unep-wcmc 2007 review of non-cites amphibia species that are

REVIEW OF NON-CITES AMPHIBIA SPECIES THAT ARE KNOWN OR

LIKELY TO BE IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

(Version edited for public release)

Prepared for the

European Commission Directorate General E - Environment

ENV.E.2. – Development and Environment

by the

United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre

November, 2007

Prepared and produced by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK

ABOUT UNEP WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE www.unep-wcmc.org The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre is the biodiversity assessment and policy implementation arm of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. UNEP-WCMC aims to help decision-makers recognize the value of biodiversity to people everywhere, and to apply this knowledge to all that they do. The Centre’s challenge is to transform complex data into policy-relevant information, to build tools and systems for analysis and integration, and to support the needs of nations and the international community as they engage in joint programmes of action. UNEP-WCMC provides objective, scientifically rigorous products and services that include ecosystem assessments, support for implementation of environmental agreements, regional and global biodiversity information, research on threats and impacts, and development of future scenarios for the living world. Prepared for: The European Commission, Brussels, Belgium Prepared by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organisations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP, the European Commission or contributory organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1. TRADE IN AMPHIBIANS .............................................................................................................. 4 1.2. AMPHIBIANS AND THE IUCN RED LIST ................................................................................... 5 1.3. THE IMPACT OF TRADE ON AMPHIBIANS ................................................................................... 6 1.4. SELECTION OF SPECIES FOR REVIEW ........................................................................................... 7 1.4.1. Current review (SRG 42) ................................................................................................... 7 1.4.2. Potential future review ...................................................................................................... 7

1.5. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 19 2. SPECIES REVIEWS ................................................................................................................................ 20

2.1. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 20 SPECIES: Agalychnis annae ........................................................................................................ 22 SPECIES: Limnonectes macrodon ................................................................................................ 25 SPECIES: Neurergus kaiseri ........................................................................................................ 29 SPECIES: Neurergus microspilotus ............................................................................................. 32 SPECIES: Rana shqiperica ............................................................................................................ 34 SPECIES: Bolitoglossa dofleini ..................................................................................................... 38 SPECIES: Chacophrys pierottii .................................................................................................... 41 SPECIES: Heterixalus rutenbergi ................................................................................................ 44 SPECIES: Leptodactylus laticeps .................................................................................................. 46 SPECIES: Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus ................................................................................ 50 SPECIES: Pachytriton labiatus .................................................................................................... 53 SPECIES: Paramesotriton hongkongensis .................................................................................... 55 SPECIES: Phyllomedusa sauvagii ................................................................................................ 59 ANNEX 1. Overview of amphibian species for which regional/international trade (threats 3.1.3, 3.2.3, 3.3.3., 3.4.3, and 3.5.3) may pose a major threat. .......................................................... 63 ANNEX 2. Country codes. .................................................................................................................... 67

INDEX OF TABLES

Table 1. Summary table of CITES and/or EC-listed amphibians. .................................................. 4 Table 2. Overview of global exporter-reported trade in CITES Appendix II and/or EC Annex

B amphibians between 1994-2006. ............................................................................................... 5 Table 3. Number of amphibian species within each of the IUCN Red List categories. ............... 6 Table 4. Non-CITES globally threatened amphibian species, with regional/international trade

as major threat type. ...................................................................................................................... 9 Table 5. Non-CITES-listed amphibian species that are not considered globally threatened in

the IUCN Red List but which are possibly threatened by international trade.................... 13

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1. INTRODUCTION This report provides an analysis of amphibian species which are not listed in CITES but for which regional or international trade was considered to be a major threat in the 2007 IUCN Red List. In-depth reviews were undertaken for 13 species to see whether they meet the criteria for listing in any of Annexes A, B or D1 of Council Regulation 338/97. 1.1. TRADE IN AMPHIBIANS Amphibians have been traded for food, the pet trade, medicinal products, etc. (Schlaepfer et al., 2005; AmphibiaWeb, 2006; Carpenter et al., 2007; Tyler et al. 2007). However, trade data are not generally available for most species, since only a small number of them are listed in CITES. It was noted by one author (Schlaepfer et al., 2005) that the majority of the most heavily traded amphibians were not regulated by CITES (for instance, none of the 25 amphibian species most commonly traded by the US was listed). Unlike most countries, the United States records the imports and exports of all amphibians (Schlaepfer et al., 2005). Although data are often not collected at the species level, they can, however, provide an overview of the trade in one market. Over two million amphibians were known to be imported into the US during 1970-1971; leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), fire newts (Cynops pyrrogaster) and marine toads (Bufo marinus) were imported in the highest numbers (Busack, 1974). An estimated 200 million pairs of frogs’ legs were imported annually from Asia to the United States before 1987 (Pough et al., 1998). During 1998-2002, the United States imported 14.7 million wild-caught amphibian specimens, and 5.2 million kg of wild-caught amphibian meat. The most frequently traded species were the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) for the food trade and the African dwarf frog (Hymenochirus curtipes) and the oriental fire-bellied newt and toad (Cynops orientalis and Bombina orientalis) for the pet trade (Schlaepfer et al., 2005). A broader view of the international trade is only possible for those species listed in the CITES appendices. At present, 106 amphibian species are listed in CITES. A total of 16 species are listed in Appendix I and the remainder are listed in Appendix II, see Table 1. Recent trade (1994-2006) in CITES-listed amphibians is summarized in Table 3. Table 1. Summary table of CITES and/or EC-listed amphibians. Sources: Frost, 2004; EC Regulation No. 1332/2005.

Order Family Species CITES

Appendix EC

Annex

ANURA Bufonidae Altiphrynoides spp. I A Atelopus zeteki I A Bufo periglenes I A Bufo superciliaris I A Nectophrynoides spp. I A Nimbaphrynoides spp. I A Spinophrynoides spp. I A

Dendrobatidae Allobates femoralis II B Allobates zaparo II B Dendrobates spp. II B Epipedobates spp. II B Minyobates spp. II B Phyllobates spp. II B

Mantellidae Mantella spp. II B Microhylidae Dyscophus antongilii I A

Scaphiophryne gottlebei II B Ranidae Conraua goliath - B

Euphlyctis hexadactylus II B Hoplobatrachus tigerinus II B Rana catesbeiana - B

1 Annex C was not considered relevant as it includes only species listed in CITES Appendices II or III.

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Order Family Species CITES

Appendix EC

Annex

Rheobatrachidae Rheobatrachus silus II A Rheobatrachus vitellinus II B

URODELA Ambystomidae Ambystoma dumerilii II B Ambystoma mexicanum II B

Cryptobranchidae Andrias spp. I A Table 2. Overview of global exporter-reported trade in CITES Appendix II and/or EC Annex B amphibians between 1994-2006.

Taxon Volume of trade in main terms 1994-2006 Proportion of wild-sourced trade

Allobates femoralis 89 live, 46 bodies 9% (live), 100% (bodies)

Allobates zaparo 75 live (trade in 2000-2001 only) 0%

Dendrobates spp. (25 spp.) 121,273 live (2006 excluded) 23%

Epipedobates spp. (4 spp.) 16,448 live 52%

Phyllobates spp. (5 spp.) 5,239 live 0.5%

Mantella spp. (14 spp.) 237,676 live 99%

Scaphiophryne gottlebei 1158 live (trade in 2003-2005 only) 100%

Conraua goliath 19 live (trade in 2001 only) 100%

Rana catesbeiana 65,000 live (single transaction in 2003) 0%

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus 5,750,658 kg meat 2%

Ambystoma mexicanum 59,759 live 0.13% In very general terms, most amphibians exploited for food and medicine are found in Asia, and many of the species in the pet trade occur in South America and Madagascar (Baillie et al., 2005; Carpenter et al., 2007). In China, for example, 32 species were recognized to be of medicinal value in traditional Chinese medicine (Ye et al., 1993, cited in Carpenter et al., 2005). In Asia, exploitation for food is mainly directed towards the larger-bodied species of the family Ranidae, as well as, for example, the Critically Endangered Chinese Giant Salamander, Andrias davidianus (Baillie et al., 2005). The species in the pet trade are usually salamanders and the colourful small frogs, in particular of the genera Dendrobates and Epipedobates from Central and South America, and Mantella from Madagascar (Baillie et al., 2004; Andreone et al., 2006). The latter three genera are listed in the CITES appendices. 1.2. AMPHIBIANS AND THE IUCN RED LIST The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on taxa that have been globally evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories2 and Criteria. A detailed explanation of the criteria used can be found at www.redlist.org. Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable species are generally considered to be “threatened”. The status of all of the world’s 5,915 known amphibian species has been evaluated by the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) team (IUCN et al., 2007). The GAA estimated that 1,808 amphibian species (31% of the total) were globally threatened (Table 3), although this number could be considerably higher, since a further 1,426 species were Data Deficient (IUCN, 2007).

2 The IUCN Red List categories are as follows: Extinct (EX); Extinct in the Wild (EW); Critically Endangered (CR); Endangered (EN); Vulnerable (VU); Near Threatened (NT); Least Concern (LC); Data Deficient (DD); Not Evaluated (NE)

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Table 3. Number of amphibian species within each of the IUCN Red List categories. Source: IUCN (2007).

IUCN Red List Category

Number of Amphibian species

CR 441 EN 737 VU 630 NT 369 LC 2277 DD 1426 EW 1 EX 34 Total 5915

The IUCN Red List also provides a classification of causes of species decline. Assessors are asked to indicate the threats that triggered the listing of the taxon concerned at the finest level possible. These threats could be in the past and/or present and/or future, using a timeframe of three generations or ten years, whichever is the longer (not exceeding 100 years in the future). Threats are subdivided in a hierarchical system. For the purposes of this report, threat number 3 (Harvesting) is the most relevant one. It is subdivided in the following way: 3. Harvesting [hunting/gathering]

3.1. Food 3.1.1. Subsistence use/local trade 3.1.2. Sub-national/national trade 3.1.3. Regional/international trade

3.2. Medicine 3.2.1. Subsistence use/local trade 3.2.2. Sub-national/national trade 3.2.3. Regional/international trade

3.3. Fuel 3.3.1. Subsistence use/local trade 3.3.2. Sub-national/national trade 3.3.3. Regional/international trade

3.4. Materials 3.4.1. Subsistence use/local trade 3.4.2. Sub-national/national trade 3.4.3. Regional/international trade

3.5. Cultural/scientific/leisure activities 3.5.1. Subsistence use/local trade 3.5.2. Sub-national/national trade 3.5.3. Regional/international trade

3.6. Other 3.7. Unknown

1.3. THE IMPACT OF TRADE ON AMPHIBIANS

Although habitat loss and degradation, pollution and the fungal disease chytridiomycosis are considered to be the greatest threats to amphibians at present, over-harvesting and trade have also been identified as major causes of decline for a number of species (Gibbons et al., 2000, Young et al., 2004; Gascon et al., 2007; IUCN et al., 2007).

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The effect of trade on wild amphibian populations, however, is often unclear (e.g. Young et al., 2001; Beebee & Griffiths, 2005), both because trade levels of species are generally not known (Schlaepfer et al., 2005; Silvano & Segalla, 2005) and/or because there are usually insufficient data on wild populations and their trends (Gascon et al., 2005). In addition, several threats can interact in different ways, for instance there is strong evidence that the global trade in amphibians is driving the emergence of chytridiomycosis (Fisher & Garner, 2007) and in some cases also resulting in the introduction into the wild of invasive species that may in turn impact on native ones (Gascon et al., 2005). The most comprehensive available data on the status of amphibian species and on the threats affecting them were gathered by the Global Amphibian Assessment team and used for the IUCN Red List. According to these data, threat 3 of the IUCN Red List (Harvesting -hunting/gathering-) was considered to be a major threat type for 283 amphibian species (IUCN, 2007). More specifically, regional/international trade (threats 3.1.3, 3.2.3, 3.3.3., 3.4.3, and 3.5.3) was a major threat type for 134 of those species. These species are traded for food (17 species), medicine (10 species), or cultural/scientific/leisure activities –mostly the pet trade- (114 species). Out of the 134 species for which regional/international trade was considered to be a major threat, 54 are globally threatened, and 46 are listed in CITES (Annex 1). 29 species, however, are globally threatened but not listed in CITES (see Section 1.4). 1.4. SELECTION OF SPECIES FOR REVIEW 1.4.1. Current review (SRG 42)

This report aimed to identify species of amphibian that might be threatened by trade and review those species which might be most affected by the trade. Table 4 presents the globally threatened (CR/EN/VU) amphibian species that are not listed in CITES or the Annexes to the EU wildlife trade Regulations and for which regional and/or international trade has been identified as a major threat by the Global Amphibian Assessment team. Table 5 summarises those species that were not considered to be globally threatened, but for which trade was nonetheless considered to be a major threat. Species were selected from both these groups (Tables 4 and 5) for in-depth review. The selection was based on preliminary information on the trade in the species (giving priority to species for which international trade is a known ongoing threat) and on the threat status of species (giving higher priority to the most threatened species). Five globally threatened species were initially selected for review to see whether they may warrant listing in the annexes of the EU wildlife trade regulations. Eight additional species from Table 5 were also selected for review. Further details on the review methodology are provided in section 3.1. 1.4.2. Potential future review A further 15 threatened and 25 non-threatened species were identified as species that may warrant future review on the basis of their threat status and nature of the trade. These have been highlighted in Tables 4 and 6 with a ‘?’ in the right hand column. It is suggested that a number of these species could be selected by the SRG for future review to assess whether they meet the criteria for listing in the annexes to Council Regulation 338/97. The species selected for this review and those flagged for potential future review are species considered to be threatened by international trade by IUCN et al. (2007). It has been noted during the preparation of this report, however, that a number of species which are not considered to be threatened by international trade, and which are therefore not considered

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here, are actually seen in trade frequently, although the impact of the trade is not clear. It is suggested that an Internet market survey of non-CITES amphibian species could be undertaken in the future in order to identify which other species are most highly traded and whether trade may present a threat.

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Table 4. Non-CITES globally threatened amphibian species, with regional/international trade as major threat type. All species are sourced from the wild (Caudiverbera caudiverbera is also captive-bred), according to GAA. Shaded species are those selected for review. A key to country codes can be found in Annex 2.

Taxon Common name Range states


Reason for trade (IUCN Red List)

Global Amphibian Assessment information on utilisation

Review? Type of trade Purpose

Time of reg./int. trade as a threat

Trend in the level of harvest in

relation to total wild population numbers over the

last 5 years

Comments

ANURA

BUFONIDAE

Atelopus cruciger Rancho Grande Harlequin Frog VE CR C/S/L activities

National and international Pets Ongoing Decreasing

Overcollecting for scientific or pet trade purposes could be a potential threat. No

Atelopus senex CR CR C/S/L activities International Pets Past Decreasing Threats might include collecting for the pet trade. No

Atelopus varius Harlequin Frog CR, PA CR C/S/L activities International Pets Past Unknown

It was collected by the thousands in the 1970s and shipped to Germany as part of the international pet trade. No

HYLIDAE

Agalychnis annae Blue-sided Treefrog CR EN C/S/L activities International Pets Ongoing Unknown Found in the international pet trade SRG 42

Phyllodytes auratus TT CR C/S/L activities International Specimen collecting Ongoing Unknown Threatened by the over collecting of specimens No

Plectrohyla dasypus HN CR C/S/L activities International Pets Past Decreasing No

Plectrohyla exquisita HN CR C/S/L activities International Pets Past Decreasing No

LEPTODACTYLIDAE

Caudiverbera caudiverbera CL VU Food National and International Food Present and future Increasing Extraction as exotic food item is a threat. ?

MICROHYLIDAE

Platypelis milloti MG EN C/S/L activities - - Future - There is no known utilization of this species No

RANIDAE

Limnonectes macrodon

Fanged River Frog, Javan Giant Frog, Malaya Wart Frog, Stone Creek Frog ID VU Food

Subsistence, National and International Food Ongoing Increasing

Exploitation is a major threat. It is highly exploited as food, and is eaten locally and nationally, and animals from eastern Java are exported. SRG 42

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last 5 years

Comments

Rana shqiperica Albanian Water Frog AL, ME EN Food

National and International Food Ongoing Unknown

In northern parts of its range (e.g. Lake Skadar) it is significantly threatened by over collection for commercial purposes. SRG 42

CAUDATA

HYNOBIIDAE

Hynobius tokyoensis Tokyo Salamander JP VU C/S/L activities National and International Pets Ongoing Unknown It is collected for pet trade ?

Ranodon sibiricus

Central Asian Salamander, Semirechensk Salamander CN, KZ EN

Medicine, C/S/L activities Subsistence Medicine Ongoing Unknown

Its small population and restricted range make this species particularly susceptible to over-exploitation (medical, commercial and scientific purposes). ?

PLETHODONTIDAE

Bolitoglossa pesrubra CR EN C/S/L activities International Pets Past Unknown No

Plethodon petraeus Pigeon Mountain Salamander US VU C/S/L activities

Subsistence, National and International

Pets and specimen collection Present and future Unknown

Over-collecting for scientific study and possibly the illegal pet trade may threaten populations. ?

SALAMANDRIDAE

Cynops ensicauda Sword-tailed Newt JP EN C/S/L activities

Subsistence and National for medicine; National and International for Pets.

Medicine and Pets Ongoing Unknown

The species is in the pet trade in Japan and is used for medicinal purposes in Taiwan No

Echinotriton andersoni Anderson's Crocodile Newt JP, TW EN C/S/L activities

National and International Pets Ongoing Unknown It is illegally collected for the pet trade ?

