Assessment Results
Bolitoglossa tzultacaj
Order:
Caudata
Family:
Plethodontidae
Synonym(s):
Assessed for:
Guatemala
on:
29 Aug 2024
by:
AArk/ASG Guatemala Workshop
Authors:
Acevedo, M. E. ; Chang, M.J. ; Dahinten B. H. ; López de Paz, E. ; Morales, J.R. ; Rivera, M. R. ; Ruano-Fajardo, G. ; Vázquez-Almazán, C. ; Zamora-Jerez, A.
IUCN Global Red List:
Critically Endangered (CR)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Guatemala
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
12
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
El hongo quítrido patógeno de la salamandra (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, “Bsal”) ha provocado una disminución dramática de las salamandras europeas desde su llegada en 2010 a través del comercio internacional de mascotas (Feldmeier et al. 2016). Si bien la presencia del hongo no ha sido confirmada en América, se está propagando en Europa y corre el riesgo de propagarse aún más. Se cree que la amenaza de infección y disminución de la población de salamandras es muy probable y perjudicial para la mayoría de las especies nativas, en caso de que el hongo llegue a Guatemala.
Se deben tomar medidas preventivas y proactivas para detectar la llegada de Bsal a Guatemala mediante el muestreo de salamandras tanto silvestres como importadas, además de una prohibición total de la importación de salamandras no nativas.
Es importante enfatizar el potencial daño por el ingreso o introducción de especies de anfibios exóticas e invasoras (especies de la Lista Negra - CONAP) de anfibios a las poblaciones silvestres nativas.
| 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) | |
| 2 | Possibly extinct | Is there a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild? | No / unlikely | No se han realizado estudios en la localidad tipo desde la recolección del holotipo en 1992 (Campbell et al. 2010); sin embargo, se sospecha que la población está disminuyendo debido a la pérdida continua de hábitat en la región donde se encuentra esta especie (Taller de Evaluación de la Lista Roja de Guatemala, agosto de 2019). |
| 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 | Esta especie sólo se conoce en su localidad tipo (17,7 km sobre Jones en el camino a Finca Alejandría) en la vertiente sur de la Sierra de las Minas, cerca del cruce de los departamentos de Zacapa, Izabal y Alta Verapaz, Guatemala (Campbell et al. 2010). |
| 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 | Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de las Minas |
| 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 | Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de las Minas |
| 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 | Mejorar el manejo de la Zona de Veda Definitiva Volcán Suchitán para detener la recolección de madera de la cumbre. Tomar medidas preventivas y proactivas para detectar la llegada de Bsal a Guatemala y establecer una línea de base incluyendo el muestreo de salamandras encontradas durante las actividades rutinarias de monitoreo de anfibios en el país (Taller de Evaluación de la Lista Roja de Guatemala, agosto de 2019). |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Buscar a la especie y confirmar su identidad |
| 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 | Hay poca información sobre amenazas importantes para esta especie porque no se han realizado estudios en el área desde la década de 1990. Sin embargo, la actual destrucción del hábitat causada por la agricultura a pequeña escala, la recolección de leña para subsistencia, los asentamientos humanos y los incendios probablemente sea una amenaza para la especie (Taller de Evaluación de la Lista Roja de Guatemala, agosto de 2019). El hongo quítrido patógeno de la salamandra (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, “Bsal”) ha provocado una disminución dramática de las salamandras europeas desde su llegada en 2010 a través del comercio internacional de mascotas (Feldmeier et al. 2016). Si bien la presencia del hongo no ha sido confirmada en América, se está propagando en Europa y corre el riesgo de propagarse aún más. Se cree que la amenaza de infección y disminución de la población de salamandras es muy probable y perjudicial para la mayoría de las especies nativas, en caso de que el hongo llegue a Guatemala (Taller de Evaluación de la Lista Roja de Guatemala, agosto de 2019). Cuando se encuentran, las salamandras son perseguidas en Guatemala porque se cree que son venenosas (Taller de Evaluación de la Lista Roja de Guatemala, agosto de 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? | Unknown | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | Es necesario dar prioridad a investigaciones acerca de la disponibilidad de fundadores. |
| 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:
Acevedo, M. E. ; Chang, M.J. ; Dahinten B. H. ; López de Paz, E. ; Morales, J.R. ; Rivera, M. R. ; Ruano-Fajardo, G. ; Vázquez-Almazán, C. ; Zamora-Jerez, A. 2024. Conservation Needs Assessment for Bolitoglossa tzultacaj, Guatemala
(AArk/ASG Guatemala Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/7039
Accessed 01 Feb 2025
