Globally Threatened Amphibian Species Part 1

Globally Threatened Amphibian Species 209
VU Centrolene geckoideum Jiménez de la Espada, 1872
Vulnerable A3c; B1ab(iii)
Order, Family: Anura, Centrolenidae
Country Distribution: Colombia, Ecuador
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
© Francisco José López-López
Geographic Range This species occurs in all three Cordilleras of Colombia from Antioquia, Caldas and Boyaca
Departments, south to the north-western Andean slopes of Ecuador in Carchi and Pichincha Provinces. It has been
recorded between 1,750 and 2,500m asl.
Population It is localized, but can be conspicuous in its microhabitat. In Ecuador, the population at Quebrada Zapadores
(Pichincha Province) appears to have disappeared.
Habitat and Ecology This species inhabits cloud forest, where it can be found on vegetation next to running water or
on rocks in streams and behind waterfalls. The eggs are placed on boulders in the splash zone of fast-flowing streams
and waterfalls. It is a very territorial species, and the males guard the eggs. It is very susceptible to deforestation,
and does not survive in degraded habitats.
Major Threats The major threat is habitat loss and deforestation, as a result of agricultural development (particularly
the planting of illegal crops), logging, and human settlement. Other threats include the introduction of alien predatory
fish in streams, and pollution resulting from the spraying of illegal crops. Like some other species in its family, it might
also be affected by the movement of the cloud layer up the mountain sides as a result of climate change, resulting
in reduced humidity within the altitudinal range of the species (probably exacerbated by habitat fragmentation).
Chytridiomycosis also cannot be ruled out as a potential threat.
Conservation Measures It occurs in several protected areas in Colombia, but none in Ecuador. Further introductions
of predatory alien fish should be prevented. The species is in need of close population monitoring given the
potential threat of chytridiomycosis.
Notes on taxonomy: In spite of its Amazonian type locality, this species is in fact known only from the Andes.
Bibliography: Acosta-Galvis, A.R. (2000), Goin, C.J. (1964), Grant, T., Bolivar-G., W. and Castro, F. (1998), Jiménez de la Espada, M.
(1872), Lynch, J.D., Ruiz-Carranza, P.M. and Rueda-Almonacid, J.V. (1983), Rueda-Almonacid, J.V. (1994a), Ruiz-Carranza, P.M. and Lynch,
J.D. (1991a), Ruiz-Carranza, P.M., Ardila-Robayo, M.C. and Lynch, J.D. (1996)
Data Providers: Wilmar Bolívar, Luis A. Coloma, Santiago Ron, Diego Cisneros-Heredia, Erik Wild, Mario Yánez-Muñoz
CR Centrolene gemmatum (Flores, 1985)
Critically Endangered B2ab(iii)
Order, Family: Anura, Centrolenidae
Country Distribution: Ecuador
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
© Luis A. Coloma
Geographic Range This species is known only from the type locality: San Francisco de Las Pampas, Cotopaxi
Province, Ecuador, at 1,800m asl.
Population It has not been found since it was first described in the early 1980s. Intensive searching at Bosque
Integral Otonga (near the type locality) has not turned up any individuals. However, the type region is large, and the
species might have been overlooked.
Habitat and Ecology It is found near streams in cloud forest. Reproduction is presumed to be via eggs laid on
vegetation, with the tadpoles developing in water.
Major Threats Habitat destruction and degradation, due to small-scale agriculture and subsistence wood collection,
is the primary threat to this species, but it might also have been impacted by chytridiomycosis.
Conservation Measures The species is not known to occur in any protected areas. Further survey work is required
to determine whether or not this species still survives.
Bibliography: Flores, G. (1985a), Ruiz-Carranza, P.M. and Lynch, J.D. (1991a)
Data Providers: Luis A. Coloma, Santiago Ron
CR Centrolene heloderma (Duellman, 1981)
Critically Endangered A2ac
Order, Family: Anura, Centrolenidae
Country Distribution: Colombia, Ecuador
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
© Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research
Center, University of Kansas
Geographic Range This species occurs on the western versant of the Cordillera Occidental in Colombia in Cauca,
Valle del Cauca and Risaralda Departments, south to the Tandayapa and Saloya Valleys, in Pichincha Province, Ecuador
(where it has been recorded from four localities). Its altitudinal range is 1,900-2,400m asl.
Population It has disappeared from all known localities in Ecuador, the most recent record dating back to March
1979, although they might occur elsewhere in this country. In Colombia, it is very rare, and was last recorded in 1996.
Overall, it appears to have undergone a serious decline.
Habitat and Ecology It inhabits the upper elevations of cloud forest, surviving only in mature forest. It breeds in
streams, with the eggs laid on leaves overhanging the water.
Major Threats The most likely cause of the severe decline of this species is the movement of the cloud layer up the
mountain sides as a result of climate change, resulting in reduced humidity within the altitudinal range of the species
(probably exacerbated by habitat fragmentation). Additional likely threats include: deforestation for agricultural
development (including illegal crops), fire, logging, and human settlement; introduction of alien predatory fish species
in streams; and pollution resulting from the spraying of illegal crops. Chytridiomycosis also cannot be ruled out.
Conservation Measures This species probably has been recorded in several protected areas in Colombia, but is
not recorded from any in Ecuador. Surveys are urgently needed to determine whether or not this species still survives,
and, if necessary, an ex-situ captive population should be established.
Bibliography: Duellman, W.E. (1981), Ruiz-Carranza, P.M. and Lynch, J.D. (1991a), Ruiz-Carranza, P.M., Ardila-Robayo, M.C. and Lynch,
J.D. (1996)
Data Providers: Luis A. Coloma, Santiago Ron, Diego Cisneros-Heredia, Taran Grant, Wilmar Bolívar
VU Centrolene hesperium (Cadle and McDiarmid, 1990)
Vulnerable B1ab(iii)
Order, Family: Anura, Centrolenidae
Country Distribution: Peru
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Geographic Range This species is known only from forested
slopes at elevations of 1,500-1,800m asl on the Pacific versant of
the Cordillera Central in the department of Cajamarca in northern
Peru. Its range is incompletely known, and it presumably occurs
much more widely, but nevertheless probably has a somewhat
restricted distribution.
Population It is believed to be a common species; the type series
is represented by 67 specimens.
Habitat and Ecology Associated with streams in montane forest.
At night, individuals were perched on the upper surfaces of leaves
over streams; others were observed during the day resting vertically
on upper leaf surfaces over streams where breeding occurred. Eggs
are deposited on leaves above permanent and temporary streams,
and larvae develop in the streams. It is not known if the species can
adapt to modified habitats.
Major Threats The threats to the species are not well known. It is
probably susceptible to localized habitat loss as a result of livestock farming and selective wood extraction. It might
also be vulnerable to the effects of localized climate change and infection with the chytrid fungus.
Conservation Measures It is not known to occur in any protected areas, and there is clearly a need for improved
habitat protection of sites at which this species is known to occur. Further research is needed to help better understand
the threats to this species, and close monitoring of the population is recommended given the potential risk
of chytridiomycosis.
Bibliography: Cadle, J.E. and McDiarmid, R.W. (1990), Rodríguez, L.O., Cordova, J.H. and Icochea, J. (1993)
Data Providers: Lily Rodríguez, Jorge Luis Martinez, César Aguilar Puntriano, Daniel Neira, Edgar Lehr