Lyciasalamandra antalyana TR EN C/S/L activities National and International

Specimen collecting Future Unknown

Potentially threatened by overcollection for scientific purposes. ?

Lyciasalamandra atifi TR EN C/S/L activities National and International



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last 5 years

Comments

Lyciasalamandra billae TR CR C/S/L activities National and International



Lyciasalamandra fazilae TR EN C/S/L activities National and International

Specimen collecting Present and future Unknown


Lyciasalamandra flavimembris TR EN C/S/L activities National and International



Lyciasalamandra luschani

Luschan's Salamander, Lycian Salamander GR, TR EN C/S/L activities

National and International



Neurergus kaiseri IR CR C/S/L activities

National and International

Pets Ongoing Increasing

A few animals have been observed for sale in the Tehran market, presumably for local use in aquaria (T. Papenfuss, pers. comm.). However, of greater concern is the current growing trade in the species for the international pet trade. At present it appears that individuals caught in the wild are being illegally exported out of Iran, and are finding their way into the pet trade. Some of the individuals in the trade are reportedly captive-bred but this requires confirmation. SRG 42

Neurergus microspilotus IR EN C/S/L activities National and International Pets Ongoing Increasing

It is sometimes seen in the illegal pet trade which is an increasing threat to the species. Actions need to be taken immediately to prevent the illegal export of this species for a pet as is currently taking place. This is a new and increasing threat that must be stopped before it is too late. SRG 42

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last 5 years

Comments

Paramesotriton deloustali

Tam Dao Salamander, Vietnamese Salamander VN VU C/S/L activities

Subsistence (Food);

Subsistence and National (Medicine); National and International (Pets)

Food, Medicine and Pets Past Increasing

Harvesting for food, medicine and the pet trade are threats. ?

Paramesotriton fuzhongensis Wanggao Warty Newt CN VU C/S/L activities

Subsistence, National and International Pets Present and future Decreasing

Its restricted range makes this species particularly susceptible to over-exploitation for the pet trade. ?

Salamandra algira North African Fire Salamander

DZ, ES, MA VU C/S/L activities International

Pets and specimen collection Ongoing Unknown

There is some collection of this species in small numbers for the international pet trade; further investigations are needed to determine the impact of trade on populations. ?

Tylototriton kweichowensis Red-tailed Knobby Newt CN VU C/S/L activities

Subsistence (medicine) and

International (pets)

Medicine and Pets Ongoing

Increasing

Collected by the locals as a kind of traditional Chinese medicine. A small number of individuals are also traded in the international pet markets. ?

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Table 5. Non-CITES-listed amphibian species that are not considered globally threatened in the IUCN Red List but which are possibly threatened by international trade.

Taxon Common name Range States IUCN

Red List Category

Reason for regional/international

trade

GAA information on utilisation (comments on trade as a threat)

Review?

ANURA

BOMBINATORIDAE

Bombina maxima Large-webbed Bell Toad CN LC C/S/L activities There is a small amount of international pet trade involving this species No

BUFONIDAE

Atelopus siranus PE DD C/S/L activities

Both the pet trade and infection with chytridiomycosis are potential threats to this species, and could lead to a rapid population decline. However, its distribution is so isolated that it might be safe from these threats. No

Bufo blombergi (Syn. Rhaeto blombergi) Colombian Giant Toad CO, EC NT Medicine

In Ecuador, there is commercial export of animals for pharmacological research and the pet trade. No

Bufo gargarizans Asiatic Toad, Miyako Toad, Zhoushan Toad CN, JP, KP, KR, RU LC Medicine

The species is captured for laboratory research, and has been gathered for traditional medicine by Chinese and Korean citizens in the Primorye Region of Russia over the last 10 years. No

Melanophryniscus atroluteus Uruguay Redbelly Toad AR, BR, UY LC C/S/L activities It is possibly threatened in the future by the pet trade. ?

Melanophryniscus cambaraensis Brazilian Redbelly Toad BR DD C/S/L activities It is potentially threatened by the international pet trade.. (Future threat) No

Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus AR, BR, PY LC C/S/L activities It is threatened by the pet trade (Ongoing threat) SRG 42

Melanophryniscus stelzneri Redbelly Toad AR LC C/S/L activities

This species is harvested for the international pet trade in Argentina.. (But has no major threats) No

Melanophryniscus tumifrons Swelling Redbelly Toad AR, BR LC C/S/L activities It is potentially threatened by the international pet trade. (Future threat) ?

Pedostibes hosii Common Tree Toad BN, ID, MY, TH LC C/S/L activities No

HYLIDAE

Hyla chinensis Common Chinese Treefrog CN, TW, VN LC C/S/L activities No

Hylomantis medinai Rancho Grande Leaf Frog VE DD C/S/L activities

It was overcollected in the Henri Pittier National Park up until the time it was last seen. It is not known if there are any threats to this species at present. No

Phyllomedusa iheringii Southern Walking Leaf BR, UY LC C/S/L activities Possibly threatened by pet trade. ?

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Red List Category


trade


Review?

Frog (ongoing threat)

Phyllomedusa sauvagii Painted-belly Leaf Frog AR, BO, BR, PY LC C/S/L activities It is threatened by the international pet trade. (ongoing threat) SRG 42

HYPEROLIIDAE

Heterixalus rutenbergi Rutenberg’s Reed Frog MG NT C/S/L activities

It is found in international trade, with hundreds being exported annually, although it is not clear that this constitutes a threat to the species. (ongoing threat) SRG 42

LEPTODACTYLIDAE

Ceratophrys aurita Brazilian Horned Frog BR LC C/S/L activities

The major threats are probably related to habitat loss due to agriculture, clear-cutting and human settlement, as well as harvesting for the national and international pet trade, which might be locally unsustainable. (Ongoing threat) ?

Ceratophrys calcarata Venezuelan Horned Frog CO, VE LC C/S/L activities The national and international pet trade might have a local impact No

Ceratophrys cornuta Amazonian Horned Frog BO, BR, CO, EC, GF, GY,

PE, SR, VE LC C/S/L activities The species could be of interest to the pet trade, which might affect some populations. No

Ceratophrys cranwelli Chacoan Horned Frog AR, BO, BR, PY LC C/S/L activities It is collected for the international pet trade. Eggs are sold internationally for scientific research. ?

Ceratophrys joazeirensis Caatinga Horned Frog BR DD C/S/L activities It is possibly in the national and international pet trade. No

Ceratophrys ornata Ornate Horned Frog AR, BR, PY, UY NT C/S/L activities It is collected for the international pet trade and its eggs are sold internationally for scientific research. ?

Chacophrys pierottii Chaco Horned Frog AR, BO, PY LC C/S/L activities

It is collected for the international pet trade, and subject to heavy collecting during the breeding season. (Ongoing threat) SRG 42

Leptodactylus laticeps Santa Fe Frog AR, BO, PY NT C/S/L activities

Over-harvesting for the international pet trade is a major threat. It is collected in Paraguay and Argentina, and each adult is worth $300-$600. It was a rare species by 2003 in Argentina due to over-harvesting for the international pet trade. (Ongoing threat). SRG 42

MEGOPHRYIDAE

Megophrys nasuta

Bornean Horned Frog, Horned Toad, Large Horned Frog, Malayan BN, ID, MY, SG LC C/S/L activities

The species is harvested for the national and international pet trade, which might affect local populations. (Ongoing threat) ?

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Red List Category


trade


Review?

Horned Frog

PIPIDAE

Pipa snethlageae Utinga Surinam Toad BR, CO, PE LC C/S/L activities

Forest destruction and international trade are both threats to this species. (Present and future threat). ?

RANIDAE

Discodeles guppyi Shortland Island Webbed Frog PG, SB LC C/S/L activities

Collection for food and for export to the pet markets in Europe and elsewhere may be impacting some populations. (Ongoing threat) ?

Fejervarya cancrivora

Asian Brackish Frog, Crab-Eating Frog, Mangrove Frog, Rice Field Frog

CN, IN, ID, MY, PH, SG, LK, TH, VN LC Food

Over harvesting is a potential threat to this species. (Ongoing threat; used for food)

?

Limnonectes blythii

Blyth's River Frog, Giant Asian River Frog, Giant Frog

ID, LA, MY, MM, SG, TH, VN NT Food

The major threat to this species is intensive collection for consumption at subsistence levels, and for local, national and international trade. (Ongoing threat) ?

Limnonectes grunniens Amboina Wart Frog ID, PG LC Food

The main threat is exploitation for human food, since the animals on Sulawesi, which represent an undescribed species, are very large. It is also eaten in New Guinea. (Only subsistence level at present, International trade future threat). No

Limnonectes magnus

Giant Philippine Frog, Large Swamp Frog, Mindanao Fanged Frog PH NT Food

On Sulawesi, the major threat to the populations of this species complex is human exploitation for both local consumption and international trade. In the Philippines, threats include harvesting for human subsistence and for international export. (Present and future threat; used for food). ?

Limnonectes malesianus Malesian Frog, Peat Swamp Frog ID, MY, SG, TH NT Food

It is collected for subsistence consumption and trade but most collection pressure is deflected from it by the sympatric occurrence of the larger and more common Limnonectes blythii. No

Limnonectes shompenorum Shompen Frog ID, IN LC Food Animals are harvested for food and traded within Indonesia and are probably exported to Singapore. No

Paa bourreti (Syn. Nanorana bourreti) Bourret’s Frog VN DD Food

Most of the species in the genus Paa are consumed locally to a varying degree within their range. No

Rana amurensis Siberian Wood Frog CN, KZ, KP, KR, KG, MN,

RU LC Medicine There is significant over harvesting of this species for food, especially in Russia where illegal collection has increased No

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Red List Category


trade


Review?

since the 1990s. (Subsistence and National levels)

Rana chensinensis Asiatic Grass Frog, Chinese Brown Frog CN, MN LC Food, Medicine

In northeastern China, the main threat is over-exploitation for food and traditional Chinese medicine. (Ongoing threat) ?

Rana dybowskii Dybowski’s Frog CN, JP, KP, KR, MN, RU LC Food, Medicine

In the 1990s, mass collecting of R. dybowskii, mainly in the Primorye Region of Russia, for the trade in traditional Asian medicine led to population declines at a number of sites. (Past threat) No

Rana esculenta (Syn. Pelophylax ridibundus) Edible Frog

AT, BA, BE, BG, BY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FR, GB, HR, HU, IT, LV, LI, LT, LU, MD, NL, PL, RO, RS, RU, SK, SI, SE, CH, UA, GB LC Food

The frog-leg trade and high levels of pollution are leading to significant declines in populations of the former Yugoslavia.

No

Rana huanrenensis Huanren Frog CN, KP LC Food, Medicine

This species is used for food and in traditional Chinese medicine. Ongoing threat. No

Rana kurtmuelleri Balkan Water Frog AL, GR, MK, RS LC Food

In northern parts of its native range (e.g., Lake Skadar) it is significantly threatened by over collection for commercial purposes. (Ongoing threat) ?

RHACOPHORIDAE

Theloderma corticale Tonkin Bug-eyed Frog VN DD C/S/L activities

This is one of the few regional frog species for which there is a specific demand in the global pet trade. (Future threat) ?

CAUDATA

HYNOBIIDAE

Hynobius nebulosus Clouded Salamander JP LC C/S/L activities It is collected for the pet trade. ?

PLETHODONTIDAE

Bolitoglossa dofleini Doflein’s Mushroom-tongue Salamander BZ, GT, HN NT C/S/L activities

This species is potentially threatened by the international pet trade, in which it features significantly, and since this species takes 10 - 12 years to mature such trade could easily be locally unsustainable. SRG 42

SALAMANDRIDAE

Cynops cyanurus Chuxiong Fire-Bellied CN LC C/S/L activities Small numbers have been seen in the international pet No

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Red List Category


trade


Review?

Newt trade in recent years.

Cynops orientalis Oriental Fire-Bellied Newt CN LC C/S/L activities

It is being traded in the domestic and international pet markets. (Ongoing threat) ?

Notophthalmus perstriatus Striped Newt US NT C/S/L activities

Many potential threats, including collection for the pet trade. (Ongoing threat) ?

Pachytriton brevipes Black-spotted Stout Newt CN LC C/S/L activities It is exported for the international pet trade. (Ongoing threat) ?

Pachytriton labiatus Spotless Stout Newt CN LC C/S/L activities

Over-exploitation for use as traditional Chinese medicine (subsistence level) and for the international pet trade is a major threat to this species. (Ongoing threat) SRG 42

Paramesotriton hongkongensis Hong Kong Warty Newt CN NT C/S/L activities A particular threat to this species is the collection of significant numbers for the pet trade. SRG 42

Paramesotriton laoensis LA DD C/S/L activities It is harvested for medicine and food locally. It will potentially be harvested as a pet in the future. No

Salamandra salamandra Common Fire Salamander, Fire Salamander

AL, AD, AT, BE, BA, BG, HR, CZ, FR, DE, GR, HU, IT, LI, LU, ME, MK, NL, PL, PT, RO, RS, SK, SI, SM, ES,

CH, TR(?), UA LC C/S/L activities

The principal threats include collection for commercial purposes (i.e., the pet trade).; (Ongoing threat)

?

Triturus alpestris (Syn. Mesotriton alpestris) Alpine Newt

AL, AT, BY, BE, BA, BG, HR, CZ, DE, DK, FR, GB, GR, HU, IT, LI, LU, ME,

MK, NL, PL, RO, RS, SK, SI, ES, CH, UA LC C/S/L activities

In some areas there is over collection of the species for use in education and science (this has led to the extinction of the species from some Ukrainian localities). It is also collected in small numbers for the commercial pet trade (especially T. a. inexpectatus of Calabria). ?

Triturus cristatus

Great Crested Newt, Northern Crested Newt, Warty Newt

AT, BY, BE, CH, CZ, DE, DK, EE, FI, FR, GB, LV, LI, LT, LU, MD, NL, NO, PL, RO, RS, RU, SK, SE, UA LC C/S/L activities

In some parts of the range (of the former Soviet Union) there is substantial commercial collecting of this species for the pet trade. (Ongoing threat) ?

Triturus karelinii Southern Crested Newt AL, AZ, BG, GE, GR, IR, MK, RS, RU, UA, TR LC C/S/L activities

In the former Soviet Union there is significant commercial collecting of this species for the pet trade. (Ongoing threat) ?

Triturus marmoratus Marbled Newt ES, FR, PT LC C/S/L activities There is some illegal collection of the species for the pet trade. No

Triturus vittatus Banded Newt GE, IQ, IL, LB, RU, SY, TR, LC C/S/L activities In the Caucasus and Israel it is threatened by collection for ?

18


Red List Category


trade


Review?

AM, JO the pet trade. (Ongoing threat)

Tylototriton shanjing CN NT C/S/L activities

The major threat to this species is over-collecting for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Small numbers are also exported for the international pet trade No

Tylototriton taliangensis Taliang Knobby Newt CN NT C/S/L activities

A major threat to this species is over-collection for Traditional Chinese Medicine as a substitute for the Sichuan salamander (Batrachuperus pinchonii). Small numbers are also exported to supply the international pet trade. No

Tylototriton verrucosus Himalayan Salamander, Red Knobby Newt

BT, CN, IN, MM, NP, TH, VN LC

Medicine, C/S/L activities

It is in demand in the domestic and international pet trade. It is also harvested for use as a traditional medicine in India. (Ongoing threat) ?

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1.5. REFERENCES

AmphibiaWeb. 2006. Information on amphibian biology and conservation. Berkeley, California. URL: www.amphibiaweb.org Accessed September 2007.

Andreone, F., Mercurio, V. & Mattioli, F. 2006. Between environmental degradation and international pet trade: conservation strategies for the threatened amphibians of Madagascar. Natura – Soc. it. Sci. nat. Museo civ. Stor. nat. Milano 95 (2): 81-96.

Baillie, J.E.M., Hilton-Taylor, C. & Stuart, S.N. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: A Global Species Assessment. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Beebee, T.J.C. & Griffiths, R.A. 2005. The amphibian decline crisis: A watershed for conservation biology? Biological Conservation 125: 271-285.

Busack, S.D. 1974. Amphibians and reptiles imported into the United States. US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Carpenter, A.I., Dublin, H., Lau, M., Syed, G., McKay, J.E., & Moore, R.D. 2007. Over-harvesting. In: Gascon, C., Collins, J.P., Moore, R.D., Church, D.R., McKay, J.E. and Mendelson III, J.R. (Eds) 2007. Amphibian Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. 64 pp.

Fisher, M.C. & Garner, T.W.J. 2007. The relationship between the emergence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the international trade in amphibians and introduced amphibian species. Fungal Biology Reviews 21: 2-9.

Frost, D.R. 2004. Taxonomic Checklist of CITES listed amphibians. The American Museum of Natural History.

Gascon, C., Collins, J.P., Moore, R.D., Church, D.R., McKay, J.E. & Mendelson III, J.R. 2007. Amphibian Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. 64 pp.

Gibbons, J. W., Scott, D. E., Ryan, T. J., Buhlmann, K. A., Tuberville, T. D., Metts, B. S., Greene, J. L., Mills, T., Leiden, Y., Poppy, S. & C. T. Winne. 2000. The Global Decline of Reptiles, Déjà Vu Amphibians. BioScience 50 (8): 653-666.

Gorzula, S. 1996. The trade in dendrobatid frogs from 1987 to 1993. Herpetological Review 27 (3).

IUCN. 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Accessed September 2007.

IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL: www.globalamphibians.org Accessed September 2007.

