Globally Threatened Amphibian Species Part 1

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Threatened Amphibians of the World
EN Colostethus ruthveni Kaplan, 1997
Endangered B1ab(iii)
Order, Family: Anura, Dendrobatidae
Country Distribution: Colombia
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
© Taran Grant
Geographic Range This species is known from the lower slopes of the north-western portion of the Sierra Nevada
de Santa Marta, in Magdalena Department, Colombia. It occurs between 680 and 1,540m asl.
Population It is a common species.
Habitat and Ecology It occurs along streams in cloud forest and dry tropical forests near the Caribbean coast. The
eggs are laid in bromeliads, and the larvae are then carried on the back of the adults to water where they develop
further.
Major Threats The major threat is habitat loss and degradation due to agriculture, involving both crops and livestock,
as well as logging, agricultural pollution, and infrastructure development.
Conservation Measures The species occurs in Parque Nacional Natural Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and in the
adjacent, recently established El Dorado Nature Reserve.
Bibliography: Kaplan, M. (1997)
Data Providers: John Lynch, Martha Patricia Ramírez Pinilla, Mariela Osorno-Muñoz, Jose Vicente Rueda, Adolfo Amézquita, María
Cristina Ardila-Robayo
EN Colostethus saltuensis Rivero, 1978
Endangered B1ab(iii)
Order, Family: Anura, Dendrobatidae
Country Distribution: Venezuela
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
© Conservacion Internacional-Colombia
Geographic Range Until recently, this species was only known from the type locality at 830m asl, on the road from
La Fria tio Michelena, in Táchira State, Venezuela. However, another population was found close by at a slightly
higher elevation (about 1,500m asl).
Population It is not a common species; some populations are still found along the Andean piedmont facing Lake
Maracaibo.
Habitat and Ecology It occurs in humid lower montane Andean forests. The eggs are laid on land and the male
protects the eggs until they hatch when he carries the larvae on his back to water, where they develop further.
Major Threats The main threat is habitat loss and degradation due to agriculture, involving both crops and livestock,
as well as logging, water pollution, and infrastructure development for human settlement.
Conservation Measures It does not occur in any protected areas, and some form of formal protection is urgently
required to conserve the habitat of this species.
Bibliography: Barrio Amorós, C.L. (2004), La Marca, E. (1992), La Marca, E. (1997), Rivero, J.A. (1978)
Data Providers: Enrique La Marca, Juan Elías García-Pérez
EN Colostethus toachi Coloma, 1995
Endangered B1ab(iii)
Order, Family: Anura, Dendrobatidae
Country Distribution: Ecuador
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
© Mario Humberto Yánez-Muñoz
Geographic Range This species is known from nine localities in north-western Ecuador, from elevations of 200-
1,410m asl.
Population It is a locally common species.
Habitat and Ecology It occurs in humid tropical forest and very humid premontane forest (Coloma 1995), as well
as lowland grasslands. It lays its eggs on land in leaf-litter or under rocks, and the larvae are then carried to water
by the adults, where they develop further.
Major Threats The major threat is habitat loss and degradation due to agriculture, for both crops and livestock, as
well as logging and agricultural pollution.
Conservation Measures Its range overlaps with the Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas.
Bibliography: Coloma, L.A. (1995), Morales, M. et al. (2002)
Data Providers: Diego Cisneros-Heredia, Ana Almandáriz, Mario Yánez-Muñoz, Luis A. Coloma, Santiago Ron
VU Colostethus vergeli (Hellmich, 1940)
Vulnerable D2
Order, Family: Anura, Dendrobatidae
Country Distribution: Colombia
Current Population Trend: Stable
© Fundación ProAves / www.proaves.org
Geographic Range This species occurs on the western flank of the Cordillera Oriental, in Fusagasuga, Cundinamarca
Department, and Icononso, Tolima Department, Colombia, at 1,500-1,800m asl.
Population It is known to be an abundant species, although no one has looked for it since 1994.
Habitat and Ecology It occurs near streams in cloud forest, and seems able to tolerate some minor habitat disturbance.
The eggs are laid on land, and the males carry the tadpoles to streams where they develop further.
Major Threats There are no current known threats to this species, and it is somewhat resilient to habitat disturbance.
Nonetheless, its small range renders it susceptible to stochastic threatening processes.
Conservation Measures It does not occur in any protected areas. The species requires close population monitoring
given its very restricted range.
Notes on taxonomy: This species was considered a synonym of Colostethus fuliginosus by Edwards (1974b).
Bibliography: Edwards, S.R. (1971), Edwards, S.R. (1974a), Rivero, J.A. and Serna, M.A. (1988), Ruiz-Carranza, P.M., Ardila-Robayo,
M.C. and Lynch, J.D. (1996)
Data Providers: Adolfo Amézquita, Jose Vicente Rueda