Near Threatened Amphibian Species - Amphibian Specialist Group

628Threatened Amphibians of the Worldnot be able to persist for long in such situations). Breeding takes place in very small temporary puddles. The majorthreat to this species is the loss of forest habitat due to agricultural development, logging and expanding humansettlements. It probably occurs in all of the forested protected areas within its range.Bibliography: Guibé, J. and Lamotte, M. (1963), Hughes, B. (1988), Rödel, M.-O. (2000b), Rödel, M.-O. (2003), Rödel, M.-O. et al. (2005),Rödel, M.-O. and Bangoura, M.A. (2004), Rödel, M.-O. and Branch, W.R. (2002), Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. (2002a), Rödel, M.-O. andErnst, R. (2003), Schiøtz, A. (1963), Schiøtz, A. (1964a)Data Providers: Mark-Oliver Rödel, Arne SchiøtzPhrynobatrachus guineensis Guibé and Lamotte, 1962This species occurs in the western Upper Guinea forest zone of West Africa, in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia,and western Côte d’Ivoire, up to approximately 1,000m asl. It is a common species in suitable habitats. It is restrictedto the drier parts of primary rainforest, where it is an arboreal species usually found low in the trees. It breeds by larvaldevelopment in tree holes, and also in empty nuts, snail shells, and other tiny waterbodies. Eggs are attached to thebark of the tree or the top of a shell or similar, above the water, and they then hatch four to five days later and thelarvae drop into the water below where they complete their development. This species is adversely affected by theloss of forest habitat due to agricultural development, logging and expanding human settlements. Some populationsmight also be affected by mining activities. It occurs in Taï National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) and the Mount Nimba WorldHeritage Site (Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire).Taxonomy: This form consists of two separate species (M.-O. Rödel pers. comm.).Bibliography: Guibé, J. and Lamotte, M. (1961), Guibé, J. and Lamotte, M. (1963), Lamotte, M. (1971), Rödel, M.-O. (1998), Rödel, M.-O.(2000b), Rödel, M.-O. and Branch, W.R. (2002), Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. (2002a), Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. (2002b), Rudolf, V.H.W. andRödel, M.-O. (2005), Schiøtz, A. (1964a), Schiøtz, A. (1964b)Data Providers: Mark-Oliver Rödel, Arne SchiøtzPhrynobatrachus liberiensis (Barbour and Loveridge, 1927)This species is confined to the upper Guinea forest zone of West Africa in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, Côted’Ivoire and south-western Ghana. It probably occurs up to at least 1,000m asl, and perhaps even higher. It is a verycommon species in suitable habitats. It is found only in forest, mostly in primary but sometimes also in secondary forest,and is usually associated with swampy areas, breeding in small forest streams. It is adversely affected by the loss offorest habitat due to agricultural development, logging and expanding human settlements. Some populations mightalso be affected by mining activities. It occurs in Taï National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), the Mount Nimba World HeritageSite (Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire), Kakoum National Park (Ghana), and in several other protected areas.Taxonomy: This species is sometimes included in the genus Cardioglossa in the family Arthroleptidae, but it apparently belongs in thegenus Phrynobatrachus in the family Petropeditidae (M.-O. Rödel pers. comm.).Bibliography: Guibé, J. and Lamotte, M. (1963), Rödel, M.-O. (2000b), Rödel, M.-O. (2003), Rödel, M.-O. et al. (2005), Rödel, M.-O.and Bangoura, M.A. (2004), Rödel, M.-O. and Branch, W.R. (2002), Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. (2002a), Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. (2003),Schiøtz, A. (1964a), Schiøtz, A. (1964b)Data Providers: Mark-Oliver Rödel, Arne SchiøtzPhrynobatrachus phyllophilus Rödel and Ernst, 2002This species ranges from central Sierra Leone, through Liberia and southern Guinea, to south-western Côte d’Ivoire.It probably occurs up to at least 1,000m asl, and perhaps even higher. It is a very common species, more so thanPhrynobatrachus guineensis with which it has been confused. It lives in swampy parts of primary rainforest, anddoes not survive in secondary habitats. It deposits its eggs terrestrially close to water, and the larvae develop inextremely small puddles. It is adversely affected by the loss of forest habitat due to agricultural development, loggingand expanding human settlements. Some populations might also be affected by mining activities. It occurs in severalprotected areas, including Taï National Park and Mont Péko National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), and Mount Nimba WorldHeritage Site (Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire).Bibliography: Rödel, M.