Pough, F.H., Andrews, R.M., Cadle, J.E., Crump, M.L., Savitzky, A.H. & Wells, K.D. 1998. Herpetology. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Schlaepfer, M.A., Hoover, C. & Dodd Jr. K.D. 2005. Challenges in evaluating the impact of the trade in amphibians and reptiles on wild populations. Bioscience 55 (3): 256-264.

Silvano, D.L. & Segalla, M.V. 2005. Conservation of Brazilian Amphibians. Conservation Biology 19 (3): 653-658.

Tyler, M.J., Wassersug, R. & Smith, B. 2007. How frogs and humans interact: Influences beyond habitat destruction, epidemics and global warming. Applied Herpetology 4: 1-18.

Ye, C. Fei, L. & Hu, S. 1993. Rare and economic amphibians of China. Sichuan Publishing House of Science and Technology, Chengdu. (in Chinese).

Young, B.E., Lips, K.R., Reaser, J.K., Ibáñez, A.W., Salas, J. Rogelio Cedeño, J., Coloma, L.A., Ron, S., La Marca, E., Meyer, J.R., Muñoz, A., Bolaños, F., Chaves, G. & Romos, D. 2001. Population declines and priorities for amphibian conservation in Latin America. Conservation Biology 15 (5): 1213-1223.

Young, B.E., Stuart, S.N., Chanson, J.S., Cox, N.A. & Boucher, T.M. 2004. Disappearing jewels: the status of New World amphibians. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.

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2. SPECIES REVIEWS 2.1. METHODOLOGY For this report, preliminary information on known trade from the Global Amphibian Assessment (IUCN et al, 2007) formed the basis of the species selection as described in section 1.4.1. An extensive literature review was subsequently undertaken for the selected species to identify information on status and trade and a web survey was also conducted. Since records of trade in non-CITES species are often non-existent or very limited and patchy at best, assessing whether these species are traded internationally or not, and especially assessing the levels of trade, sources and countries involved, is not a straightforward process. In the absence of other data, surveys of trade conducted over the Internet can provide an important source of trade information. However, such surveys can usually only provide an indication of availability or demand rather than information on whether trade actually took place and if so in what volumes. For the purpose of this report, web surveys consisted of Google searches, using the species’ s scientific name. Use of common names was avoided, as they were ambiguous, i.e. several species called the same name, and different common names used for the same species, and as hobbyists and specialized shops often use scientific names. In addition to general web searches, and in order to focus more specifically on the pet trade in Europe, Google searches were performed limiting the search to pages from a selection of EU countries, namely France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. If no or limited evidence of trade was found for those countries, additional searches were performed for the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. Also, several hobbyist websites were specifically searched. These included:

- www.kingsnake.com (USA) - www.sandfiredragonranch.com (USA) - www.eurofauna.com (Europe) - www.caudata.org (International) - www.amphibian.co.uk (UK) - www.exotic-pets.co.uk (UK) - www.lafermetropicale.com (France) - www.terrariumonline.com (Spain) - http://e-commerce.ysi.net/eshop/reptilmaniacom/ (Spain) - www.salamanderland.at (Austria) - www.caudata.nl (Netherlands) - http://members.chello.nl/a.kente/ (Netherlands) - www.animalfarm.cz (Czech Republic)

The trade in frog legs was evaluated primarily through literature review and general web searches, but no targeted web surveys were conducted because, unlike for the pet trade, scientific names are seldom used when referring to frog legs; they appear to be rarely referred to using more accurate terms than simply frog’s legs. The criteria for listing in the annexes of Council Regulation 338/97are specified in Article 3 of the regulation as follows: 1. Annex A shall contain: (a) the species listed in Appendix I to the Convention for which the Member States have not entered a reservation; (b) any species: (i) which is, or may be, in demand for utilization in the Community or for international trade and which is either threatened with extinction or so rare that any level of trade would imperil the survival of the species; or

21

(ii) which is in a genus of which most of the species or which is a species of which most of the subspecies are listed in Annex A in accordance with the criteria in subparagraphs (a) or (b)(i) and whose listing in the Annex is essential for the effective protection of those taxa.

2. Annex B shall contain: (a) the species listed in Appendix II to the Convention, other than those listed in Annex A, for which the Member States have not entered a reservation; (b) the species listed in Appendix I to the Convention for which a reservation has been entered; (c) any other species not listed in Appendices I or II to the Convention: (i) which is subject to levels of international trade that might not be compatible: — with its survival or with the survival of populations in certain countries, or — with the maintenance of the total population at a level consistent with the role of the species in the ecosystems in which it occurs:

or (ii) whose listing in the Annex for reasons of similarity in appearance to other species listed in Annex A or Annex B, is essential in order to ensure the effectiveness of controls on trade in specimens of such species;

(d) species in relation to which it has been established that the introduction of live specimens into the natural habitat of the Community would constitute an ecological threat to wild species of fauna and flora indigenous to the Community. 3. Annex C shall contain: (a) the species listed in Appendix III to the Convention, other than those listed in Annexes A or B, for which the Member States have not entered a reservation; (b) the species listed in Appendix II to the Convention for which a reservation has been entered. 4. Annex D shall contain: (a) species not listed in Annexes A to C which are imported into the Community in such numbers as to warrant monitoring; (b) the species listed in Appendix III to the Convention for which a reservation has been entered. 5. Where the conservation status of species covered by this Regulation warrants their inclusion in one of the Appendices to the Convention, the Member States shall contribute to the necessary amendments. Furthermore, the following guidelines for Annex D were agreed at SRG 36 on 9 March 2006 as follows: A species may be included in Annex D where:

a) there is evidence of demand for it in the EU market and b) it might be threatened by trade due its unfavourable or unknown conservation

status, distributional, ecological or reproductive potential and c) reliable trade data is not available from any other source.

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REVIEW OF NON-CITES AMPHIBIA SPECIES THAT ARE KNOWN OR LIKELY TO BE IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

AMPHIBIA: HYLIDAE

SPECIES: Agalychnis annae SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Blue-sided Leaf Frog (English) RANGE STATES: Costa Rica IUCN RED LIST: Endangered PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: The species is found in the international pet trade (IUCN et al., 2007). Elizondo (2000) reported that individuals of this species are very sought-after for use as pets, and they are collected from the wild in order to be illegally sold, mainly in Europe and the US. No national trade statistics were identified for this species. The following information was derived from the web survey (as outlined in the section on methodology):

� The species was advertised for €125 on a French website (http://www.lafermetropicale.com/boutique/rechercheboutik.php) as sub-adult specimens born in captivity in 2005, although they were not in stock at the time when the website was visited.

� The following websites revealed that this species is sought by some hobbyists, although hobbyists’ comments indicated that it was not very widely available: http://talkto.thefrog.org/index.php?action=vthread&forum=13&topic=5228; http://www.canadart.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1126; http://www.amphibianforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=295&sid=f7bebf4d93773acad13b69c9e066f15f).

� A hobbyist on one forum commented “they are fairly rare especially in Canada. I see them sell for $80 US/frog, but they are offered very rarely” (http://www.canadart.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=7419&sid=d263ced9d2a3badd25126c6a04a20125).

� Another noted: “I plan on getting some golden-eye tree frogs (Agalychnis annae) by this summer. As far as I know, no one in Canada has these frogs and I would really like to start breeding them to make them available in Canada. I'm looking for CB adults, if possible from several bloodlines, and I would like to get at least 8-10 individuals, possibly more depending on availability and pricing. If you will have some of these frogs available for sale by this summer and don't mind exporting to Canada, please contact me either by MP or by mail.“ (http://www.amphibianforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=295&sid=f7bebf4d93773acad13b69c9e066f15f)

� The German website http://exotic-world.de/Froesche/Agalychnis_annae.htm offered some captive care information for the species.

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CONSERVATION STATUS in range states COSTA RICA: The species occurs in Costa Rica (Leenders, 2001), specifically the Caribbean slopes and Meseta Central of the country (Frost, 2007). The following information has been extracted from the Global Amphibian Assessment website (IUCN et al., 2007):

“Agalychnis annae occurs in the northern Cordillera de Talamanca, Cordillera de Tilarán and Cordillera Central, Costa Rica, at 780 - 1,650m. However, it has disappeared from most parts of its range, surviving mainly around San José only. Since the late 1980s, it has disappeared from pristine areas, including in protected areas such as Parque Nacional Tapantí and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, where it was once common. It remains common only in highly altered habitats in metropolitan San José. It remains the most abundant species in San José and suburbs near heavily polluted streams, especially in shade-grown coffee plantations and gardens. Despite the apparent adaptability of this species, it is nonetheless subject to unconfirmed factors that have caused amphibian faunas to decline in certain locations in Central America, in particular the fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. It is possible that this species survives only in polluted areas because the chytrid fungus is more susceptible to pollution than the frog. The few, known remaining populations of this species are threatened by an introduced fish (Xiphophorus hellerii) that preys on the tadpoles; it is also found in the international pet trade. Research is needed to determine whether or not this species can survive only in polluted areas, because of the ineffectiveness of the chytrid fungus in such environments. If this proves to be the case, then well-meaning conservation measures to abate water pollution could unintentionally lead to the extinction of this species. Given the nature of the threats, it may be worth considering the establishment of a captive-breeding programme for this species”.

Pounds et al. (2004) noted that the drastic population decline was estimated to be more than 50% since 1990, inferred from the apparent disappearance of much of the population. Regional/international trade is considered an ongoing major threat to this species (IUCN, 2007). A. annae was not found during amphibian surveys conducted during 1990-1994 and that covered three zones where the species was known to occur (Pounds et al., 1997). It was listed as a species with reduced populations in Costa Rica (MINAE, 2006). The species is protected in Costa Rica by the Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre No. 7317, and by the Ley Orgánica del Ambiente No. 7554 and decree No. 26435-MINAE (Elizondo, 2000). REFERENCES Elizondo, L.H. 2000. Especies de Costa Rica: Agalychnis annae. INBio (Instituto Nacional de

Biodiversidad). URL: http://darnis.inbio.ac.cr/ubis/FMPro?-DB=UBIPUB.fp3&-lay=WebAll&-error=norec.html&-Format=detail.html&-Op=eq&id=4180&-Find Accessed September 2007.

Frost, D. 2007. Amphibian Species of the World 5.0. An online reference. American Museum of Natural History. URL: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php Accessed October 2007.

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IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL: www.globalamphibians.org Accessed on September 2007.

Leenders, T. 2001. A guide to amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica. Miami, U.S.A.: Zona Tropical, S.A.

MINAE (Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía) 2006. Lista de especies con poblaciones reducidas para Costa Rica. Decreto Ejecutivo 32633 – MINAE. Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación – Secretaría Ejecutiva.

Pounds, A., Bolaños, F. & Chaves, G. 2004. Agalychnis annae. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Accessed September 2007.

Pounds, A., Fogden, M.P.L., Savage, J.M. & Gorman, G.C. 1997. Test of null models for amphibian declines on a tropical mountain. Conservation Biology 11 (6): 1307-1322.

FURTHER READING: Duellman, W. E. 2001. Hylid frogs of Middle America. Society for the Study of Amphibians and

Reptiles, Ithaca, New York, USA. Two volumes, 1,180 pp. Savage, J. M. 2002. The amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.

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AMPHIBIA: RANIDAE

SPECIES: Limnonectes macrodon SYNONYMS: Rana macrodon COMMON NAMES: Malayan Wart Frog (English) RANGE STATES: Indonesia, ?Malaysia, ?Myanmar, ?Thailand IUCN RED LIST: Vulnerable PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: Kusrini and Alford (2006) examined the frog leg trade in Indonesia based on export data between 1969-2002 reported in the Foreign Trade Statistical Bulletin by the Indonesian Statistical Bureau, and on market surveys and interviews conducted in 2001 and 2003. Their work indicated that it is not clear from the available statistics which species are taken for the frog legs trade, in part because the frogs’ legs are usually exported without their skins, making species identification difficult (Kusrini & Alford, 2006). In fact, biochemical analysis of frog legs imports from Indonesia into the European Union showed that all surveyed frog legs, despite their initial species declaration as Limnonectes macrodon, Fejervarya cancrivora, F. limnocharis and Rana catesbeiana, belonged to F. cancrivora (Veith et al., 2000). Iskandar (pers. comm. 2007) reported that frogs exported from Jakarta airport are labelled as Limnonectes macrodon (or Rana macrodon), but that most of them are sourced from several areas in Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi and other areas, therefore actually involving around 10 to 14 different species. Kusrini & Alford (2006) found that the international market was supplied with processed and frozen frogs’ legs, mostly belonging to large mature individuals. Available data showed that exports of frogs’ legs (in general, not only of L. macrodon) from Indonesia increased – from under 1 million kg in the early 1970s to 5.6 million kg in 1992, and then declining to around 3.8 million kg in 2002 (Kusrini & Alford, 2006). This was estimated to represent an average annual export of approximately 28 to 142 million frogs between 1999 and 2002 (Kusrini, 2005). Frogs for the local market, on the other hand, were normally sold alive. Kusrini and Alford (2006) found that three species of native frogs were sold in local markets in Java: Fejervarya cancrivora, Fejervarya limnocharis, and Limnonectes macrodon. The domestic market was considered to be about seven times larger than the international one (Kusrini, 2005). Limnonectes macrodon was found to be the second-most-harvested species (for the domestic and international markets combined), accounting for about 19% of captured frogs in Java (Kusrini & Alford, 2006). Twenty-two companies, employing 3,596 people, were listed by the Indonesian government as exporting frogs’ legs in 2000 (Ministry of Fisheries, 2000, cited in Kusrini & Alford, 2006). According to interviewed sources from the exporting companies, exported frogs mostly came from East Java (Kediri, Madiun, Nganjuk, Bojonegoro, Pasuruan, Jombang, Madura), but also from West Java (Tasikmalaya and Cirebon), central Java (Solo, Cilacap), and locations outside

26

Java such as Lampung (southern end of Sumatra), Bali and south Kalimantan (Banjarmasin). Native frogs were removed from the wild, as frog farms were reported to only raise the introduced Rana catesbeiana (Kusrini & Alford, 2006). Europe was reported to be the main importer of Indonesian frog’s legs (83.2% of the total exported), with Belgium and Luxembourg (combined as one entity in the statistical reports) the principal destination (47.6%), followed by France (27.6%) and the Netherlands (21%). Exports to Europe were reported to have increased since 1985. Between 1997 and 2002, exports to Belgium and Luxembourg fluctuated between one and two million kg of frogs’ legs per year. Most of the remaining exports went to Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia) (Kusrini & Alford, 2006). Indonesia was reported to be the source of the great majority of frog legs imported by European countries, especially after India started regulating its trade in frog legs in the 1980s, following species declines (Patel, 1993). No trade data were obtained for the other range States. CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES The taxonomy and distribution of Limnonectes macrodon has been confused: some authors considered the species to be restricted to Java and Sumatra in Indonesia (Iskandar, pers. comm.; IUCN et al., 2007); others have reported its occurrence in Indonesia but also in Malaysia (ACB, 2007; Frost, 2007), Myanmar (ACB, 2007; Frost, 2007; Zug et al., 2003), Thailand (ACB, 2007; Frost, 2007), Viet Nam (ACB, 2007) and the Riau Archipelago – regarded as part of Sumatra- (ACB, 2007; Frost, 2007). Frost (2007) noted, however, that the species has been confused with Rana malesiana, and that Bornean records referred to Rana ingeri. Frost (2007) also noted that, according to Berry (1975), there are possibly two species (perhaps including Rana malesiana) under this name in Malaysia.

The Global Amphibian Assessment team (IUCN et al., 2007) argued that records from mainland southeast Asia referred to Limnonectes blythii (although they noted that L. blythii was undoubtedly a complex of many species), and that records of this species from the Andaman Islands in India referred to an undescribed species (IUCN et al., 2007). Similarly, Iskandar (pers. comm., 2007) suggested that reports from mainland Asia as well as from Sumatra and Indochina referred to either L. blythii, L. shompenorum, L. malesianus, L. leporinus, L, ingeri or several other recently described forms. INDONESIA: According to the Global Amphibian Assessment team, the species is found throughout Java and the Lampung Province in the south of Sumatra, Indonesia, and it occurs up to at least 700 m above sea level (IUCN et al., 2007). L. macrodon was recorded from the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot, Sumatra, at two of the four key biodiversity areas surveyed: Batang Gadis and Bukit Barisan Selatan (CEPF, 2007). It has been reported to occur in Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia (IUCN et al., 2007). IUCN et al. (2007) reported that in Indonesia this species was more common in the past, however it is now considered uncommon, but not yet rare. Kusrini (2005) noted that L. macrodon appeared to be common in West Java, although it occurred at relatively low densities, with maximum densities of seven frogs found per 100 m of stream length in 2002. Kusrini also noted the need for long-term monitoring to detect possible future declines. The major threats to the species reported by IUCN et al. (2007) were exploitation, habitat destruction and water pollution. The species is highly exploited as food, eaten locally and nationally, and animals from eastern Java are exported and it was suggested that the harvest of this species needs to be properly managed (IUCN et al., 2007).

