Assessment Results
Question # | Short Name | Question Text | Response | Comments |
1 | Extinction risk | Current IUCN Red List category. [Data obtained from the IUCN Red List.] | Endangered (EN) | |
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? | Yes / probably | Most of this species' range occurs within Table Mountain National Park. |
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 | Table Mountain National Park would be the location for release. |
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 | An intensive monitoring program has been in existence for this species since 2019. Research and monitoring are being carried out to estimate population size through occupancy modeling, and to establish whether there is connectivity between streams using genetic analyses.?Each stream is also being systematically surveyed over their entire lengths to record presence/absences. The monitoring of tadpole populations and threats to stream habitat will continue. |
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 | High priorities for action relate to rehabilitation of Cecelia Gorge by SANParks, improvement of water quality in Skeleton Gorge, and setting ecological reserves (including improvement of stream habitats below water abstraction points) for Nursery and Windows Gorges. |
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 recommendations are outlined in Weeber et al. 2023. |
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 | The main threats are the spread of alien vegetation and the presence of water storage reservoirs on the mountain, which can affect the consistency of stream-flow. Soil erosion caused by human pedestrian traffic on hiking paths may be a threat around some of the streams (Skelton Gorge and Nursery Ravine). Water abstraction from Windows Gorge by Kirstenbosch Gardens has resulted in 150 m of habitat loss below the abstraction point and limits the vertical movement of tadpoles in summer when abstraction occurs. Species relies on the protection of the national park. |
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 | |
13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | Yes - completed | By Joshua Weeber. |
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? | Yes | Everyone in Cape Town knows and loves this species--it is the textbook example of Table Mountain diversity/endemism. A very pretty species, it is named after Skeleton Gorge, which is believed to have ghosts. |
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 | Yes, Heleophryne purcelli would likely be a good analog candidate for this species. |
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 | A beautiful and well-known species, especially around Cape Town. This is a perfect species to explain the conservation threats for frogs, and it ticks all of the threat boxes: climate change, fire, habitat loss via urbanization and invasive species. It is also an EDGE 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? | Unknown | There are likely enough founders, but collecting enough would almost certainly negatively impact the wild population. |
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:
Josh Weeber, Krystal Tolley, Andrew Turner, John Measey 2024. Conservation Needs Assessment for Heleophryne rosei, South Africa
(AArk/ASG Southern Africa Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/7145
Accessed 24 Jan 2025