-O. and Bangoura, M.A. (2004), Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. (2002a), Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. (2003)Data Providers: Mark-Oliver RödelPoyntonia paludicola Channing and Boycott, 1989This species occurs only in the southern part of the Hottentots Holland and Kogelberg Mountains complex, and theKlein River Mountains, in the south-western part of Western Cape Province, South Africa, from 200-1,800m asl. It isa common species. It inhabits mountain fynbos heathland, and is restricted to areas with high rainfall (2,000-3,000mmof rain per year). It breeds in shallow streams and seepages. The main threats to this species are the spread of alienspecies (pines in particular), afforestation, construction of dams, and too frequent fires. However, these threats arebelieved to be relatively minor. All populations recorded to date have been found in protected areas.Bibliography: Channing, A. (2001), Channing, A. and Boycott, R.C. (1989), Minter, L.R. et al. (2004)Data Providers: Leslie Minter, Alan Channing, James HarrisonPIPIDAEXenopus amietiKobel, du Pasquier, Fischberg and Gloor, 1980VOLCANO CLAWED FROGThis species is known only from highland areas of western Cameroon, in particular from Mount Manenguba and theBamileke and Bamenda Plateaus. Specific localities include Mount Manenguba (1,900m asl), the Mifi -Noun Rivernear Galim (1,100m asl), Mbouda (1,400m asl), Tadu (near Mount Oku), Ber, Nkoutoupi, Nchoupa, and Bangourain. Itis probable that specimens from Manengole (600-700m asl) and Bangwa (1,400-1,500m asl) belong to this species.It is a poorly known species, but it has been found to be abundant at least on Mount Manenguba and at Galim. It isprobably generally abundant in the Cameroonian highlands. It is water-dependent and has been found in a shallowcrater lake overgrown with grass, in a swamp, and in artificial fishponds, generally in areas of montane grasslandand pastureland. It breeds in still water, and migrates for short distances over land outside the breeding season. It isharvested locally, and some of its habitats might be under threat from expanding agriculture, overgrazing by livestock,and human settlements. However, it does appear to be capable of colonising artificial habitats, and it can co-existwith at least some introduced fish species. It is not known to occur in any protected areas.Taxonomy: This species is a tetraploid species (Kobel et al. 1980).Bibliography: Amiet, J.-L. (1975), Böhme, W. and Schneider, B. (1987), Joger, U. (1982), Kobel, H.R. et al. (1980), Kobel, H.R., Barundun,B. and Thiebaud, C.H. (1998), Loumont, C. and Kobel, H.R. (1991), Mann, M. et al. (1982), Tinsley, R.C. and Kobel, H.R. (1996)Data Providers: Richard Tinsley, John MeaseyAmolops chapaensis (Bourret, 1937)RANIDAEThis species is known from Hekou and Luchun Counties in south Yunnan Province, China (where Zhao and Adler(1993) referred to it under its Amolops macrorhynchus synonym), from Sa Pa in extreme northern Viet Nam (Bourret1942), and from the extreme northern Annamite Mountains (S. Swan pers. comm.) of Viet Nam. It is likely that thisspecies occurs more widely than current records suggest. It has been recorded from 800-1,700m asl. In China thisspecies is considered to be rare, but in Viet Nam it has been observed to be abundant during the breeding season(S. Swan pers. comm.). It is found in clear, swift-moving streams, and on the ground in closed-canopy primary forestup to four metres from water. It inhabits waterfalls during breeding. The integrity of the type locality, Sa Pa, is undersome threat from forest clearance and tourist infrastructure development (BirdLife International 2001). Within itsrange in China there is very little habitat destruction and degradation, which is now only taking place in the reservebuffer zones. Its range includes three protected areas in Viet Nam, and in China it occurs in Huangliangshan andDaweishan National Nature Reserves. Ensuring that socio-economic and tourist developments at Sa Pa do not impactthe ecological viability of the area would be a primary conservation objective.Taxonomy: This species was placed in the genus Amolops by Dubois (1986).Bibliography: Birdlife International (2001), Bourret, R. (1942), Dubois, A. (1987), Dubois, A. (1992), MacKinnon, J. et al. (1996), Ohler,A. et al. (2000), Yang, D.