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Kusrini (2005) found low numbers of L. macrodon at one of two sites surveyed in West Java, but concluded that it was unclear whether this was caused by over-harvesting or by other factors. Because of lack of available data on the status of L. macrodon, the impact of harvesting on this species is unclear (Kusrini, 2005). Iskandar and Erdelen (2006) agreed with this view, noting that the herpetofauna in Indonesia is poorly understood in terms of taxonomic status, basic biological and ecological characteristics, and geographic distribution patterns. Studies on population changes in Indonesian amphibian species have not yet been carried out, and therefore there is no baseline information with which to compare observed trends. Moreover, there is a strong need for more detailed taxonomic studies; the frog leg trade, reported to consist mostly of Limnonectes macrodon and L. blythii, probably includes many other species, some of which have not even been described (Iskandar & Erdelen, 2006). Kusrini (2005) reported that currently no controls are in place in Indonesia to monitor trade levels in frog legs. Quotas have been set for trade in L. macrodon skins and in individuals traded as pets, however that trade is insignificant compared to the trade in legs for food, which is not regulated (Kusrini, 2005). Recommendations suggested by Kusrini (2005) regarding management of frog harvest in Indonesia included:

- regular monitoring of trade, especially in islands other than Java, such as Sumatra, by the CITES Scientific Authority;

- regular monitoring of the number of export companies and their middlemen; - development of a simple identification key to be distributed to middlemen, in order

to ensure correct identification; - assessment of the possibility of farming native frogs instead of the exotic Rana

catesbeiana; - ensure that harvest is limited to species that are not adversely impacted.

Kusrini (2005) also suggested that L. macrodon may warrant inclusion in CITES Appendix II, noting, however, that more data were needed to further clarify whether the criteria for inclusion were met. In addition, identification problems may hinder trade management (Veith et al., 2000; Kusrini, 2005). Iskandar (pers. comm., 2007) reported that Limnonectes macrodon normally enters the local market, as they are usually small (up to 120 mm, compared to pre-world-war specimens measuring up to about 180 mm), the reduction in size probably having been caused by overharvesting. The most commonly exported specimens are Limnonectes blythii from Sumatra. These can reach 300 mm and weight over 1.5 kg, but are currently 150-200 mm on average. They are usually exported from Padang, West Sumatra, Palembang, or Medan, but the main source at present is the Riau Province (Iskandar, pers. comm. 2007). Iskandar (pers. comm., 2007) also noted that assessing the impact of trade is difficult because there is no data concerning the populations in the past, and because of taxonomic confusion. MALAYSIA: L. macrodon was not included in the list of frogs of the Malay Peninsula (Sukumaran, 2004), however, it was reported to occur in that country by ACB (2007) and Frost (2007). However, occurrence in Malaysia is unclear (see discussion above). MYANMAR: The species was included in the checklist of herpetofauna of Myanmar (Zug et al., 2003), and also reported to occur by ACB (2007) and Frost (2007). However, occurrence in Myanmar is unclear (see discussion above).

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THAILAND: Reported to occur by ACB (2007) and Frost (2007). However, occurrence in Thailand is unclear (see discussion above). VIET NAM: Reported to occur by ACB (2007), however, not reported by any other author to occur here, and occurrence is unlikely (see discussion above). REFERENCES: AmphibiaWeb 2007. Information on amphibian biology and conservation. Berkeley, California.

URL: www.amphibiaweb.org Accessed September 2007. ACB (ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity) 2007. Limnonectes macrodon. URL:

http://aseanbiodiversity.org/cgi-bin/abiss.exe/spd?tx=AM&spd=260 Accessed October 2007.

Berry, P.Y. 1975. The Amphibian Fauna of Peninsula Malaysia. Tropical Press, Kuala Lumpur. CEPF (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund) 2007. Assessing five years of CEPF investment in the

Sumatra Forest Ecosystem of the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot. A Special Report. March 2007.


Iskandar, D.T. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Djoko T. Iskandar (School of Life Sciences and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC), dated 4th October 2007.

Iskandar, D.T. & Erdelen, W.R. 2006. Conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Indonesia: issues and problems. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 4(1): 60-87.

IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL: www.globalamphibians.org Accessed September 2007.

Kusrini, M.D. 2005. Edible frog harvesting in Indonesia: Evaluating its impacts and ecological context. PhD thesis, James Cook University.

Kusrini, M.D. & Alford, R.A. 2006. Indonesia’s exports of frogs’ legs. TRAFFIC Bulletin 21 (1): 13-24.

Ministry of Fisheries 2000. Profil perusahaan pengolahan dan eksportir hasil perikanan Indonesia. 2000. Jakarta, Departemen Eksplorasi Laut dan Perikanan Direktorat Jenderal Perikanan.

Patel, T. 1993. French may eat Indonesia out of frogs. New Scientist 1868, 10 April 1993, p. 7. Sukumaran, J. 2004. Frogs of the Malay Peninsula. URL: www.frogweb.org Accessed October

2007. Veith, M., Kosuch, J., Feldmann, R., Martens, H. & Seitz, A. 2000. A test for correct species

declaration of frog legs imports from Indonesia into the European Union. Biodiversity and Conservation 9 (3): 333-341.

Zug, G., Slowinski, J. and Wogan, G. 2003. Checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Myanmar. URL: http://www.calacademy.org/research/herpetology/myanmar/checklist.html Accessed October 2007.

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AMPHIBIA: SALAMANDRIDAE

SPECIES: Neurergus kaiseri SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Luristan Newt (English), Kaiser’s spotted newt

(English) RANGE STATES: Iran (Islamic Republic of) IUCN RED LIST: Critically Endangered PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: IUCN et al. (2007) noted:

“A few animals have been observed for sale in the Tehran market, presumably for local use in aquaria (T. Papenfuss, pers. comm.). However, of greater concern is the current growing trade in the species for the international pet trade. At present it appears that individuals caught in the wild are being illegally exported out of Iran, and are finding their way into the pet trade. Some of the individuals in the trade are reportedly captive-bred but this requires confirmation”.

It was reported by Raffaelli (2007, cited in Amphibiaweb, 2007) that, although protected in Iran, it has been exported to Europe, as well as to the Russian Federation (for breeding purposes) via Azerbaijan. In 2005, specimens were reportedly exported from Iran to Ukraine, and in 2006 a further export of adults to the Russian Federation was reported to have taken place. Smugglers, pet keepers, and possibly some tourists were reported to capture Neurergus spp. in Iran and export them illegally (Rastegar-Pouyani, pers. comm., 2007). The Iranian authorities have apparently been informed about the situation (Rastegar-Pouyani, pers. comm., 2007). No national trade statistics were identified for this species. The following information was derived from the web survey (as outlined in the section on methodology):

� The species was advertised for sale on a French website (www.lafermetropicale.com), retailing at €139.

� An ad posted in the classifieds section of Kingsnake.com on 20th September 2007, advertised 20 Neurergus kaiseri individuals for sale retailing at $150 each (http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=14&de=530399). The vendor was contacted and indicated that they were all captive-bred.

� Pairs of N. kaiseri adults were offered for sale on another website by a Czech dealer (http://www.eurofauna.com/amphibians-and-reptiles/amphibians?strana=2). The dealer was contacted and indicated that the specimens currently available were captive-bred, as it was not the “season” for wild-caught N. kaiseri, but he stated that he may receive an import of wild-caught specimens by February-March 2008.

� On the same website (www.eurofauna.com), another Czech dealer (from www.animalfarm.cz) also advertised N. kaiseri for sale. Three additional individuals posted ads expressing interest in buying the species (www.eurofauna.com, accessed 5th October 2007).

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� Information on keeping the species was available on the Austrian website www.salamanderland.at.

� A specialized Japanese online shop (in Japanese only) also included the species on its list (http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand/3108/herpetarium.html).

� Interest in the species as a pet was apparent on some specialized websites (e.g. www.caudata.org), where hobbyists posted questions and advice relating to the keeping of the species in captivity. The forum title on this website relating to this genus reads “Near and Middle Eastern Newts (Neurergus) – Arguably the most beautiful newts in the world, this Asian genus is highly desired by many hobbyists”. Most of those already in possession of the newt stress its shy behavior and delicate nature, advising it is not a pet for beginners. Some report to have successfully bred it in captivity (http://www.caudata.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=39).

TRAFFIC North America (2006) reported that:

“In December 2004, 50 specimens of Kaiser’s spotted newt were offered for sale via an Internet web site. The seller was located in Canada but the specimens were offered to the US market […] If they were from the wild, then these specimens would have accounted for approximately five per cent of the known population – a devastating blow to the survival of the species. The demand for this species in the international amphibian pet trade is likely due to both its rarity and its attractive color pattern. As a result, the price for one Kaiser’s spotted newt, up to CA $350 per specimen, is high compared to most salamander species. It was determined that two previous (smaller) shipments had been imported to Canada from a dealer in Ukraine. Correspondence with this dealer in 2005 confirmed that they import and sell wild-caught specimens of Kaiser’s spotted newts (among other species). According to the dealer, in early 2005 they traded approximately 200 specimens and they were expecting to have approximately 250 more available by January 2006. Correspondence with the Iranian CITES Management Authority confirmed that trade in N. kaiseri is regulated under the Iranian Game and Fish Law. The Iranian authorities also confirmed that no permits have been issued for trade in this species in the past 10 years. Thus recent international trade in wild-caught specimens of N. kaiseri is based on their illegal export from Iran”.

CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF): N. kaiseri was listed as Critically Endangered, because “its extent of occurrence is less than 100 km², its area of occupancy is less than 10 km², its populations are severely fragmented, and there is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat, as well as a decline in the number of mature individuals due to overharvesting for the illegal pet trade” (IUCN et al., 2007). N. kaiseri occurs within a restricted area of the southern Zagros Mountains, in the Lorestan (most of the population) and Khuzestan Provinces, Iran. It is endemic to three streams, but one of the populations has disappeared and it is now only known from two spring-fed streams. It has an altitudinal range of 500 to 1,430m above sea level (Rastegar-Pouyani, 2003; IUCN et al., 2007). The area that the species is known from is close to the Zagros Oak Forest protected area (IUCN et al., 2007) The species is “locally abundant to rare within its restricted range. The population is estimated to number fewer than 1,000 mature individuals” (IUCN et al., 2007). The species’ status is critical (Rastegar-Pouyani, pers. comm., 2007).

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Habitat loss as a result of wood extraction for small-scale subsistence use, coupled with the effects of recent severe droughts, were reported to be the major threats to the species (Rastegar-Pouyani, 2003; IUCN et al., 2007). Damming of the few known inhabited streams (IUCN et al., 2007) and pollution by disposal of waste (Rastegar-Pouyani, 2003) are also serious potential threats to the species. The growing trade in the species for the international pet trade was also reported to be a cause of concern by IUCN et al. (2007), who considered that “actions need to be taken immediately to prevent the illegal export of this species for the international pet trade” (IUCN et al., 2007). IUCN et al. (2007) also suggested that a captive-breeding programme may need to be established (IUCN et al., 2007). The species is protected by Iranian national legislation (IUCN et al., 2007), specifically the Iranian Game and Fish Law (TRAFFIC North America, 2006). TRAFFIC North America’s (2006) initial analysis on the trade in the species indicated that “efforts to protect this species in the wild from the detrimental effects of trade should be taken on several fronts: enforcement efforts to stop illegal collection and export from Iran should be introduced, countries where the species are being traded such as Ukraine and Canada should crack down on the traders, and regulatory approaches to reduce the impact of wildlife trade should be explored, including CITES listing”. REFERENCES: AmphibiaWeb. 2007. Information on amphibian biology and conservation. Berkeley, California.

URL: www.amphibiaweb.org Accessed September 2007. IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL:

www.globalamphibians.org Accessed on September 2007. TRAFFIC North America. 2006. The Kaiser’s spotted newt – traded to the brink of extinction.

The TRAFFIC Report. Vol 5 No. 1. Raffaelli, J. 2007. Les urodeles du monde. Penclen ed. 377 pp. Rastegar-Pouyani, N. 2003. Ecology and conservation of the genus Neurergus in the Zagros

Mountains, Western Iran. FrogLog 56. Rastegar-Pouyani, N. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Nasrullah

Rastegar-Pouyani (Razi University, Iran) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC), 8th October 2007.

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SPECIES: Neurergus microspilotus SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Kurdistan Newt (English) RANGE STATES: Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq?, Turkey? IUCN RED LIST: Endangered PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: Neurergus microspilotus specimens have been reportedly seen at the Teheran market bound for the pet trade (AmphibiaWeb, 2007). The species is sometimes seen in the illegal pet trade, which is an increasing threat to the species (IUCN et al., 2007), and considered one of the major threats by the Global Amphibian Assessment Group (IUCN et al., 2007). Smugglers, pet keepers, and possibly some tourists were reported to capture Neurergus spp. in Iran and export them illegally (Rastegar-Pouyani, pers. comm., 2007). The Iranian authorities have apparently been informed about the situation (Rastegar-Pouyani, pers. comm., 2007). No specific evidence of trade in this particular species was identified, except for information on the species and on how to keep it as a pet provided on the Austrian hobbyist website http://www.salamanderland.at/Artenliste/N.microspilotus/NEURERGUS.MICROSPILOTUS.htm. Additionally, the title of the forum relating to this genus on the website http://www.caudata.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=39 reads “Near and Middle Eastern Newts (Neurergus) – Arguably the most beautiful newts in the world, this Asian genus is highly desired by many hobbyists”. CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES N. microspilotus was listed as globally Endangered, because “its extent of occurrence is less than 5,000 km² and its area of occupancy is less than 500 km², it is known from only four streams, and there is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its stream habitat, and in the number of subpopulations and individuals” (IUCN et al., 2007). Neurergus microspilotus is restricted to the Avroman Mountains on the Iraq-Iran-Turkey Border (Leviton et al., 1992) where it was known from five streams, but is now restricted to only four (IUCN et al., 2007). Rastegar-Pouyani (2006) noted that the species is found in Iran and also in north-eastern Iraq and south-eastern Turkey. Leviton et al. (1992) considered the species to occur in the Iraqi and Iranian Kurdistan. However, according to IUCN et al. (2007) and to Amphibiaweb (2007), the presence of the species in Iraq and Turkey needs confirmation.

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IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF): Within Iran, the species is found in the Kermenshah and (southern parts of) Kurdistan Provinces (IUCN et al., 2007). It has an altitudinal range of 1,300 - 1,400m above sea level according to IUCN et al. (2007), but a wider range of 1,200-1800 was reported by Rastegar-Pouyani (2006) in the Zagros mountains in Kermanshah Province, western Iran. Neurergus microspilotus was reported to be a reasonably common species in suitable habitat, but a number of populations have recently become extirpated, presumably through recent severe drought or illegal harvesting for the pet trade (IUCN et al., 2007). The species’ status was considered to be critical (Rastegar-Pouyani, pers. comm., 2007). Habitat destruction and water contamination close to villages and small townships (largely by agrochemicals) are leading to a decline in populations (Rastegar-Pouyani, 2003; Rastegar-Pouyani, 2006; IUCN et al., 2007). IUCN et al. (2007) reported that the species “occurs within the generally protected Zagrosian Oak Forest. Local people have been engaged in projects looking for alternative solutions to alleviate water pollution. It is protected by national legislation in Iran, but this requires better enforcement. Actions need to be taken immediately to prevent the illegal export of this species for a pet as is currently taking place. This is a new and increasing threat that must be stopped before it is too late. Captive breeding may be the only chance of saving this species”. IRAQ: It is possible that the species is found in the north-east of the country (Leviton et al., 1992; Rastegar-Pouyani, 2006), but this has not been confirmed (IUCN et al., 2007). TURKEY: It is possible that the species is found in the south-east of the country (Rastegar-Pouyani, 2006), but this has not been confirmed (IUCN et al., 2007). REFERENCES: AmphibiaWeb. 2007. Information on amphibian biology and conservation. Berkeley, California.

URL: www.amphibiaweb.org Accessed September 2007. IUCN, Conservation International, & NatureServe 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL:

www.globalamphibians.org Accessed September 2007. Leviton A. E., Anderson S. C., Adler K. & Minton A. 1992. Handbook to Middle East Amphibians

and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 252 pp. Rastegar-Pouyani, N. 2003. Ecology and conservation of the genus Neurergus in the Zagros

Mountains, Western Iran. Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force (DAPTF) No. 56, April 2003.

Rastegar-Pouyani, N. 2006. Conservation and distribution of Neurergus microspilotus (Caudata: Salamandridae) in the Zagros Mountains, Kermanshah Province, Western Iran. In: Vences, M., Kohler, J., Ziegler, T & Bohme, W. (Eds) Proceedings of the 13th Congress of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica. Herpetologia Bonnensis II. Pp. 115-116.

Rastegar-Pouyani, N. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani (Razi University, Iran) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC), 8th October 2007.

Sharifi, M. and Assadian, S. 2004. Distribution and conservation status of Neurergus microspilotus (Caudata: Salamandridae) in Western Iran. Asiatic Herpetological Research 10: 224-229.

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AMPHIBIA: RANIDAE

SPECIES: Rana shqiperica SYNONYMS: Rana balcanica, Rana lessonae, Pelophylax shqipericus COMMON NAMES: Rana schipetara (Croatian), Balkan Frog (English),

Grenouille d'Albanie (French), Balkan-Wasserfrosch (German)

RANGE STATES: Albania, Montenegro IUCN RED LIST: Endangered PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: TRADE PATTERNS There are no available records of trade at the species level in R. shqiperica. The following figures represent the only compiled data (Ljubisavljevic et al., 2003), and refer to various frog species in particular, five Rana species, commonly known as green frogs, including R. shqiperica. Between 1928 and 1976, a total of 6,312 tons of live frogs (approximately 105 million specimens) were exported from the Former Yugoslavia. Quantities exported increased from 5 kg in 1935 to 420 tonnes in 1976. Live frogs were exported to 17 countries, France and Italy being the main importers (51% and 42% of the total export, respectively) (Ljubisavljevic et al., 2003). Between 1953 and 1976, 136 tonnes of frog legs (involving approximately 6.8 million frogs) were exported to eight countries. Switzerland was the main importer (72% of total exports) (Ljubisavljevic et al., 2003). The annual quotas for frog exports from the Former Yugoslavia during 1975-1980 ranged from 5,579 kg to 11,997 kg (Dzukic et al., 1996). Rastko Ajtic (pers. comm., 2007) provided trade records on green frogs from former Yugoslavia (R. shqiperica was legally treated by the Government as a “green frog” for trade purposes, and no differentiation was made between species):

Year 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Kg 102000 2000 65000 80500 70000 10000 100000 20000

Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Kg 167000 79000 30000 20000 15000 31000 3000 3000 3000

The live frogs most appreciated by the French chefs were reported to be those coming from Turkey, Egypt and Albania (http://www.terre-net.fr/outils/Fiches/FicheDetail.asp?id=26793&idRub=168). No further specific information was obtained on the level of use that R. shqiperica may be subject to in the European frog’s legs market.

