News
Ex-situ breeding program seeks to rescue Andean poison dart frog population from extinction in Ecuador
Cuenca, Ecuador (15 March 2010) -- Fundación Cordillera Tropical reports that in January of 2010 an ongoing research project by Alejandro Arteaga, a biology student at the Catholic University in Quito, identified two additional individuals of a critically endangered Andean poison dart frog, Hyloxalus anthracinus, in the montane forests of southern Sangay National Park. This represents only the second sighting of the species since Arteaga first discovered an individual in the same area in June of 2009; until then the frog was thought to be extinct, having last been recorded in 1995 in the Mazan Protected Forest near Cuenca.
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Andean poison dart frog |
The Andean poison dart frog was rare even before scientists believed it extinct; until now the species has been reported in only six areas of Ecuador, in evergreen montane forests at altitudes between 2710 and 3500 meters. Arteaga’s are the only registered sightings of the frog in the southern zone of Sangay National Park, a protected area of more than 502,000 hectares located in the provinces of Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Cañar, and Morona Santiago. According to the Red List of Amphibians of Ecuador, the Andean poison dart frog is considered “critically endangered”, and without extensive conservation efforts could go extinct in as little as five to ten years.
This frog species may be particularly vulnerable to extinction because of its life cycle: its larvae are aquatic and must develop in permanent cold water streams. A 2005 study by Martin Bustamante, an Ecuadorian amphibian expert, found that of 33 frog species with aquatic larvae in Ecuador examined, 73% are suffering population declines.
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Mountain stream where frog lives |
Bustamante proposes that chytridiomycosis, a high-mortality amphibian disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, may be a principal factor in these losses. The chytrid fungus has become more prevalent in the Andes in the last decade, for unknown reasons; some scientists believe that its spread has accelerated naturally, while others postulate that rising temperatures have provided ideal conditions for chytrid growth, and predict that future climate change will exacerbate declines. Habitat loss is another major concern for the survival of amphibian populations, and its prevention will be critical to efforts to protect species like the Andean poison dart frog.
Currently, scientists are attempting to maximize the Andean poison dart frog’s chance of survival on an ex situ, or off-site conservation program, with the goal of providing species-level recovery to support simultaneous habitat restoration efforts. The two individuals recently found by Arteaga, a male and a female, were brought to the Catholic University in Quito to begin a healthy, protected population wherein sexually mature frogs can be bred with the goal of possible reintroduction into the wild. The Catholic University scientists also plan to use this program to educate the public about amphibian conservation.
The dramatic population decline of the Andean poison dart frog makes ex situ conservation strategies such as the Catholic University’s breeding program imperative for long-term species survival. However, the establishment of a healthy ex situ population must be accompanied by efforts to protect remaining habitat. Fundación Cordillera Tropical’s commitment to develop science-based conservation strategies that assist local communities in their stewardship of southern Sangay National Park will be essential in ensuring the long-term protection of amphibians and other species in this region. While more individuals are required to achieve a healthy population for reintroduction, these two frogs provide hope for a rapidly disappearing species.
Scientists discover andean poison dart frog believed extinct since 1995
Cuenca, Ecuador (23 September 2009) – Fundación Cordillera Tropical announces that during a recent inventory scientists discovered a high-altitude Andean poison dart frog, believed to have been extinct, in southern Sangay National Park, Ecuador. Alejandro Arteaga, a biology student at the Catholic University of Quito, recorded an individual of the species Hyloxalus anthracinus (common name Andean poison dart frog or high altitude rocket frog) during a recent inventory of reptiles and amphibians. According to Eduardo Toral and Manuel Morales, biologists at the Catholic University of Quito, this species was last recorded on June 11, 1995, in the Mazan Protected Forest of Cajas National Park. This and other frog species have experienced population declines in recent years, which scientists believe is principally due to habitat loss and the spread of an amphibian fungal disease known as quitridiomicosis.
