Assessment Results
Raorchestes johnceei
Order:
Anura
Family:
Rhacophoridae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
India
on:
12 Oct 2020
by:
AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Seshadri, K.S., Robin Suyesh and Rajkumar K.P.
IUCN Global Red List:
Not Evaluated (NE)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
India
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
18.03724571
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) | Listed as Endangered because its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 1,928 km2, it occurs in five or fewer threat-defined locations, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat. |
| 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 bush frog occurs at Bonacaud Estate in the Thiruvananthapuram District, and the nearby areas, in the southern Western Ghats state of Kerala in India, at elevations of 600 m asl (Zachariah et al. 2011). It has also been found in Kakachi and Upper Kodayar areas of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, with these records being fairly certain, but this observation should be confirmed with molecular data (Seshadri K.S., pers. comm. October 2020). All subsequent observations have been made of this species at elevations above 1,000 m asl (Robin Suyesh and Seshadri K.S., pers. comm. October 2020). It also occurs in and Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, and probably occurs more widely in Peppara and Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuaries (Robin Suyesh and Seshadri K.S., pers. comm. October 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 | |
| 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 the protected area of Kakachi and Upper Kodayar areas of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, and Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (Seshadri K.S., 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 | Improved habitat protection is required, as well as education of tourists to reduce their littering behaviours and species disturbance 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.? | Yes | Further research is required on its distribution, natural history, and the effects of climate change and Bd. Population monitoring is also recommended. |
| 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 | This frog lives on leaf litter among bamboo thickets, underneath fallen logs, and stones in a forest within a tea plantation (Zachariah et al. 2011). Unlikely to tolerate habitat disturbance and loss as it is only known from areas that are largely undisturbed (Robin Suyesh, pers. comm. October 2020). It is also likely to be threatened by disturbance associated with pilgrimage activities (Robin Suyesh, pers. comm. October 2020). Road mortality could be a minor threat in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (Seshadri K.S., pers. comm, October 2020). Climate change is a potential future threat which may result in the shifting of habitat, and subpopulations that already exist in higher elevations may be lost as they have no habitat to migrate to (Robin Suyesh and Seshadri K.S., pers. comm. October 2020). Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been found in other species of the genus, so chytridiomycosis may be a potential threat for this species but further research is required (India RLA/CNA workshop, October 2020), but it is not known if it is a threat in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (Seshadri K.S., 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 | It is moderately common in odayar areas of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (Seshadri K.S., pers. comm. October 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 | One of the largest bushfrogs (Robin Suyesh, pers. comm. October 2020). |
| 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 | |
| 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 | Named after an environmental educator. |
| 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 | Males easy to find, females difficult. |
| 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:
Seshadri, K.S., Robin Suyesh and Rajkumar K.P. 2020. Conservation Needs Assessment for Raorchestes johnceei, India
(AArk/ASG India Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/5677
Accessed 01 Feb 2025
