Title
The population decline of Atelopus quimbaya (Anura: Bufonidae) in the Andes of Colombia.
Author(s)
Gómez-Hoyos, Diego A. ;Cardona, William ;González-Durán, Gustavo A. ;Flechas, Sandra Victoria ;Kattan, Gustavo H. ;Velasco, Julian A.
Published
2018
Publisher
Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología
Abstract
The Quimbaya toad, Atelopus quimbaya, is a small bufonid endemic to the Central Andes in Colombia and it is categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Here, we report all the historical sightings and recent extensive surveys conducted by us in three historical localities where the Quimbaya toad was reported. The last observations of the Quimbaya toad were between 1994 and 1997 in these three localities. Although we conducted three extensive surveys during several years (2003-2004, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012), we cannot detect any individual, nor eggs or tadpoles, of this species. We discuss potential drivers of population decline for this species in the region and we recommend that this species should be declared as Extinct. We suspect that a combination of stressors including invasive trout (rainbow trout), diseases and climatic variability played a role in driving extinction of this species. The Quimbaya toad, Atelopus quimbaya, is a small bufonid endemic to the Andes in Colombia and categorized as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature -IUCN-. Here, we report the historical sightings and recent surveys conducted by us in three localities where the Quimbaya toad has been recorded in the past. The last records of the Quimbaya toad were in 1994-1997 at these three localities. Although we conducted extensive sampling recently (years 2003-2004, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012) no Quimbaya toad was detected, as well as no eggs or tadpoles. We discuss potential extinction risk factors that led to the population decline of this species in the region and suggest that this species be declared as probably extinct. However, we recommend that biological monitoring continue in the region in order to record populations in new localities and to confirm the presence and prevalence of the chytrid fungus in the region. We do not have substantial evidence to establish the factors that probably led to the population collapse of this species.
Keywords
Colombia;Extinction;Harlequin frog;Amphibians;Andes;Rana arlequín;Anfibios

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