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CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES R. shqiperica is restricted to western Albania and southern Montenegro (Frost, 2007; IUCN et al., 2007, Mazzei et al., 2007). It occurs around Lake Skadar at the border between Montenegro and Albania and in the Adriatic coastal region of southern Montenegro and Albania. The species lives along the vegetation rich shores of Lake Skadar, as well as in swamps, ditches, marshes, channels or gently flowing rivers situated in the plains from the Adriatic coast up to 60 km inland (Gasc et al., 1997). It is a lowland species that probably does not reach 500m above sea level (IUCN et al., 2007). IUCN et al. (2007) considered the species to be present in the Lake Skadar protected area, on the border of Montenegro and Albania. The general abundance of this species is not known (IUCN et al., 2007). The Global Amphibian Assessment team (IUCN et al., 2007) considered the species to be threatened by the drainage of wetland habitats and aquatic pollution of many waterways caused by agrochemical and industrial (including mining) contaminants. In northern parts of its range (eg. Lake Skadar) it was reported to be significantly threatened by over collection for commercial purposes (IUCN et al., 2007). It is additionally threatened by accidental introductions of commercially transported non-native water frogs (IUCN et al., 2007). Rana shqiperica is listed on Appendix III of the Berne Convention, and as such, its exploitation must be regulated in order to keep the populations out of danger. Both Albania and Montenegro are Parties to the Berne Convention. ALBANIA: Rana shqiperica occurs along the Adriatic coastal region, from Montenegro to south-western Albania (e.g. Gasc et al., 1997; Frost, 2007; IUCN, 2007). Reported from the localities of Shkoder and Zogaj (Skadar Lake, Albania) in 2007 (Balej & Jablonski, 2007). No information was obtained on the conservation status of this species in Albania. According to Ajtic, pers. comm. (2007) no conservations measures have been taken for R. shqiperica in Albania. MONTENEGRO: The species is reported to occur in southern Montenegro, including Lake Skadar (e.g. Cirovic & Haxhiu, 2001; Crnobrnja-Isailovic & Dzukic, 1995; Frost, 2007; ITSC, 2007; IUCN et al., 2007). The species’ type locality is Virpazar (Lake Skadar, Montenegro, close to the Albanian border) (Hotz et al., 1987). Reported from Virpazar and Buljarica (Montenegro) in 2006 and 2007, respectively (Balej & Jablonski, 2007). R. shqiperica appears to be poorly known (Kalezic & Dzukic, 2001). According to Ajtic, pers. comm. (2007) no conservation measures have been taken for R. shqiperica in Montenegro. Green frog (several species) population density was reported to be greatest in the lowlands, an area which has suffered the most intensive anthropogenic pressures in the last century, including: drainage; regulation of rivers by canals and embankments; transformation of pools and marshes into fish ponds; habitat fragmentation and biocide release as a result of agriculture; ongoing contamination of rivers by industrial pollutants and frequent accident-related events; and extensive harvesting of green frogs for the purpose of trade (Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). These factors combined caused a dramatic decline of green frog populations (Kalezic & Dzukic, 2001; Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). 'Green frogs', including Rana shqiperica, were not protected by law in Yugoslavia (Kalezic & Dzukic, 2001; Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). The harvesting of green frogs for the purpose of trade was regulated under a separate law, which came into force only in 1991 (Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). The high annual quota and the implementation of the law were perceived to be the

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main weaknesses in this law (Kalezic & Dzukic, 2001) as well as confusion regarding the institutions in charge, and the permitted weight and length limits (Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). Additionally, discriminative parameters for recognizing Rana lessonae and R. shqiperica were reported to be non-existent in the regulations (Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). Referring to Serbia and Montenegro together, Ljubisavljevic et al. (2003) considered that the country no longer sustained sufficient population size for exploitation of green frogs, at least not to the previous extent. The potential area for economically profitable harvesting of green frogs was considered to be approximately 15% of the State’s territory (15,326 km2) (Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). Frog harvesting within the Lake Skadar National Park was reported to take place, since the green frogs were not protected by law in Montenegro, and successive sampling over several years showed that excessive harvesting of green frogs in the National Park had resulted in a decline of the average body weight (Ljubisavljevic et al. 2003). “Frog hunters” had to migrate long distances from their home areas, which was considered to be an indirect indication that populations of green frogs were declining in Serbia and Montenegro (Dzukic et al., 1996). Dzukic et al. (1996) reported that herpetologists from the Biological Institute in Belgrade have suggested to the authorities that the exploitation of frogs be halted for at least five consecutive years. They also indicated that all information regarding the frog trade was unavailable to scientists”. REFERENCES: Ajtic, R. 2007. personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Rastko Ajtic (Institute

for Nature Conservation of Serbia) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC), October 2007. Balej, P. & Jablonski, D. 2007 Amphibians and Reptiles of the Balkans. URL: www.balcanica.cz

Accessed October 2007. Cirovic, R. & Haxhiu, R. 2001. Amphibians. In: Pulevic, V., Hadžiablahovic S., Kasom G.,

Rakocevic-Nedovic J., Nikcevic S., Pešic V., R., Cirovic R., Saveljic D., Buškovic V., Dhimitër D., Lefter K., Fatbrdh S., Idriz H., Taulant B., Ferdinand B., Rrok S., Marash R. Biodiversity database of the Shkodra/Skadar Lake – Checklist of species. The Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Crnobrnja-Isailovic, J. & Dzukic, G. 1995. First report about conservation status of herpetofauna in the Skadar Lake Region (Montenegro): Current situation and perspectives, pp. 373-380. In: Llorente, G.A., Montori, A., Santos, X. & Carretero, M.A. (Eds) Scientia Herpetologica. Asociación Herpetológica Española, Barcelona.

Dzukic, G., Kalezic, M., Aleksic, I. and Crnobrnja, J. 1996. Green frogs exploited in the former Yugoslavia. FrogLog 19.


Gasc, J.-P., Cabela, A., Crnobrnja-Isailovic, J., Dolmen, D, Grossenbacher, K., Haffner, P., Lescure, J., Martens, H., Martínez Rica, J. P., Maurin, H. (eds.) 1997. Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Europe. Societas Europaea Herpetologica & Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris: 496 pp.

Hotz, H., Uzzell, T., Günther, R., Tunner, H.G. and Heppich, S. 1987. Rana shqiperica, a new European water frog species from the Adriatic Balkans (Amphibia, Salientia, Ranidae). Notulae Naturae 468: 1-3.

ITSC. 2007. Environmental impact assessment study on regional water supply system of Montenegrin coast from water source Bolje Sestre. Government of the Republic of Montenegro.

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IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL: www.globalamphibians.org Accessed October 2007.

Kalezic, M. & Dzukic, G. 2001. Amphibian status in Serbia and Montenegro (FR Yugoslavia). FrogLog. 45.

Ljubisavljevic, K., Dzukic, G. & Kalezic, M. 2003. Green frogs are greatly endangered in Serbia and Montenegro. FrogLog 58.

Mazzei, P., Pimpinelli, I., Reggianti, D. 2007. Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe. URL: www.herp.it Accessed October 2007.

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AMPHIBIA: PLETHODONTIDAE

SPECIES: Bolitoglossa dofleini SYNONYMS: Bolitoglossa schmidti COMMON NAMES: Alta Verapaz Salamander (English) RANGE STATES: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras IUCN RED LIST: Near Threatened PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS:

TRADE PATTERNS: No national trade statistics were identified for this species. The following information was derived from the web survey (as outlined in the section on methodology):

� Suggestions were made on the forum of www.caudata.org that this species was one of the most commonly available tropical salamanders in the pet trade. A hobbyist reported that this was the only plethodontid species more or less frequently imported into Belgium. One hobbyist from Italy reported having five individuals of this species. Several other hobbyists showed interest in the species, and some reported having bought various individuals in North American markets. One person (possibly British) reported she bought two individuals for £40 each. Several hobbyists agreed that the species suffers high mortality in captivity, rarely surviving for more than a few months, thus making it very difficult to breed in captivity. It was reported that specimens sold are all wild-caught.

� Interest in the particulars of keeping the species in captivity was also shown by hobbyists on the German websites http://www.dghtserver.de/foren/archive/index.php?t-11089.html, http://www.agurodela.de/forum/thread.php?boardid=1&threadid=120&page=1 and www.feuersalamander.com.

� The species was offered for sale on the British website www.worldwidefauna.com, where it was stated that “this species will ship directly from our farm in Honduras”.

� Adult individuals reportedly coming from Nicaragua were offered for sale on the French website www.lafermetropicale.com for €49.

� The German website http://www.terraristikladen.de/produkte.php?cat_id=20 advertised the species for €80.

� The species was offered for sale on the British website www.faunaimportuk.com, although it is noted that it is rarely available.

� One hobbyist noted on the Spanish website http://www.faunaexotica.net/foro/viajes_a_ferias/anfibios_en_expoterraria-t10204.0.html that the species sells for €70 in Spanish shops, but that he obtained individuals for €30 from Germany.

� On the Italian website http://www.dendrobatesitalia.it/reportage/hamm.htm it was reported that the species was for sale retailing at €85 at the German fair Terraristika Hamm 2003.

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CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES The following text was extracted from IUCN et al. (2007):

“Listed as Near Threatened because its Extent of Occurrence is probably not much greater than 20,000 km2, it occurs in several small, widely separated sub-populations, and it is subject to extensive wild harvest, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable. This species ranges from extreme northern Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, and Cayo District in southern Belize, to north-central Honduras. It occurs from 50 - 1,370m asl [above sea level], and probably occurs more widely. It is extremely common in some places within its restricted range. This species is potentially threatened by the international pet trade, in which it features significantly, and since this species takes 10 - 12 years to mature such trade could easily be locally unsustainable. An additional potential threat to this species is chytridiomycosis which has recently been reported in animals that were imported into Belgium. However, the origin of the infection (whether from the wild, or from other captive animals) is not known”.

Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities, is also considered a possible reason for decline (Amphibiaweb, 2007). BELIZE: Known to occur in Cayo district in southern Belize (BBIS, 1999; BDB, 2007; IUCN et al., 2007). Also reported from the Toledo district (BERDSB, 2007). Reported from Chiquibul National Park and Caracol Archaeological Reserve (BBIS, 1999). It was noted that although locally common, it seemed to be generally rare in the Yucatan Peninsula (BBIS, 1999). Reported to be apparently very rare in Belize, and to be very much in the international pet trade (BERDSB, 2007). GUATEMALA: Stuart (1963) reported the species to be known from low and moderate elevations of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. In Guatemala it occurs in Parque Nacional Laguna Lachua and the Reserva de Manantiales Montañas del Mico (IUCN et al., 2007). No information was identified on the conservation status of the species in Guatemala. HONDURAS: In Honduras it is known from Quebrada Grande in Copan Department, Sierra de Merendon west of San Pedro Sula, Cortes Department, and Portillo Grande in the Department of Yoro. One of the sites in Honduras where this species is found is at the edge of Parque Nacional Cusuco (IUCN et al., 2007). Wilson & McCranie (2003a) reported the species in Honduras from the Central Caribbean Slope, the Western Caribbean Slope and the Northwestern Highlands. Recorded from Sierra de Omoa, Honduras(Townsend, 2006). It was thought to be widespread in premontane wet forest formations, but its relative abundance was deemed to be “infrequent” (Wilson & McCraine, 2003a). However, it was considered to be highly vulnerable and declining in Honduras (Wilson & McCranie, 2003b; Townsend, 2006). All known populations of the species in Honduras were believed to be declining (Wilson & McCranie, 2003a; Wilson & McCranie, 2006).

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REFERENCES: Amphibiaweb 2007. AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation.

Berkeley, California. URL: www.amphibiaweb.org. Accessed October 2007. BBIS (Belize Biodiversity Information System) 1999. Belize Biodiversity Information System.

Wildlife Conservation Society & Ministry of Natural Resources’ Land Information Centre. URL: http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/WCS/020030.HTM Accessed October 2007.

BDB (Biological Diversity in Belize) 2007. Biological Diversity in Belize – Amphibians. URL: http://biological-diversity.info/amphibians.htm Accessed October 2007.

BERDSB (Biodiversity & Environmental Resource Data System of Belize) 2007. Species profile: Bolitoglossa dofleini. URL: http://www.biodiversity.bz/find/species/profile/profile.phtml?species_id=111 Accessed October 2007.

IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL: www.globalamphibians.org Accessed October 2007.

Stuart, L.C. 1963. A Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Guatemala. Miscellaneous publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, No. 122. 158 pp.

Townsend, J.H. 2006. Inventory and conservation assessment of the herpetofauna of the sierra de Omoa, Honduras, with a review of the Geophis (squamata: colubridae) of eastern nuclear central America. MA thesis, University of Florida.

Wilson, L.D. & McCranie, J.R. 2003a. Herpetofaunal indicator species as measures of environmental stability in Honduras. Caribbean Journal of Science 39 (1): 50-67.

Wilson, L. D. & McCranie, J. R. 2003b. The conservation status of the herpetofauna of Honduras. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 3 (1): 6-33.

Wilson, L. D. & McCranie, J. R. 2006. The herpetofauna of the rainforests of Honduras. Caribbean Journal of Science 42(1): 88-113.

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AMPHIBIA: LEPTODACTYLIDAE

SPECIES: Chacophrys pierottii SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Chaco Horned Frog (English) RANGE STATES: Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay IUCN RED LIST: Least Concern PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: It was reported to be occasionally available in the pet trade and described as a “delightful, easily maintained captive” by Barlett & Barlett (2000). Interest in getting individuals of this species was expressed by one person on www.caudata.org in 2003. It was advertised for sale on the French website www.lafermetropicale.com, retailing at €60, although it was shown as “unavailable”. It was also on the list of species of the French hobbyist website http://gutt.sg.free.fr/galerie_amph%20gre.htm. CONSERVATION STATUS in range states IUCN et al. (2007) reported:

“It is not well known from Bolivia and Paraguay, but the Argentinean populations appear to be large and widespread. This species is rarely seen except when juveniles leave ponds where they develop…… It is collected for the international pet trade, and subject to heavy collecting during the breeding season. It is threatened in Argentina by the destruction of Chaco habitat for agriculture and wood extraction, land and water pollution caused by agrochemical runoff”.

Considered to be a rare species, with fragmented populations and little known in terms of its status and biology (TNC, 2005). ARGENTINA: According to Frost (2007), the species occurs in salt flats in Chaco, Córdoba, Salta, Santiago del Estero, San Luis, and Rioja provinces in northern Argentina. APN (2007) reported the species to occur in the provinces of Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, La Rioja, and salt flats of Córdoba It occurs in the Chancani Provincial Reserve, the Formosa Natural Reserve, Teuquito Multiple Use Reserve in Argentina (IUCN et al., 2007). Very little information is available on C. pierottii in Argentina (Vaira, pers. comm. 2007). It is a very cryptic species that inhabits harsh and little-known habitats, which may lead to underestimation of its population size, although some researchers were able to collect a high number of individuals by being in the right place at the right time (Vaira, pers. comm. 2007). It was considered to be “Non-Threatened” by the Argentinean Herpetological Society (Lavilla et al., 2000; APN, 2007).

42

Harvesting levels are apparently unknown, which may indicate that they are not very intense (Vaira, pers. comm. 2007). Lavilla (2001) considered the species to be affected by habitat alteration in the flats of northern Argentina. BOLIVIA: Reported from the Nature Reserve El Corbalán, department of Tarija (Gonzales et al., 2006), but also expected from the departments of Chuquisaca and Santa Cruz (Frost, 2007; De la Riva et al., 2000). TNC (2005) reported the species from the departments of Santa Cruz and Cordillera Arenales de Guanaco. It occurs in the protected area Kaa-Iya (IUCN et al., 2007). Lucindo Gonzales (pers. comm. 2007), reported that virtually nothing is known about the species in Bolivia, and that there is no information on the international trade in the species from the country. Steffen Reichle (pers. comm. 2007a) also noted the little information available on C. pierottii in Bolivia. Reichle (2007b) did not report trade as a known threat to the species in the country. PARAGUAY: Reported to occur in western Paraguay (Frost, 2007), specifically in the departments of Alto Paraguay, Boqueron, and Presidente Hayes (Brusquetti & Lavilla, 2006). It occurs in the protected area PN Defensores del Chaco (IUCN et al., 2007). No information on its status in Paraguay was identified. REFERENCES: APN (Administración de Parques Naturales) 2007. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad.

Administración de Parques Naturales, Argentina. URL: http://www.sib.gov.ar/fichas/fauna.aspx?id=Chacophrys%20pierottii&accion=general Accessed October 2007.

Barlett, R.D. & Barlett, P. 2000. The horned frog family and African bullfrogs – Facts and advice on care and breeding. Barron’s Educational Series. 48 pp.

Brusquetti, F. & Lavilla, E.O. 2006. Lista Comentada de los Anfibios del Paraguay. Cuadernos de Herpetología 20(2): 3-79.

