Red List of South African Species

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Near Threatened (NT)
Assessors: IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group South African Frog Re-assessment Group (SA-FRoG)
Contributors: Alan Channing Alex Rebelo Andrew A Turner Atherton L de Villiers Francois Becker James Harvey John Measey Jeanne Tarrant Krystal A Tolley Leslie Minter Louis du Preez Marius Burger Michael Cunningham Ninda Baptista Rob Hopkins Sarah Davies Peter Conradie Yankho Chapeta
Facilitators: Alex Rebelo Elena Garollo John Measey Kelsey Neam
Reviewers: Jennifer Luedtke

Rationale (Changed due to New Information)

Listed as Near Threatened because it occurs in seven threat-defined locations, there is continuing decline in its area of occupancy (AOO), the area, extent and quality of its habitat, and its population is considered severely fragmented. Its AOO is 3,993 km2 and its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 24,543 km2 making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable under the B criterion.

Distribution

This species occurs from 25 to 1,400 m Asl in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands of southeastern South Africa, along the mistbelt from Boston in the west to Melmouth in the northeast and, in a disjunct region, down at the coast at Mkambati to Port St. Johns (Venter and Conradie 2015). Its AOO is 3,993 km2 and is showing signs of continuing decline, and its EOO is 24,543 km2.

Decline

No one site holds >50% of individuals and the distances between subpopulations are considered to be too great for dispersal within one generation.

Population trend

Trend

It is an uncommon species that occurs in congregations of 20–30 individuals. No one site holds >50% of individuals and the distances between subpopulations are considered to be too great for dispersal within one generation; its population is therefore considered to be severely fragmented.

Threats

The main threats to this species are believed to be continued afforestation in the region and the construction and maintenance of roads. Other potential threats are mismanagement of grasslands, and resultant alien plant infestation, inappropriate fire regimes, and overgrazing and degradation as a result of overstocking with cattle.

Uses and trade

There are no records of this species being utilized.

Conservation

Conservation Actions
It occurs in the Mkambati and Silaka Nature Reserves.

Conservation Needed
Interim conservation agreements need to be made with land owners. Habitat protection and management are also needed.

Research Needed
Studies on its taxonomy, population size, distribution and trends, life history and ecology (including habitat choice and dispersal), and threats are needed. Once population estimates have been made, monitoring of populations and habitat is required.

References 

[@book{596,
 address = {Washington, D.C.},
 author = {Minter, L.R., Burger, M., Harrison, J.A., Braack, H.H., Bishop, P.J. and Knoepfer, D.},
 publisher = {SI/MAB Series No. 9},
 title = {Atlas and Red Data Book of the Frogs of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland},
 year = {2004}
}
,@book{1301,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {du Preez, L. and Carruthers, V.},
 publisher = {Struik Nature},
 title = {A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa},
 year = {2009}
}
,@electronic{1301,
 address = {http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html},
 author = {Frost, D.R.},
 publisher = {American Museum of Natural History},
 title = {Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 (31 March 2016)},
 year = {2016}
}
,@electronic{3069,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-2},
 year = {2017}
}
,@article{54359,
 author = {Venter, A.J. and Conradie, W.},
 journal = {Koedoe},
 number = {1},
 pages = {1--25},
 title = {A checklist of the reptiles and amphibians found in the protected areas along the South African Wild Coast, with notes on conservation implications},
 volume = {57},
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{57713,
 author = {Minter, L.R.},
 journal = {African Journal of Herpetology},
 pages = {9--21},
 title = {Two new cryptic species of <i>Breviceps</i> (Anura: Microhylidae) from southern Africa},
 volume = {52},
 year = {2003}
}
,]
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