Advertisement call of a population of the nurse frog Leucostethus fraterdanieli (Anura: Dendrobatidae), with notes on its natural history

We describe the advertisement call of seven males and observations on the natural history related to the parental attention by males, of a population of nurse frogs attributed to the Leucostethus fraterdanieli complex from the Central Cordillera in the Department of Caldas, Colombia. The advertisement call consists of a long sequence of repeated (x̅ = 143 notes.min-1) pulsed notes, which have an average duration of 79 ± 17 ms (range 63-122 ms), separated by time intervals between 187-413 ms (289 ± 67 ms). The dominant frequency values are in the range between 3209-3520 Hz. Our results suggest differences in temporal and spectral parameters between the population studied and other populations assigned to L. fraterdanieli, L. brachistriatus, and the recently described L. jota.

Response to Comment on "Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity"

Lambert et al question our retrospective and holistic epidemiological assessment of the role of chytridiomycosis in amphibian declines. Their alternative assessment is narrow and provides an incomplete evaluation of evidence. Adopting this approach limits understanding of infectious disease impacts and hampers conservation efforts. We reaffirm that our study provides unambiguous evidence that chytridiomycosis has affected at least 501 amphibian species.

The voice from the hereafter: vocalisations in three species of Atelopus from the Venezuelan Andes, likely to be extinct

Atelopus is a species-rich group of Neotropical bufonids. Present knowledge on bioacoustics in this genus is relatively poor, as vocalisations have been described in only about one fifth of the ca. 100 species known. All studied members of the genus produce vocalisations although, with a few exceptions, most species lack a middle ear. Nonetheless, hearing has been demonstrated even in earless Atelopus making bioacoustics in these toads an inspiring research field. So far, three structural call types have been identified in the genus. As sympatry is uncommon in Atelopus, calls of the same type often vary little between species. Based on recordings from the 1980s, we describe vocalisations of three Venezuelan species (A. carbonerensis, A. mucubajiensis, A. tamaense) from the Cordillera de Mérida, commonly known as the Andes of Venezuela and the Tamá Massif, a Venezuelan spur of the Colombian Cordillera Oriental. Vocalisations correspond, in part, to the previously identified call types in Atelopus. Evaluation of the vocalisations of the three species presented in this study leads us to recognise a fourth structural call type for the genus. With this new addition, the Atelopus acoustic repertoire now includes (1) pulsed calls, (2) pure tone calls, (3) pulsed short calls and (4) pure tone short calls. The call descriptions provided here are valuable contributions to the bioacoustics of these Venezuelan Atelopus species, since all of them have experienced dramatic population declines that limit possibilities of further studies.

Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity

Anthropogenic trade and development have broken down dispersal barriers, facilitating the spread of diseases that threaten Earth's biodiversity. We present a global, quantitative assessment of the amphibian chytridiomycosis panzootic, one of the most impactful examples of disease spread, and demonstrate its role in the decline of at least 501 amphibian species over the past half-century, including 90 presumed extinctions. The effects of chytridiomycosis have been greatest in large-bodied, range-restricted anurans in wet climates in the Americas and Australia. Declines peaked in the 1980s, and only 12% of declined species show signs of recovery, whereas 39% are experiencing ongoing decline. There is risk of further chytridiomycosis outbreaks in new areas. The chytridiomycosis panzootic represents the greatest recorded loss of biodiversity attributable to a disease.

New record and range extension of the Horned Toad, Rhinella ceratophrys (Boulenger, 1882) (Anura: Bufonidae), in Venezuela, and confirmation of its presence in Brazil

The Horned Toad, Rhinella ceratophrys, is widely distributed in the northwestern part of the Amazon region. It is known from Venezuela by only a single juvenile from the base of Cerro Marahuaca, Amazonas state. Herein we report four additional specimens from Venezuela: three juveniles also from Cerro Marahuaca, and a subadult female from the southern slopes of Cerro La Neblina, at the southern border of Amazonas state. The specimen from Cerro La Neblina extends the species distribution to the extreme south of Venezuelan Amazonia, 307 km south of Marahuaca, and it represents the southeasternmost record of the species. We also confirm the presence of R. ceratophrys in Brazil based on voucher specimens, and present an updated distribution map.

Una nueva especie de <i>Tepuihyla</i> (Anura: HyUdae) del noroeste de Venezuela, con comentarios sobre su biogeografía

Se describe una nueva especie de rana arborícola, Tepuihyla celsae (Hylidae), proveniente del bosque nublado (1250 m) de la Sierra de San Luis. Estado Falcón. noroeste de Vene7uela. Esta nueva especie se distingue de sus congéneres principalmente por el color dorsal castaño oscuro con unas pocas manchas blancas pequeñas y dispersas, labio superior blanco inmaculado, piel dorsal densamente tuberculosa en ambos sexos, distancia ojo-narina más corta que la longitud horizontal del ojo, dedos de la mano sin membrana, membrana axilar ausente. Esta nueva Tepuihyla representa el registro más septentrional del género, aportando evidencias para establecer una afinidad biogeográfica del conjunto Sierra de San Luís y Cordillera de la Costa con la región guyano-amazónica.

The impact of conservation on the status of the world's vertebrates

Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups: agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species.

Widespread amphibian extinctions from epidemic disease driven by global warming

As the Earth warms, many species are likely to disappear, often because of changing disease dynamics. Here we show that a recent mass extinction associated with pathogen outbreaks is tied to global warming. Seventeen years ago, in the mountains of Costa Rica, the Monteverde harlequin frog (Atelopus sp.) vanished along with the golden toad (Bufo periglenes). An estimated 67% of the 110 or so species of Atelopus, which are endemic to the American tropics, have met the same fate, and a pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) is implicated. Analysing the timing of losses in relation to changes in sea surface and air temperatures, we conclude with 'very high confidence' (> 99%, following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC) that large-scale warming is a key factor in the disappearances. We propose that temperatures at many highland localities are shifting towards the growth optimum of Batrachochytrium, thus encouraging outbreaks. With climate change promoting infectious disease and eroding biodiversity, the urgency of reducing greenhouse-gas concentrations is now undeniable.

A new species of collared frog (Anura: Dendrobatidae: Colostethus) from Serrania de Portuguesa, Andes of Estado Lara, Venezuela

Abstract

A new species of frog of the genus Colostethus (Anura: Dendrobatidae) is described from Andean mountain streams and pools at Parque Nacional Yacambu, Estado Lara, Venezuela. The taxon (Colostethus yustizi sp. nov.) belongs in the Colostethus collaris Group and it is distinguished from members of this monophyletic assemblage by the presence of a dark collar with pale spots, and by its reduced foot web.