De la Riva, I., Köhler, J. Lötters, S. & Reichle, S. 2000. Ten years of research on Bolivian amphibians: updated checklist, distribution, taxonomic problems, literature and iconography. Revista Española de Herpetología 14: 19-164.


Gonzales, L., Muñoz, A. & Cortez, E. 2006. Primer reporte sobre la herpetofauna de la Reserva Natural “El Corbalán”, Tarija, Bolivia. Kempffiana 2 (1): 72-94.

Gonzales, L. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Lucindo Gonzales (Natural History Museum Noel Kempff Mercado, Bolivia) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC), November 2007.

IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2007. Global Amphibian Assessment. URL: www.globalamphibians.org Accessed October 2007.

Lavilla, E.O. 2001. Amenazas, declinaciones poblacionales y extinciones en anfibios argentinos. Cuadernos de Herpetologia, 15 (1): 59-82.

Lavilla, E.O., Ponssa, M.L., Baldo, D., Basso, N., Bosso, A. Céspedez, J., Chebez, J.C., Faivovich, J., Ferrari, L., Lajmanovich, R., Langone, J.A., Peltzer, P., Úbeda, C., Vaira, M. & Candioti, F.V. 2000. Categorización de los anfibios de Argentina. In: Lavilla, E.O., Richard, E. & Scrocchi, G.J. (Eds). 2000. Categorización de los anfibios y reptiles de la república Argentina. Asociación Herpetológica Argentina, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.

Reichle, S. 2007a. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Steffen Reichle (The Nature Conservancy Southern Andes, Bolivia) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC). November 2007.

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Reichle, S. 2007b. Distribution, diversity and conservation status of Bolivian amphibians. PhD thesis, University of Bonn. URL: http://hss.ulb.uni-bonn.de/diss_online/math_nat_fak/2007/reichle_steffen, Accessed November 2007.

TNC (The Nature Conservancy). 2005. Evaluación ecorregional del Gran Chaco Americano. The Nature Conservancy, Fundación DeSdel Chaco, Wildlife Conservation Society, Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina. URL: http://www.tnc.org.br/chaco/chaco.html, Accessed November 2007.

Vaira, M. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Marcos Vaira (Natural Sciences Museum, National University of Salta, Argentina) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC). October 2007.

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AMPHIBIA: HIPEROLIIDAE

SPECIES: Heterixalus rutenbergi SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Rutenberg's Reed Frog (English) RANGE STATES: Madagascar IUCN RED LIST: Near Threatened PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: No national trade statistics were identified for this species. The following information was derived from the web survey (as outlined in the section on methodology):

� A care sheet for the species was available on the British website http://www.pollywog.co.uk/rutenbergsreedcaresheet.html.

� The species was included in the list of frogs on the Czech retail website www.animalfarm.cz.

� The German website http://www.reptilien-import.de/zbozi.asp?id=6 advertised the species for €13.

� One person noted that they were importing this species to Canada in an ad posted on http://talkto.thefrog.org/index.php?action=vthread&forum=13&topic=5870; The asking price was Canadian $32 per individual.

� On the website http://dragonsdasgard.actifforum.com/ethique-terrariophile-f10/prix-d-un-importateur-indonesien-t3271.htm there was information on the species retailing at US$ 6.

CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES

MADAGASCAR: Heterixalus rutenbergi occurs widely in the central plateau of Madagascar from 1,200 - 1,500m above sea level (Glaw & Vences, 1994; IUCN et al., 2007), but it was reported to be an uncommon species (IUCN et al., 2007). Recorded from the high plateau of Madagascar in 1993 by Raxworthy & Nussbaum (1996). H. rutenbergi is known from six localities, all on the central high plateau of Madagascar: Ambohitantely, Mantasoa, Ambatolampy, Tsinjoarivo, Itremo and Ambatofitoharanana (Glaw & Vences, 1994; Raharivololoniaina et al., 2003). Vallan (2000) recorded the species from the Ambohitantely reserve, outside forested areas and IUCN et al. (2007) noted that it probably occurs in the Ambohitantely Special Reserve, and perhaps in other protected areas (IUCN et al., 2007). Raharivololoniaina et al. (2003) noted that “certainly, the species is widespread over central Malagasy highlands, but its populations may have low densities and be vulnerable to transformation of moorland into rice fields. Additional fieldwork is needed to ascertain its habitat requirements and conservation status” and, similarly, that “contrary to other Heterixalus species, H. rutenbergi seems to be restricted to highland savannahs and has so far not been recorded in high densities; its status should therefore be more carefully monitored”.

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It was listed as Near Threatened “since the species depends on a specialised breeding habitat, and although its has a relatively large extent of occurrence, its area of occupancy is probably not much greater than 2,000 km2, and the extent and quality of its habitat is declining, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable” (IUCN et al., 2007). IUCN et al. (2007) reported that “it is found in international trade, with hundreds being exported annually, although it is not clear that this constitutes a threat to the species”. Andreone et al. (2006) noted that “little is known on the effect of collection for the international pet trade on the amphibians of Madagascar”. The transformation of bogs into rice fields may also be a threat to this species (IUCN et al., 2007). REFERENCES: Andreone, F., Mercurio, V. & Mattioli, F. 2006. Between environmental degradation and

international pet trade: conservation strategies for the threatened amphibians of Madagascar. Natura – Soc. it. Sci. nat. Museo civ. Stor. nat. Milano, 95 (2): 81-96.


Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 1994. A Field guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Second Edition. Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig. Bonn.


Raharivololoniaina, L., Vieites, D.R., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 2003. Larval stages, habitat and distribution of the hyperoliid frog Heterixalus rutenbergi (Boettger, 1881). Alytes 21 (1-2): 59-65.

Raxworthy, C.J. & Nussbaum, R.A. 1996. Montane amphibian and reptile communities in Madagascar. Conservation Biology, 10 (3): 750-756.

Vallan, D. 2000. Influence of forest fragmentation on amphibian diversity in the nature reserve of Ambohitantely, highland Madagascar. Biological Conservation 96: 31-43.

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AMPHIBIA: LEPTODACTYLIDAE

SPECIES: Leptodactylus laticeps SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Santa Fe Frog (English), Rana coralina (Spanish) RANGE STATES: Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay IUCN RED LIST: Near Threatened PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: L. laticeps was reported to be harvested mostly in Argentina and Paraguay for the international pet trade, and later sold in pet shops for relatively high prices (IUCN et al., 2007) (see conservation status section). “Leptodactylus laticeps is exported from South America to the developed world. It can fetch prices of €600 in European pet shops. In some areas where it lives, in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, people earn as little as €1,200 in a single year, giving them a real incentive to catch and sell it” (BBC, 2007). No national trade statistics were identified for this species. The following information was derived from the web survey (as outlined in the section on methodology):

� It was advertised in www.faunaclassifieds.com for US$400 each. � The French website www.lafermetropicale.com advertised the species for €160, although it was shown as unavailable.

� On the Spanish hobbyist website http://www.faunaexotica.net/foro/galeria_fotografica_de_anfibios/leptodactylus_laticeps-t5453.0.html one person from Argentina noted that these frogs are difficult to get.

CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES The following information was reported by IUCN et al., 2007: “This species occurs in the Gran Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina, from 0 - 300m above sea level. ….It is common in parts of Paraguay and Bolivia but was a rare species by 2003 in Argentina due to over-harvesting for the international pet trade…..Over-harvesting for the international pet trade is a major threat. It is collected in Paraguay and Argentina, and each adult is worth $300-$600. It does occur in several protected areas, but monitoring of its population status is needed, in addition to management of its harvesting. It was listed as Near Threatened because this species is in significant decline (but probably at a rate of less than 30% over ten years) because it is being over-harvested for food, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable”. Reported to be uncommon but characteristic of the Gran Chaco of South America (Jansen et al., 2006).

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Considered to be threatened by trade, very sought-after for commercial purposes and also persecuted because of superstition (TNC, 2005). Its populations were reported to be fragmented and isolated, and its status unknown (TNC, 2005). ARGENTINA: It was reported to occur in the Chacoan region of central Argentina (Cei, 1955; Frost, 2007). Reported by APN (2007) to occur in the following provinces: Chaco, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Salta, and Santa Fe. Lavilla et al. (2000) cite it from the same provinces, except the Chaco province. Also reported from the province of Córdoba (ACA, 2003). It is known to occur in Copo National Park (APN, 2007) and Loro Hablador Provincial Park (Moschione & Bishels, 2004). The species was considered to be “vulnerable” in Argentina by the Argentinean Herpetological Society (Lavilla et al., 2000). Lavilla (2001) considered the species to be affected by habitat alteration in the flats of northern Argentina. Trade was explicitly reported to be a threat to the species by Ubeda & Grigera (2003). However, Vaira (pers. comm., 2007) reported that harvesting levels seemed to be unknown, and speculated that this may indicate that they are not very intense. Very little information is available on L. laticeps (Vaira, pers. comm. 2007). It is a very cryptic species that inhabits harsh and little-known habitats, which may lead to underestimation of its population size (Vaira, pers. comm. 2007). BOLIVIA: De la Riva et al. (2000) reported the species from the Bolivian departments of Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, and Tarija, although they noted that there was no published locality in the country. Frost (2007) noted that no voucher specimen existed for Bolivia, but that it was expected to occur in the Bolivian Chaco. TNC (2005) reported its occurrence in the departments of Santa Cruz, Cordillera, and Cerro Cortado. In November 2005, Jansen et al. (2006) collected two male specimens in El Corbalán, Department of Tarija, constituting the first published records of the species from Bolivia. Lucindo Gonzales (pers. comm., 2007) reported that virtually nothing is known about the species in Bolivia and that there is no information relating the international trade in the species from the country. Steffen Reichle (pers. comm. 2007a) also noted the little information available on C. pierottii in Bolivia, but reported that it is locally common in at least one private reserve. Reichle (2007b) did not report trade as a known threat to the species in the country. PARAGUAY: The species was considered by Frost (2007) to occur in the Gran Chaco of Paraguay. Reported from the Departments of Alto Paraguay, Boquerón and Presidente Hayes (Brusquetti & Lavilla, 2006). L. laticeps was reported to be one of the most commercially important species in the Paraguayan Chaco, and to be collected since 1998 by local communities for the pet trade (Morales et al., 2004). According to Aquino (pers. comm., 2007), the export of L. laticeps for the pet trade has never been permitted in Paraguay due to its status of Data Deficient in the country. Paraguay currently prohibits the export of all CITES-listed species (Notification to the Parties No. 2003/058) and all fauna as a result of a voluntary suspension (Aquino, pers. comm. 2007). REFERENCES: ACA (Agencia Córdoba Ambiente). 2003. Base de datos “Biodiversidad de la provincia de

Córdoba”: Anfibios. URL: http://www.cordobaambiente.cba.gov.ar/fuentes/pdf/Lista_de_Anfibios.pdf Accessed October 2007.

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APN (Administración de Parques Naturales). 2007. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad. Administración de Parques Naturales, Argentina. URL: http://www.sib.gov.ar/fichas/fauna.aspx?id=Leptodactylus%20laticeps&accion=lugares Accessed October 2007.

Aquino, L. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Lucy Aquino (WWF Paraguay) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC), October 2007.

BBC. 2007. BBC News – In pictures: The over-harvesting of amphibians. URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/sci_nat_the_over_harvesting_of_amphibians/html/6.stm Accessed October 2007.


Cei, J.M. 1955. Chacoan Batrachians in Central Argentina. Copeia 4: 291-293. Cortez, C., Reichle, S., Aquino, L. & di Tada, I. 2004. Leptodactylus laticeps. In: IUCN 2007.

2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Accessed October 2007.

De la Riva, I., Köhler, J., Lötters, S. and Reichle, S. 2000. Ten years of research on Bolivian amphibians: updated checklist, distribution, taxonomic problems, literature and iconography. Revista Espanola de Herpetologia 14: 19-164.



Jansen, M., Großerichter, A. & Consul, A. 2006. Primeros especímenes de Leptodactylus laticeps (Anura: Leptodactylidae) procedentes de Bolivia. Kempffiana 2 (1): 63-65.

Lavilla, E.O. 2001. Amenazas, declinaciones poblacionales y extinciones en anfibios argentinos. Cuadernos de Herpetologia 15 (1): 59-82.


Morales, C., Motte, M., Kochalka, J., Núñez, K., Castro, V., Zarza, R. & Vogt, C. 2004. Monitoreo del uso de especies silvestres en comunidades ayoreo: alternativas de manejo en territorios indígenas del Chaco Paraguayo. In: Libro de Resúmenes: VI Congreso internacional sobre manejo de fauna silvestre. Lecciones aprendidas. 5-7 Septiembre 2004, Iquitos, Perú.

Moschione, F. & Bishels, L. 2004. Listado de los vertebrados del parque provincial Loro Hablador, Provincia del Chaco. Informe técnico Proyecto Elé/DFS. Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación.




Ubeda, C. & Grigera, D. Análisis de la evaluación más reciente del estado de conservación de los anfibios y reptiles de Argentina. Gayana 67 (1): 97-113.

Vaira, M. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Marcos Vaira (Natural Sciences Museum, National University of Salta, Argentina) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC).

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Ziegler, T., Unger, J., Feiler, A. and Lehr, E. 2002. The First Gran Chaco Expedition of the Museum für Tierkunde Dresden: records of amphibians, reptiles and mammals from the Dry Chaco of Paraguay (Amphibia, Reptilia, Mammalia). pp. 219-238.. Faunistiche Abhandlungen Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden.

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AMPHIBIA: BUFONIDAE

SPECIES: Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus SYNONYMS: - COMMON NAMES: - RANGE STATES: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay IUCN RED LIST: Least Concern PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: This species was elevated to species status by Cruz & Caramaschi (2003), as it was previously considered to be a subspecies of Melanophryniscus stelzneri. Hence much of the trade information available refers to Melanophryniscus stelzneri which may or may not include M. fulvoguttatus. Interest in M. stelzneri, as a pet (possibly including fulvoguttatus) was apparent on several websites:

� Doty (2004) provided a care sheet for M. stelzneri, where information was provided on how to care for captive individuals. Doty (2004) noted that “these toads are an easy to care for species” and that “the author would be extremely interested in obtaining some of the other species of Melanophryniscus”.

� A French website (www.batraciens-reptiles.com) offered captive care information on Melanophryniscus stelzneri.

� Two hobbyists in a forum of the Spanish website www.drpez.net noted they had owned two individuals each.

� Interest in buying and keeping Melanophryniscus stelzneri and “subspecies” as pets was shown by hobbyists at www.canadart.org, while some noted on the same website that individuals of this species were sold for US$30.

� Interest was also shown at www.caudata.org. � Melanophryniscus stelzneri was advertised as wanted on www.dendroboard.com and on www.faunaclassifieds.com (USA). Another person noted on the latter website that a female had been advertised for sale for US$90.

� One hobbyist claimed to own a Melanophryniscus stelzneri on www.talkto.thefrog.org. Melanophryniscus stelzneri, described as a “very pretty little toad”, was reported to be “currently available in the pet trade in the United States” (Barlett & Barlett, 1996). CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES M. fulvoguttatus occurs at elevations of approximately 90-150m above sea level (IUCN et al., 2007). Reported to be abundant where it occurs (IUCN et al., 2007). De la Riva et al. (2000) considered Melanophryniscus stelzneri fulvoguttatus possibly to occur in Bolivia. The pet trade and habitat destruction to expand soy plantations were considered major threats (IUCN et al., 2007). It occurs in several private reserves in Paraguay, but it is not protected elsewhere (IUCN et al., 2007). ARGENTINA: M. fulvoguttatus occurs in the Province of Formosa, Argentina (Baldo & Yanina, 1998; Lavilla et al., 2002; Cruz & Caramaschi, 2003). Occurrence in Argentina reported also by

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APN (2007). M. s. fulvoguttatus was reported from the provinces of Corrientes, Chaco, Formosa, S. del Estero, and Santa Fe, and was not considered threatened by Lavilla et al. (2000). M. stelzneri was included in the list of threatened amphibians of Argentina, and categorized as “vulnerable” by the Dirección de Fauna y Flora Silvestre (the Government’s Directorate of Wild Fauna and Flora) (Resolution 144/83), and as “comercialmente amenazada” (threatened by commercial harvesting) by the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (Argentinean Wildlife Fund) (Bertonatti & González, 1993). M. s. fulvoguttatus was considered to be affected by habitat alteration in the plains of northern Argentina, and several (unspecified) Melanophryniscus subspecies were considered to be affected by the pet trade (Lavilla, 2001). Lavilla et al. (2002) considered M. s. fulvoguttattus to be Data Deficient, and recommended that further studies on the species be carried out. BRAZIL: The species occurs in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (Maracaju, Jardim and Bela Vista) (Cruz & Caramaschi, 2003; Frost, 2007; IUCN et al., 2007). No information on the conservation status of the species in Brazil was obtained. PARAGUAY: Occurs in eastern Paraguay (IUCN et al., 2007). Cruz & Caramaschi (2003) noted that the species occurs in the Departments of Concepción, Guairá, Paraguari and San Pedro, Paraguay. Brusquetti & Lavilla (2006) reported the occurrence of M. fulvoguttatus in the Departments of Amambay, Caaguazú, Canindeyú, Concepción, Guairá, Paraguarí and San Pedro, and associated to the following eco-regions: Atlantic forest, cerrado, and humid chaco. To date, no studies have been conducted on the conservation status or abundance of the species in Paraguay (Brusquetti, pers. comm. 2007). In 2006, however, a group of herpetologists from Paraguay undertook the categorisation of the amphibians and reptiles of Paraguay (currently under review) based on the IUCN categories, and M. fulvoguttatus was classified as Least Concern (Brusquetti, pers. comm. 2007). The species can be found in great numbers during the breeding season with the last autumn rains (Aquino, pers. comm., 2007). Paraguay currently prohibits the export of all CITES-listed species (Notification to the Parties No. 2003/058) and all fauna as a result of a voluntary suspension (Aquino, pers. comm. 2007). Before the ban was put in place, all the species in the genus Melanophryniscus were treated as M. stelzneri, therefore it is unclear which species the permits really referred to, and it would be very difficult to assess the effects that the trade had on the species (Brusquetti, per. comm. 2007). Up to 15,000 individuals were exported annually between 1999 and 2003 from Paraguay, reported as M. stelzneri, but probably involving other species as well, in particular M. klappenbachi (Aquino, pers. comm. 2007). REFERENCES: APN (Administración de Parques Naturales) 2007. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad.

