Conservation Needs Assessment Summary

Pass Stubfoot Toad
(Atelopus senex)

Printable version Costa Rica, Assessed 17 Apr 2020

Assessment details

There is a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild. Species have been searched multiple times within its distribution range with Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo 2001 -2019, every year (Juan Abarca and Victor Acosta, pers. comm. September 2019). Species has been also survey outside the national park Braulio Carrillo, within the Parques nacionales Tapantí ad Orosi without luck in finding it (Kimberly Castro, Cachi, Jeremy Klan, Víctor Acosta) from 1900 - 2019.

It is likley that less than 50% of the individuals of this species are included within one or more well-managed or reliably protected areas. This species has disappeared from its entire range, but historically it occurred in humid montane forest in central Costa Rica in the Cordilleras Central and Salamanca. Species range is within Braulio Carrillo National Park and Parque Nacional Tapantí

It is unknown whether enough well-managed and reliably protected habitat exists, either within or outside of currently protected areas that is suitable for conservation translocation, including population restoration or conservation introduction. Braulio Carrillo National Park and Parque Nacional Tapantí

It is unlikely that any in situ conservation actions are in place for this species.

Either no knowledge about the threats to this species exists, or there is so little information known about the distribution of the species in the wild, that the threats cannot be determined. The major threat is likely to be chytridiomycosis, leading to a catastrophic population decline, as has occurred in many other montane species of Atelopus. Other threats to this species might include climate change, collecting for the pet trade, and possibly pollution. This species appears to have undergone rapid, dramatic declines across Costa Rica, including disappearances within undisturbed habitat, which has been associated with chytridiomycosis as observed in many other montane, steam-associated species across Mesoamerica. Climate change or the synergistic effects of multiple factors cannot be ruled out as playing a role in the declines (Costa Rica Red List Assessment Workshop September 2019).

This species is not suffering from over-collection within its natural range. Although it was formerly collected for the international pet trade.

It is likely that the known population of this species in the wild is too small to recover naturally, without ex situ intervention, even if threats are mitigated. It was formerly a common species up until 1985 (F. Bolanos pers. comm. Sept 2019), but underwent serious declines and disappeared from its historical sites between 1987 and 1988 (Savage 2002, Cossel Jr. and Kubicki 2017). Species have been searched multiple times within its distribution range with Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo 2001 -2019, every year (Juan Abarca and Victor Acosta, pers. comm. September 2019). Species has been also survey outside the national park Braulio Carrillo, within the Parques Nacionales Tapantí ad Orosi without luck in finding it (Kimberly Castro, Cachi, Jeremy Klan, Víctor Acosta) from 1900 - 2019. It is now declared Extinct throughout its range (CR workshop 2019)

A Species Action Plan does not exist for this species. But there is a general National Action Plan for threatened species of Costa Rica - 2007

If an ex situ rescue program is recommended for this species, an analog species would not be required to develop husbandry protocols first. Species is considered extinct

This species has not been held in captivity to date.

It is unlikely that sufficient animals would be available or potentially available to initiate an ex situ program, if one was recommended.