolutionary Distinctiveness (ED) score, as generated by the ZSL EDGE program. (These data are not editable by Assessors).
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? Unknown This frog was previously only known from the type locality at Suganthagiri, Wayanad District, in the southern Western Ghats region of Kerala State in Peninsular India (Garg and Biju 2019). It is now also known from Pookode and Vythiri in Wayanad District (Sandeep Das, pers. comm September 2020). It is likely to been found more widely in the Wayanad Plateau (Sandeep Das, pers. comm September 2020). It occurs between 700-1,000 m asl (Sandeep Das, pers. comm September 2020).
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 Species known from type locality as well as Pookode and Vythiri in Wayanad District and may be found more widely on Wayanad Plateau (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 2020).
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.). Unknown
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 Habitat protection as it is unknown if it occurs in any protected area (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 2020).
9 In situ research Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? Yes Research is required on its distribution, population, ecology and the effects of its threats.
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 Threats include road development and mortality, habitat loss associated with infrastructural developments such as human settlements and cash crop plantations and associated system modification (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 2020). Unknown if pesticide use is a threat (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 2020). Climate change is also a potential future threat insofar as it will cause habitat shifting and the drying of breeding habitat (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 2020). Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is present with this species' range, and may be a threat but further studies are required (India RLA/CNA workshop, September 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 No reports of species being utilized.
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? Unknown Considered a rare species, only one or two individuals encountered at a time (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 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? Unknown
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 This is a rare species, and would be an unsuitable husbandry analog.
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? Unknown Research into availability of founders needs to be prioritised.
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 Species is valid (Sandeep Das, pers. comm. September 2020).

Citation: Nikhil Modak, Sandeep Das, Vishnupriya Sankararaman, Madhushri Mudke, Dr. Trupti Jadhav, Gururaja K.V. and Karthikeyan Vasudevan 2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Mysticellus franki, India (AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/5584 Accessed 30 Jan 2025