Assessment Results
Raorchestes dubois
Koadaikanal Bush Frog
Order:
Anura
Family:
Rhacophoridae
Synonym(s):
Philautus dubois Philautus duboisi, Philautus sp. nov. 'Eravikulam NP', Pseudophilautus dubois
Assessed for:
India
on:
21 Oct 2020
by:
AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop
Authors:
S.R. Ganesh and Robin Suyar
IUCN Global Red List:
Vulnerable (VU)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
India
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
14.80916935
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.] | Vulnerable (VU) | |
| 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 was previously only known from Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary in Dindigal Anna District, Tamil Nadu State, in the southern Western Ghats of India, between 1,900-2,300 m asl. It occurs in Eravikulam in Kerala State, Kodaikanal and Konalar (Biju and Bossuyt 2006, 2009) and Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu State, India (Chaitanya et al. 2018). It also occurs in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (S.R. Ganesh, pers. comm. October 2020). It is likely to occur more widely than it is currently known (S.R. Ganesh, pers. comm. October 2020). This species occurs in Eravikulam National Park, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary and Anamalai Tiger Reserve, with about 50% of the population occurring within these areas (India RLA/CNA workshop, October 2020). It occurs between 1,800-2,200 m asl (Biju and Bossuyt 2009). |
| 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 | Anamalai Tiger Reserve |
| 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. |
| 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 | Better practices of fire control measures and improved habitat protection is required. |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | No | |
| 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 | It can be found near home gardens, on campus grounds and in tea plantations, so it is able to tolerate some degree of habitat disturbance (S.R. Ganesh, Robin Suyesh, pers. comm. October 2020). In parts of Anamalai and Evirakulam controlled burning of grasslands is a major threat for the species (S.R. Ganesh and Robin Suyesh, pers. comm. October 2020). Tourism activities - pollution and human development for tourism is a potential threat (S.R. Ganesh, pers. comm. October 2020). Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been found in other species of the genus and within its range, so chytridiomycosis may be a potential threat for this species but further research is required (India RLA/CNA workshop, 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 | It is a very common to abundant species. |
| 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 | Extremely variable color patterns - highly morphological variable. |
| 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 | Name after the French herpetologist Dubois |
| 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? | Yes / probably | Raorchestes beddomii or R. ponmudi would make a good husbandry analogs for this species (India RLA/CNA workshop, October 2020). |
| 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? | Yes | Beautiful good looking frog, but nocturnal |
| 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:
S.R. Ganesh and Robin Suyar 2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Raorchestes dubois, India
(AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/5665
Accessed 30 Jan 2025