Administración de Parques Naturales, Argentina. URL: http://www.sib.gov.ar/fichas/fichas.aspx?accion=buscar&palabra=Melanophry&id=12 Accessed October 2007.


Baldo, J. L. & Yanina A. 1998. Melanophryniscus stelzneri fulvoguttatus (Anura: Bufonidae).Primera cita para la provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina. Cuadernos de herpetología 12 (1): 54.

Barlett, R.D. & Barlett, P.P. 1996. Frogs, toads and treefrogs: a complete pet owner’s manual. Barron’s educational series.

Bertonatti, C. & González. 1993. Lista de Vertebrados Argentinos Amenazados de Extinción. Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina. 35 pp.

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Brusquetti, F. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Francisco Brusquetti (Institute of Herpetology, Fundación Miguell Lillo, Argentina) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC), October 2007.


Cruz, C.A.G. & Caramaschi, U. 2003. Taxonomic status of Melanophryniscus stelzneri dorsalis (Mertens, 1933) and Melanophryniscus stelzneri fulvoguttatus (Mertens, 1937) (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae). Boletim do Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro 500: 1-11.

De la Riva, I., Köhler, J. Lötters, S. & Reichle, S. 2000. Ten years of research on Bolivian amphibians: updated checklist, distribution, taxonomic problems, literature and iconography. Revista Española de Herpetología 14: 19-164.

Doty, S. 2004. Melanophryniscus stelzneri. Amphibiacare.com: A reptile and amphibian information resource. URL: http://www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/caresheets/bumblebeewalkingtoad01.html Accessed October 2007.



Lavilla, E.O. 2001. Amenazas, declinaciones poblacionales y extinciones en anfibios argentinos. Cuadernos de Herpetologia, 15 (1): 59-82.


Lavilla, E.O., Barrionuevo, S. & Baldo, D. 2002. Los anfibios insuficientamente conocidos de la Republica Argentina. Una reevaluacion. Cuadernos de Herpetología. 16: 99-118.

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SPECIES: Pachytriton labiatus SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Unterstein's Newt (English) RANGE STATES: China IUCN RED LIST: Least Concern PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS:


� Individuals of the species, claimed to be wild-caught, were advertised for sale in Germany on the website www.eurofauna.com.

� The Spanish website www.reptilglobal.com offered wild-caught P. labiatus for €15 per individual.

� The French website www.lafermetropicale.com offered Pachytritus sp. for €18, although it was noted that they were unavailable.

� The German website www.e-pets.de offered P. labiatus for €9. � A hobbyist in Finland reported on www.sammakkolampi.net that they owned the species.

� Another Finnish hobbyist website, www.matelijat.info, provided information on the species.

� One hobbyist in Spain reported having three P. labiatus individuals (http://iguania.com/foro/viewtopic.php?p=58807).

� A hobbyist in Italy posted an ad on http://www.sanguefreddo.net/SFNpro/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=printview&t=19845&start=0 looking for a male P. labiatus to join the female individual he owned.

� A hobbyist in Italy reported owning individuals of P. labiatus on http://www.terraritalia.com/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=12&thread_id=161.

� Captive care information for the species was provided on http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Pachytriton/Pachytriton.shtml, where it was also noted that Pachytriton labiatus is the newt most commonly sold as a “paddle tail newt”, and that “despite their popularity as pets, there is little hard data on these newts [Pachytriton spp.], and many unknown types and new species show up in the pet trade”. On the same website’s forum, several hobbyists (from the USA and UK) noted that they own individuals of the species and asked for or gave advice on how to care for it.

� Similarly, captive care information for the species was provided on http://www.livingunderworld.org/caudata/database/salamandridae/pachytriton/ where it was noted that “it can be presumed that the exact range of P. labiatus is poorly known, especially in light of the unknown types appearing in the pet trade. It is also assumed that the current distribution of P. labiatus has been reduced due to human encroachment, habitat loss, and pollution”.

� Care sheets are also available from the British website http://www.pollywog.co.uk/spotlessstoutnewtcaresheet.html, the German website http://www.agurodela.de/arten/pachytriton_labiatus.php, and the Russian website

54

http://www.vitawater.ru/terra/caudata/pach-lab.shtml. Captive care information was provided for the genus Pachytriton on the Italian website http://www.amiciinsoliti.it/anfibi/pachytriton.html.

A market survey carried out during 2000-2003 in the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen (Southern China) found that P. labiatus was sold at one (Qingping market) of the four markets surveyed (Lee et al., 2004). CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES CHINA: This species is found in central and southern China in Guizhou, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces, from 50 - 1,800m above sea level; a number of protected areas in the region support this species (IUCN et al., 2007). Frost (2007) reported the species to occur in two allopatric areas in southern China: one in Zhejiang, southern Anhui and southern Jiangsu (and likely into northern Jiangxi) and another in northwestern Guangdong, eastern Guangxi, eastern Guizhoua, and east of Hunan. Over-exploitation for use in traditional Chinese medicine and for the international pet trade were reported by IUCN et al. (2007) to be a major threat to this species. It is also threatened by habitat destruction and degradation (IUCN et al., 2007). Captive breeding was reported to be occurring in Europe (IUCN et al., 2007). Classified as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category (IUCN et al., 2007). REFERENCES: Frost, D. 2007. Amphibian Species of the World 5.0. An online reference. American Museum of

Natural History. URL: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php Accessed October 2007.


Lee, K.S., Lau, M.W.N. & Chan, B.P.L. 2004. Wild animal trade monitoring in selected markets in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, South China, 2000-2003. Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. 43 pp.

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SPECIES: Paramesotriton hongkongensis SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Hong Kong Warty Newt (English) RANGE STATES: China (including Hong Kong) IUCN RED LIST: Near Threatened PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS:


� A Spanish hobbyist reported having four individuals of the species on http://www.drpez.net/panel/showthread.php?t=158967.

� Four individuals were offered for sale on the British website http://www.livefoodshop.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=30050.

� The French website www.lafermetropicale.org advertised Paramesotriton sp. for ∈16, although the majority of individuals were reportedly P. fuzhongensis.

� The Italian website http://www.dendrobatesitalia.it/reportage/hamm.htm reported that P. hongkongensis was offered at the Terraristika Hamm fair 2003, in Germany, for between €6- €50.

� On the British website http://www.petmag.co.uk/amphibians/newts.html it was noted that P. hongkongensis was the predominantly imported Paramesotriton species.

� This species was reported to be sporadically important in the Italian pet trade (http://www.amiciinsoliti.it/anfibi/pachytriton.html).

� A Finnish (www.sammakkolampi.net) and a British (http://www.captivebred.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10852) hobbyist reported to own the species and to have bred it in captivity.

� The species as a pet was discussed on the Estonian hobbyist website http://foorum.akvarist.ee/viewtopic.php?t=8911&sid=57be21e0f63feb9fb5491c5f54b00dcb.

� The species was discussed in various other European hobbyist websites, and several people reported having them as pets. These included:

- http://www.captivebred.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=82742 (UK) - http://www.dendroworld.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=1248&p=9032&hilit=

(UK) - http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=105558&page=2 (UK) - http://urodeles.xooit.com/t12-le-mien.htm (France) - http://forum.doctissimo.fr/viepratique/animaux/paramesotritons-hongkongensis-

sujet_5674_1.htm (France) - http://www.xooit.com/fr/annuaire/Nature-Evasion-6/Animaux-127/forum-

96880.html (France) - http://www.sanguefreddo.net/SFNpro/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=printview

&t=21314&start=0 (Italy) - http://www.feuersalamander.com/wbb2/thread.php?postid=18055 (Germany) - http://www.bollog.net/wbb2/thread.php?threadid=182&sid=1a36059e6972890f8febe

8ae8041a842 (Germany)

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- http://www.aquarienforum.de/forum/archive/index.php/t-47027.html (Germany) - http://www.iguania.com/foro/viewtopic.php?p=101688 (Spain)

Several hobbyist discussed the species in the forum http://www.caudata.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-34086.html. One of them reported that “Hong Kong newts continue to show up in pet stores across the world in huge numbers”. Another noted “I have two captive bred P. hongkongensis from an aquatic store in Hartfordshire. […] A contact of mine has many links in pet stores, and virtually every hongkongensis that comes into sock are captive bred subadults”. Information and captive care advise on P. hongkongensis were offered by Gaites (1998) and on the following websites:

- http://www.agurodela.de/arten/paramesotriton_hongkongensis.php (Germany) - http://www.batraciens.net/paramesotriton_sp.php (France) - http://www.foconde.net/romain/fiche.asp?FileID=189 (France) - http://www.pollywog.co.uk/paramesotritonhongkongensis-caresheet.html (UK) - http://atlas.drpez.org/albut13 (Spain) - http://www.salamanderland.at/Artenliste/P.hongkongensis/PAR.HONGKONGENS

IS.htm (Austria) - http://www.matelijat.info/tulilisko/lajit/suku_paramesotriton/hongkongensis.html

(Finland) - http://www.vitawater.ru/terra/caudata/par-hong.shtml (Russia) - http://www.livingunderworld.org/caudata/database/salamandridae/paramesotrito

n CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES This species is known from coastal Guangdong, including Hong Kong, in China, from 30 - 940m above sea level (IUCN et al., 2007). Its main distribution range falls within protected areas (IUCN et al., 2007). It was considered a synonym of Paramesotriton chinensis until 2005 (Frost, 2007). P. hongkongensis was listed as Near Threatened because “its extent of occurrence is probably not much greater than 20,000 km2, the extent and quality of its habitat are probably declining, and the species might be in decline because it is being collected for the pet trade, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable” (IUCN et al., 2007). It was regarded to be “a very common species” (IUCN et al., 2007). However, a particular threat to Paramesotriton hongkongensis was reported to be the collection of significant numbers for the pet trade (IUCN et al., 2007). This species was reported by IUCN et al., (2007) to have been widely bred in captivity. The hobbyist website www.livingunderworld.org stated that Paramesotriton species have seldom been bred in captivity, but that breeding successes seemed to be increasing in number.

CHINA: The species is known from coastal Guangdong (IUCN et al., 2007; Frost, 2007). Miller (2004), however, considered that although once found along the Fujian-Guangdong coast region of China, P. hongkongensis was now restricted to Hong Kong. The species was recorded in Shenzhen Wutongshan National Forest Park (southern Guangdong Province, bordering Hong Kong) in May 2001, and considered to be of major conservation importance and of potential global concern due to its restricted distribution, despite its occurrence at a number of sites in Hong Kong (KFBG, 2002).

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HONG KONG, CHINA: Miller (2004) reported that one documented habitat of P. hongkongensis was the Tung Lung Stream, and surrounding streams in Lantau North County Park (Lantau Island), Hong Kong. Tai Tam was cited as the only place on Hong Kong Island where the species could be found (AFCD, 2006b). Paramesotriton hongkongensis is protected in Hong Kong by local legislation (IUCN et al., 2007), in particular the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cp. 170 Schedule 2 (Leung-Sze-Lun, 2002; AFCD, 2006a; HKRAS, 2007). It is an offence to collect or disturb them or their eggs (AFCD, 2006a). WWF HK (undated) noted “the Hong Kong Newt Paramesotriton hongkongensis, a species endemic to Hong Kong, is under threat as it is sold for aquarium pets. This species has been protected under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance since May 1992”. Chan (2002) stated that “the ordinance specifies, for example, that only when a protected animal offered for sale is taken in Hong Kong, it is considered an offence. The sale of metamorphosing Hong Kong Newts, as an example, is difficult to regulate because the shop owner can always claim these animals are from outside Hong Kong so long as the species is not CITES-listed and requires no export/import permits”. REFERENCES: AFCD (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department) 2006a. Amphibians of Hong

Kong. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. URL: http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/hkbiodiversity/speciesgroup/speciesgroup_amphibians.html Accessed October 2007.

AFCD (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department) 2006b. Tai Tam Country Park (Quarry Bay Extension). The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. URL: http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_vis/cou_vis_cou/cou_vis_cou_tt/cou_vis_cou_tt.html. Accessed October 2007.

Chan, B.P.L. 2002. Should Hong Kong’s freshwater fishes be protected by law? Porcupine! 25. Newsletter of the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong. URL: http://www.hku.hk/ecology/porcupine/por25/25-vert-fwfish.htm#index4 Accessed October 2007.


Gaites, S. 1998. Captive breeding and rearing of Hong Kong Newts (Paramesotriton hongkongensis). Bulletin – British Herpetological Society 63: 13-15.

HKRAS (Hong Kong Reptile & Amphibian Society) HK protected wild animals. URL: http://www.hkras.org/eng/info/law_ch170sche2.htm Accessed October 2007.


KFBG (Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden) 2002. Report of a Rapid Biodiversity Assessment at Wutongshan National Forest Park, Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China, 16 to 17 May 2001. South China Forest Biodiversity Survey Report Series: No. 11. KFBG, Hong Kong SAR, ii + 24 pp.

Leung-Sze-Lung, A. 2002. Hong Kong Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis). Porcupine! 27: 16. Newsletter of the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong.

Miller, J.J. 2004. Overview of the salamandrid genus Paramesotriton. Living Underworld. URL: http://www.livingunderworld.org/caudata/database/salamandridae/paramesotriton/paramesotriton.pdf Accessed October 2007.

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WWF HK (World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong) Undated. Factsheet No. 7. URL: http://www.wwf.org.hk/eng/pdf/references/factsheets/factsheet7.PDF Accessed October 2007.

59


AMPHIBIA: HYLIDAE

SPECIES: Phyllomedusa sauvagii SYNONYMS: COMMON NAMES: Painted-belly Monkey Frog (English) RANGE STATES: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay IUCN RED LIST: Least Concern PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: n/a TRADE PATTERNS: It was stated on www.monkeyfrog.com’s introduction to the species that “we feel this [Phyllomedusa sauvagii] is a frog species that will undoubtedly become one of the most widely kept species simply based on ease of husbandry”. Similarly, Coote (1999) considered the species to be “the pet frog of the future”. No national trade statistics were identified for this species. The following information was derived from the web survey (as outlined in the section on methodology):

� The species was sought at www.faunaclassifieds.com, and also advertised for sale for US$70 on the same website.

� P. sauvagii individuals were advertised for US$60 each on www.sandfiredragonranch.com

� P. sauvagii individuals were advertised for US$75 on www.kingsnake.com. � The British website www.thereptileroom.co.uk advertised adult individuals for £100 each.

� The British website www.animal-paradise.co.uk advertised the species for between £79 and £120 each.

� Offered for sale on the Italian website www.supernatura.it. � On the British website www.dendroworld.co.uk it was stated that P. sauvagii was not as readily available as other Phyllomedusa species.

� An Italian hobbyist commented on www.sanguefreddo.net that it is a good terrarium species but that it was not easy to find it in the market.

� Two British hobbyists reported owning individuals of the species, one on the website http://www.captivebred.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=44434 and the other on http://www.livefoodshop.co.uk/forum/index.php?s=ba454dc0d0bac17e33c212175f12efac&showtopic=53038.

� A French hobbyist also reported having the species on the website http://www.reptilic.com/post-5816.html&sid=7633ad48bce851b2137ab468b6e9efe1.

� The species was mentioned in the Dutch website’s forum http://www.gifkikkerportaal.nl/Forum/tabid/96/forumid/11/postid/52478/view/topic/Default.aspx.