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Andean poison dart frog |
Arteaga’s inventory took place in June and July 2009 and was directed by Stuart White, General Coordinator of FCT. Arteaga recorded nine frog species in total, primarily of the genus Pristimantis (“robber frog”). This diversity, and the rediscovery of H. anthracinus, is not that surprising given the region's biodiversity. White notes that in 2002, biologists from the Catholic University of Quito discovered two species of frogs new to science in the same area. As White puts it, “The eastern cloud forests of Sangay National Park harbor an impressive variety of species: spectacled bear, puma, margay, mountain tapir, Andean wax-palm, giant Podocarpus trees, and now this high altitude rocket frog, all of which are threatened to some degree. This combination of biodiversity and vulnerability begs further research and greater conservation efforts.”
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San Lucas marsupial frog |
H. anthracinus was rare even before scientists believed it extinct; until now the species has been reported in only six areas of Ecuador, including the Mazan Protected Forest, at altitudes between 2710-3500m. Arteaga’s is the first registered sighting of the frog in the southern zone of Sangay National Park, a protected area of more than 502,000 hectares located in the Ecuadorian provinces of Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Cañar, and Morona Santiago. In spite of its recent rediscovery, H. anthracinus will continue to be listed as “Critically Threatened” on the Red List of Amphibians of Ecuador.
The Tropical Andes, including the forests and páramos of Sangay National Park, are believed to harbor the greatest frog diversity in the world. Among other distinctions, this fact gives rise to the region’s designation as a biodiversity “hotspot”: an area of the planet with high biodiversity that is also threatened with the loss of at least 70% of its native vegetation. In the Tropical Andes alone there are 363 threatened amphibian species. Habitat loss is one of the main factors in the worldwide population decline of many animal species.
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Thickskin robber frog |
The Ecuadorian Andes, despite their location in the Tropical Andes hotspot, are poorly studied. The paucity of wildlife studies conducted in this region was what prompted the species inventory conducted by Arteaga and FCT. Catherine Schloegel, biologist and Executive Director of FCT, summarizes, “There have been significant declines in frog populations in tropical montane zones ever since 1980. This discovery is very important because it establishes the presence of Hyloxalus anthracinus in the eastern montane forest, and underlines the importance of conducting further studies in the area to ensure conservation of this and other species.
Photos capture images of elusive Andean bear
Cuenca, Ecuador (March 2009) – The Andean bear lives amid the misty treetops of the
Tropical Andes. It is South America's only bear species and can be recognized by its characteristic white “spectacles”. Atop arboreal tree platforms, the 300 to 600 pound bears subsist primarily on bromeliads, orchids and fruiting plants of the tropical montane cloud forest. To catch a glimpse of this hidden giant is rare.
Andean bears once roamed from Bolivia through Colombia, but today habitat destruction and increasing human/wildlife conflicts threaten the survival of this species. Currently only eight protected areas in South America are considered to contain sufficient high quality bear habitat (> 1,900 km2) to sustain viable populations. Sangay National Park, covering 517,765 hectares, in southern Ecuador is one of the largest of these protected areas containing a significant bear population. Nevertheless, the park's limited budget has hindered abilities to protect this species. In Ecuador the bear is listed as endangered.
Investigating bear habitat requirements
Becky Zug, candidate for a Master's of Science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, is
investigating how bears use páramo and montane forest habitats on privately-owned land. For 5 months, she monitored 17 remote-sensored cameras that were placed in a 5,000 hectare area in the Mazar watershed within southern Sangay National Park. Camera traps have only recently be used to study Andean bears. The cameras captured bears, pumas, white-tailed deer, red brocket deer, and margays. A second field season will seek to identify individual resident and transient bears by Taylor Jones also based at the Carnivore Coexistence Lab. This work has been largely funded by the Land Tenure Center through a grant from USAID and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Understanding human-wildlife conflicts
Lucas Achig, candidate for a Master's of Science at the National University of Costa Rica, and biologist Vinicio Santillán recently completed a 6-month study of bear/cattle conflicts in the Cooperative of Colepato. Following interviews with over 50% of the households, Lucas and Vinicio found that local residents had identified two types of bears, “el huagrero” y “el huicundero”, distinguishing the larger male bears from the smaller female ones. Visits to the sites of the attacks coupled with in-depth personal interviews identified preliminary measures to lessen cattle/bear conflicts and hopefully prevent future acts of retaliation.
Protecting remaining habitat
FCT is incorporating the results of this robust natural and social science toward a pilot conservation program on private lands. The program targets areas of important bear habitat for immediate conservation.