-T. (1991b)Data Providers: Peter Paul van Dijk, Nguyen Quang Truong, Annemarie Ohler, Lu Shunqing, Yang DatongAmolops cremnobatus Inger and Kottelat, 1998This species is known from three localities in north-central Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Inger and Kottelat 1998;B. Stuart pers. comm.), and from four localities in Viet Nam: Huong Son in Ha Tinh Province, Cha Lo in Quang BinhProvince, and Pu Hoat and Pu Mat, both in Nghe An Province. It has been recorded from 200-1,300m asl. It is commonin suitable habitat. It lives on boulders and rock faces along stream cascades and waterfalls in evergreen forestand tolerates some degree of habitat disturbance (Inger and Kottelat 1998; Stuart 1999). This is a stream-breedingspecies that might be threatened by habitat loss due to logging and infrastructure development, but is particularlysensitive to changes in water quality and flow. The range of this species in Viet Nam includes Nakai-Nam TheunNational Biodiversity Conservation Area.Bibliography: Inger, R.F. and Kottelat, M. (1998), Stuart, B.L. (1999)Data Providers: Nguyen Quang Truong, Raoul Bain, Bryan StuartAmolops hongkongensis (Pope and Romer, 1951)This species is known from coastal southern China including Fujian, Guangdong and Hong Kong, from 150-700m asl,though it probably occurs more widely. It is a common species. It is an inhabitant of forest-fringed, small hill streams,particularly those with cascades. The major threats to this species are habitat destruction and degradation caused byagriculture, clear cutting, and the construction of hydroelectric plants. Most of the range of the Hong Kong populationis within protected areas, and it is also protected in Hong Kong under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance. Atleast one population in mainland China occurs in Neilingdinghu Nature Reserve.Taxonomy: Amolops daiyunensis is considered a synonym here following the taxonomy of Yang (1991a), rather than Fei (1999).Bibliography: Fei, L. et al. (1999), Karsen, S.J., Lau, M.W.-N. and Bogadek, A. (1998), Lau, M.W.N. (1997), Lau, M.W.N. (1998),MacKinnon, J. et al. (1996), Yang, D.-T. (1991a)Data Providers: Geng Baorong, Bosco ChanAmolops lifanensis (Liu, 1945)This species is confined to Li County and Maoxian County, and might also occur in Wenchuan County, in central SichuanProvince, China, from 1,300-2,350m asl. It is a common species with a stable population within its small range. Itlives in and along streams in forests, and breeds in streams. This species is locally threatened by dam construction.Part of its range might fall within Wolong Biosphere Reserve.Bibliography: Fei, L. et al. (1999), Liu, C.C. (1950), MacKinnon, J. et al. (1996)Data Providers: Fei Liang, Li ChengAmolops viridimaculatus (Jiang, 1983)This species is known from western Yunnan Province in the Gaoligongshan area, and Wuliangshan in central YunnanProvince, China, and from one location (Fan Si Pan Mountain) in northern Viet Nam (Ohler 2000). It has also recentlybeen recorded from Dzuna, in Nagaland, India. It is also likely to occur in Myanmar but there are as yet no confi rmedrecords. It is likely to occur a little more widely than current records suggest. In China it has been recorded from1,400-2,350m asl, and the one known locality in Viet Nam is at 1,750m asl. In China this species is uncommon, whilein Viet Nam only one specimen was collected in 1997 and no other individuals were sighted at the time (S. Swanpers. comm.). In China this species is known from hill streams in forest, and in Viet Nam the only record is from alarge stream with boulders in montane forest. Breeding takes place in streams. This species is threatened by smallscaleagricultural development, and dam construction. In China this species occurs in Gaoligongshan National NatureReserve (which is not well protected), and Wuliangshan National Nature Reserve (which is well protected). In VietNam it occurs in Hoang Lien Son National Park. It is protected by national legislation in India.Bibliography: Ao, J.M., Bordoloi, S. and Ohler, A. (2003), Fei, L. et al. (1999), MacKinnon, J. et al. (1996), Ohler, A. et al. (2000), Yang,D.-T. (1991a)Data Providers: Annemarie Ohler, Steven Swan, Lu Shunqing, Yang DatongChaparana quadranus (Liu, Hu and Yang, 1960)This species is endemic to central China, and has been recorded from 500-2,000m asl. It is a common species althoughsome populations have experienced declines. It is an inhabitant of forest and shrubland, and breeds in hill streamsby larval development. The most important threat to this species is over-collecting for food, although water pollutioncaused by the mining industry is also a threat. There are many protected areas within the range of this species. It isnecessary to ensure that the offtake of this species from the wild is managed sustainably.Bibliography: Chen, B. et al. (1991), Fei, L. et al. (1999), Liu, C.-C., Hu, S.-Q. and Yang, F.H. (1960), MacKinnon, J. et al. (1996), Ye,C.-Y, Fei, L. and Hu, S.Q. (1993)Data Providers: Li Pipeng, Zhao WengeLanzarana largeni (Lanza, 1978)This species is endemic to Somalia. Most records are from the south of the country in Bakool and Bay Provinces. Ithas also been recorded near the coast, north of Mogadishu, at Bud Bud in Galguduud Province, and near Garoowe