Several websites provided care sheets for the species including:

� www.wnyherp.org (USA) � www.sandfiredragonranch.com (USA) � www.bgsu.edu/departments/biology/facilities/herp/caresheetpages/waxies.html (USA)

� http://derekb15.tripod.com/id11.html

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� www.pollywog.co.uk (UK) � http://talkto.thefrog.org/index.php?action=vthread&forum=14&topic=1542 (UK) � http://lesbestioles.forumactif.com/l-aquarium-f7/un-aquarium-ou-un-aqua-terrarium-d-amphibiens-t41.htm (France)

� http://batraciens.net/phyllomedusa_sauvagii.php (France) � http://www.exotic-world.de/Froesche/Phyllomedusa_sauvagii.htm (Germany)

CONSERVATION STATUS IN RANGE STATES Its population was presumed large (Aquino et al., 2004) and it occurs in many protected areas (IUCN et al., 2007). P. sauvagii was considered to be threatened by the international pet trade and, in Argentina, by the destruction of Chaco habitat for agriculture and wood extraction, land and water pollution caused by agrochemical runoff. Fires are also a threat (IUCN et al., 2007). Reported to be under great pressure because of the pet trade and for biochemical studies of its skin secretions (TNC, 2005). Also threatened by agricultural expansion, fires, and legal and illegal trade (TNC, 2005). ARGENTINA: P. sauvagii was reported to occur in the provinces of Chaco (Departments General Guemes and Libertador General San Martín – Pampa del Indio regional park), Córdoba, Corrientes, Formosa (Department of Pilcomayo), Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Salta (Department of Anta), San Luís (Department Belgrano), Santa Fe, San Luis, and Tucumán (Department of Yerba Buena) (Lavilla et al., 2000a; APN, 2007). Occurrence reported by APN (2007) in the following National Parks: Calilegua NP (in Jujuy), Copo NP (in Santiago del Estero), El Rey NP (in Salta), Rio Pilcomayo NP (in Formosa), and Sierra de las Quijadas NP (in San Luis). Lavilla et al. (2000b) also reported its occurrence in the protected areas of El Rey and Calilegua as well as Horco Molle. It is present in the following eco-regions: Humid Chaco, Dry Chaco, “Monte de Llanuras y Mesetas”, and “Selva de las Yungas” (APN, 2007). P. sauvagii was reported from six out of eight localities explored in the Impenetrable region of Argentina, particularly: Loro Hablador, Fuerte Esperanza, El Torito, Lujan, Rio Muerto and Taco Pozo (Kacoliris et al., 2006) It was considered to be a very common species occurring in a variety of habitats, including those under high anthropogenic pressure, therefore the species was not regarded as threatened (Vaira, pers. comm. 2007). P. sauvagii was reported to be commonly sold in pet shops, but the extraction of individuals from the wild was considered to probably not pose a real threat (Vaira, pers. comm. 2007). The species was not considered to be threatened according to the Argentinean Herpetological Society (Lavilla et al., 2000a; APN, 2007). P. sauvagii was considered to be affected by habitat alteration in the montane jungles and plains of northern Argentina, and also by the pet trade (Lavilla, 2001). The species was reported to be for sale in shops in the main cities of the country, as well as in several websites surveyed, which included two from North America, two from South America and two from Europe (Lavilla, 2001). BOLIVIA: P. sauvagii occurs in Bolivia, in the Departments of Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz and Tarija (De la Riva et al., 2000). Reported from the Nature Reserve El Corbalán, Tarija, Bolivia (Gonzales et al., 2006).

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Lucindo Gonzales (pers. comm. 2007) reported that the species was widely distributed in Bolivia in the Chaco and in transition areas of dry forest, but that nothing was known about international trade in the species from the country. Steffen Reichle (pers. comm. 2007a) reported that the species is very common in the Bolivian Chaco and also in some parts of the Chiquitania in Bolivia, being found in high numbers in most artificial ponds. Trade was not considered a threat to the species in Bolivia by Reichle (2007b). BRAZIL: Reported to occur in Mato Groso do Sul (IUCN et al., 2007). No information on its status in Brazil was identified.

PARAGUAY: It occurs in the Departments of Alto Paraguay, Boquerón, Concepción and Presidente Hayes. It is present in the eco-regions of Cerrado (Serranía de San Luís National Park), Humid Chaco and Dry Chaco (Brusquetti & Lavilla, 2006). The population density of the species has not been studied. Some abundance surveys were carried out, which indicated that the species was “very abundant” in the Chaco region during the rainy season (October-February). After February it could not be found until the next great rains in October-November (Aquino, pers. comm. 2007). Legal exploitation of the species only occurred between 1999 and 2003. During this period, an average of 3,500 individuals were exported annually, with 10,000 individuals exported in 2003 (Aquino, pers. comm. 2007). Paraguay currently prohibits the export of all CITES-listed species (Notification to the Parties No. 2003/058) and all fauna as a result of a voluntary suspension (Aquino, pers. comm. 2007). REFERENCES: APN (Administración de Parques Naturales) 2007. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad.

Administración de Parques Naturales, Argentina. URL: http://www.sib.gov.ar/fichas/fichas.aspx?accion=buscar&palabra=Melanophry&id=12 Accessed October 2007.


Aquino, L., Colli, G., Reichle, S., Silvano, D., di Tada, I. & Lavilla, E. 2004. Phyllomedusa sauvagii. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Accessed October 2007.


Coote, J. 1999. Phyllomedusa sauvagii - the pet frog of the future. Reptilia 6: 64-68. De la Riva, I., Köhler, J. Lötters, S. & Reichle, S. 2000. Ten years of research on Bolivian

amphibians: updated checklist, distribution, taxonomic problems, literature and iconography. Revista Española de Herpetología 14: 19-164.


Gonzales, L., Muñoz & Cortez, E. 2006. Primer reporte sobre la herpetofauna de la Reserva Natural “El Corbalán”, Tarija, Bolivia. Kempffiana 2(1): 72-94.



Kacoliris, F.P., Berkunsky, I. & Williams, J. 2006. Herpetofauna of the Argentinean Impenetrable Great Chaco. Phyllomedusa 5 (2): 149-157.

Lavilla, E.O., Ponssa, M.L., Baldo, D., Basso, N., Bosso, A. Céspedez, J., Chebez, J.C., Faivovich, J., Ferrari, L., Lajmanovich, R., Langone, J.A., Peltzer, P., Úbeda, C., Vaira, M.

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& Candioti, F.V. 2000a. Categorización de los anfibios de Argentina. In: Lavilla, E.O., Richard, E. & Scrocchi, G.J. (Eds). 2000. Categorización de los anfibios y reptiles de la república Argentina. Asociación Herpetológica Argentina, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.

Lavilla, E.O., Vaira, M., Ponssa, M.L. & Ferrari, L. 2000b. Batracofaunas de las Yungas Andinas de Argentina: una sintesis. Cuadernos de Herpetologia 14(1): 5-26.

Lavilla, E.O. 2001. Amenazas, declinaciones poblacionales y extinciones en anfibios argentinos. Cuadernos de Herpetologia 15 (1): 59-82.



Vaira, M. 2007. Personal communication. E-mail correspondence between Marcos Vaira (Natural Sciences Museum, National University of Salta, Argentina) and Pablo Sinovas (UNEP-WCMC). October 2007.


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ANNEX 1. Overview of amphibian species for which regional/international trade (threats 3.1.3, 3.2.3, 3.3.3., 3.4.3, and 3.5.3) may pose a major threat. Source: IUCN (2007)

Taxon Common name Red List Category

CITES/EC listing

Reason for regional/international trade3

ANURA

BOMBINATORIDAE

Bombina maxima Large-Webbed Bell Toad LC C/S/L activities BUFONIDAE

Atelopus cruciger Rancho Grande Harlequin Frog CR C/S/L activities Atelopus senex Pass Stubfoot Toad CR C/S/L activities Atelopus siranus DD C/S/L activities Atelopus varius Harlequin Frog CR C/S/L activities

Atelopus zeteki Golden Arrow Poison Frog, Golden Frog, Panamanian Golden Frog, Zetek's Golden Frog CR I/A C/S/L activities

Bufo blombergi Blomberg’s Toad NT Medicine

Bufo gargarizans Asiatic Toad, Miyako Toad, Zhoushan Toad LC Medicine

Bufo superciliaris African Giant Toad, Congo Toad LC I/A C/S/L activities Melanophryniscus atroluteus Uruguay Redbelly Toad LC C/S/L activities Melanophryniscus cambaraensis Brazilian Redbelly Toad DD C/S/L activities Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus LC C/S/L activities Melanophryniscus stelzneri Redbelly Toad LC C/S/L activities Melanophryniscus tumifrons Swelling Redbelly Toad LC C/S/L activities Pedostibes hosii Common Tree Toad LC C/S/L activities DENDROBATIDAE

Dendrobates altobueyensis Golden Poison Frog VU II/B C/S/L activities

Dendrobates auratus Green and Black Poison Frog, Green Poison Frog LC II/B C/S/L activities

Dendrobates azureus Blue Poison Frog VU II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates bombetes Cauca Poison Frog EN II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates castaneoticus Brazil-nut Poison Frog LC II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates claudiae DD II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates galactonotus Splash-backed Posion Frog LC II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates granuliferus Granular Poison Frog VU II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates histrionicus Harlequin Poison Frog LC II/B Medicine, C/S/L activities

Dendrobates lehmanni Lehmann's Poison Frog, Red-Banded Poison Frog CR II/B C/S/L activities

Dendrobates opisthomelas Andean Poison Frog VU II/B C/S/L activities

Dendrobates pumilio Flaming Poison Frog, Red-And-Blue Poison Frog, Strawberry Poison Frog LC II/B C/S/L activities

Dendrobates speciosus Splendid Poison Frog EN II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates steyermarki Demonic Poison Frog CR II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates sylvaticus NT II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates tinctorius Dyeing Poison Frog LC II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates truncatus Yellow-Striped Poison Frog LC II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates vicentei Vicente's Poison Frog DD II/B C/S/L activities Dendrobates virolensis EN II/B C/S/L activities Epipedobates boulengeri Marbled Poison Frog LC II/B C/S/L activities Epipedobates pulchripectus Beautiful-breasted Poison Frog DD II/B C/S/L activities Epipedobates silverstonei Silverstone's Poison Frog DD II/B C/S/L activities

Epipedobates trivittatus Three-stripped Poison Frog LC II/B Medicine, C/S/L activities

3 C/S/L activities: Cultural/scientific/leisure activities.

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CITES/EC listing


Phyllobates bicolor Black-Legged Poison Frog NT II/B C/S/L activities Phyllobates terribilis Golden Poison Frog EN II/B C/S/L activities HYLIDAE

Agalychnis annae Blue-Sided Treefrog EN C/S/L activities Hyla chinensis Common Chinese Tree Frog LC C/S/L activities Hylomantis medinai Rancho Grande Leaf Frog DD C/S/L activities Phyllodytes auratus El Tucuche Golden Frog CR C/S/L activities Phyllomedusa iheringii Southern Walking Leaf Frog LC C/S/L activities Phyllomedusa sauvagii Painted-belly Leaf Frog LC C/S/L activities Plectrohyla dasypus Honduras Spikethumb Frog CR C/S/L activities Plectrohyla exquisita CR C/S/L activities HYPEROLIIDAE

Heterixalus rutenbergi Rutenberg’s Reed Frog NT C/S/L activities LEPTODACTYLIDAE

Caudiverbera caudiverbera VU Food

Ceratophrys aurita Brazilian Horned Frog LC C/S/L activities Ceratophrys calcarata Venezuelan Horned Frog LC C/S/L activities Ceratophrys cornuta Amazonian Horned Frog LC C/S/L activities Ceratophrys cranwelli Chacoan Horned Frog LC C/S/L activities Ceratophrys joazeirensis Caatinga Horned Frog DD C/S/L activities Ceratophrys ornata Ornate Horned Frog NT C/S/L activities Chacophrys pierottii Chaco Horned Frog LC C/S/L activities Leptodactylus laticeps Santa Fe Frog NT C/S/L activities MANTELLIDAE

Mantella aurantiaca Golden Frog, Golden Mantella CR II/B C/S/L activities Mantella bernhardi Bernhard's Mantella EN II/B C/S/L activities Mantella betsileo Brown Mantella LC II/B C/S/L activities Mantella cowanii Cowan's Mantella CR II/B C/S/L activities Mantella crocea Yellow Mantella EN II/B C/S/L activities Mantella expectata Blue-Legged Mantella CR II/B C/S/L activities Mantella madagascariensis Madagascan Mantella VU II/B C/S/L activities Mantella manery Marojejy Mantella DD II/B C/S/L activities Mantella milotympanum Black-Eared Mantella CR II/B C/S/L activities Mantella nigricans Guibé's Mantella LC II/B C/S/L activities Mantella pulchra Beautiful Mantella VU II/B C/S/L activities Mantella viridis Green Mantella CR II/B C/S/L activities MEGOPHRYIDAE

Megophrys nasuta Borneon Horned Frog, Horned Toad, Large Horned Frog, Malayan Horned Frog LC C/S/L activities

MICROHYLIDAE

Dyscophus antongilii Tomato Frog NT II/B C/S/L activities Platypelis milloti Nosy Be Giant Treefrog EN C/S/L activities Scaphiophryne boribory EN II/B C/S/L activities Scaphiophryne gottlebei Red Rain Frog CR II/B C/S/L activities Scaphiophryne marmorata Marbled Rain Frog VU II/B C/S/L activities PIPIDAE

Pipa snethlageae LC C/S/L activities RANIDAE

Conraua goliath Goliath Frog EN -/B C/S/L activities Discodeles guppyi Shortland Island Webbed Frog LC C/S/L activities Euphlyctis hexadactylus Indian Green Frog LC II/B Food

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CITES/EC listing


Fejervarya cancrivora Asian Brackish Frog, Crab-Eating Frog, Mangrove Frog, Rice Field Frog LC Food

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus Indian Bullfrog LC II/B Food

Limnonectes blythii Blyth's River Frog, Giant Asian River Frog, Giant Frog NT Food

Limnonectes grunniens Amboina Wart Frog LC Food

Limnonectes macrodon Fanged River Frog, Javan Giant Frog, Malaya Wart Frog, Stone Creek Frog VU Food

Limnonectes magnus Giant Philippine Frog, Large Swamp Frog, Mindanao Fanged Frog NT Food

Limnonectes malesianus Malesian Frog, Peat Swamp Frog NT Food

Limnonectes shompenorum Shompen Frog LC Food

Paa bourreti Bournet’s Frog DD Food

Rana amurensis Siberian Wood Frog LC Medicine

Rana chensinensis Asiatic Grass Frog, Chinese Brown Frog LC Food, Medicine

Rana dybowskii Dybowski’s Frog LC Food, Medicine

Rana esculenta Edible Frog LC Food

Rana huanrenensis Huanren Frog LC Food, Medicine

Rana kurtmuelleri Balkan Water Frog LC Food

Rana shqiperica Albanian Water Frog EN Food

RHACOPHORIDAE

Theloderma corticale Tonkin Bug-eyed Frog DD C/S/L activities CAUDATA

AMBYSTOMATIDAE

Ambystoma mexicanum Axolotl CR II/B C/S/L activities HYNOBIIDAE

Hynobius nebulosus Clouded Salamander LC C/S/L activities Hynobius tokyoensis Tokyo Salamander VU C/S/L activities

Ranodon sibiricus Central Asian Salamander, Semirechensk Salamander EN Medicine, C/S/L activities

PLETHODONTIDAE

Bolitoglossa dofleini Doflein’s Mushroom-tongue Salamander NT C/S/L activities Bolitoglossa pesrubra EN C/S/L activities Plethodon petraeus Pigeon Mountain Salamander VU C/S/L activities SALAMANDRIDAE

Cynops cyanurus Chuxiong Fire-Bellied Newt LC C/S/L activities Cynops ensicauda Sword-Tailed Newt EN C/S/L activities Cynops orientalis Oriental Fire-Bellied Newt LC C/S/L activities Echinotriton andersoni Anderson's Crocodile Newt EN C/S/L activities Lyciasalamandra antalyana EN C/S/L activities Lyciasalamandra atifi EN C/S/L activities Lyciasalamandra billae CR C/S/L activities Lyciasalamandra fazilae EN C/S/L activities Lyciasalamandra flavimembris EN C/S/L activities Lyciasalamandra luschani Luschan's Salamander, Lycian Salamander EN C/S/L activities Neurergus kaiseri Luristan Newt CR C/S/L activities Neurergus microspilotus Kurdistan Newt EN C/S/L activities Notophthalmus perstriatus Striped Newt NT C/S/L activities Pachytriton brevipes Black-Spotted Stout Newt LC C/S/L activities Pachytriton labiatus Spotless Stout Newt LC C/S/L activities Paramesotriton deloustali Tam Dao Salamander, Vietnamese Salamander VU C/S/L activities Paramesotriton fuzhongensis Wanggao Warty Newt VU C/S/L activities Paramesotriton hongkongensis Hong Kong Warty Newt NT C/S/L activities

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CITES/EC listing


Paramesotriton laoensis DD C/S/L activities Salamandra algira North African Fire Salamander VU C/S/L activities Salamandra salamandra Common Fire Salamander, Fire Salamander LC C/S/L activities Triturus alpestris Alpine Newt LC C/S/L activities

Triturus cristatus Great Crested Newt, Northern Crested Newt, Warty Newt LC C/S/L activities

Triturus karelinii Southern Crested Newt LC C/S/L activities Triturus marmoratus Marbled Newt LC C/S/L activities Triturus vittatus Banded Newt LC C/S/L activities Tylototriton kweichowensis Red-Tailed Knobby Newt VU C/S/L activities Tylototriton shanjing NT C/S/L activities Tylototriton taliangensis Taliang Knobby Newt NT C/S/L activities Tylototriton verrucosus Himalayan Salamander, Red Knobby Newt LC Medicine, C/S/L activities

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ANNEX 2. Country codes.

AD Andorra AE United Arab Emirates AF Afghanistan AG Antigua and Barbuda AI Anguilla AL Albania AM Armenia AN Netherlands Antilles AO Angola AQ Antarctica AR Argentina AS American Samoa AT Austria AU Australia AW Aruba AX Åland Islands AZ Azerbaijan BA Bosnia and Herzegovina BB Barbados BD Bangladesh BE Belgium BF Burkina Faso BG Bulgaria BH Bahrain BI Burundi BJ Benin BM Bermuda BN Brunei Darussalam BO Bolivia BR Brazil BS Bahamas BT Bhutan BV Bouvet Island BW Botswana BY Belarus BZ Belize CA Canada CC Cocos (Keeling) Islands CD Congo, Democratic Republic of CF Central African Republic CG Congo CH Switzerland CI Côte d'Ivoire CK Cook Islands CL Chile CM Cameroon CN China CO Colombia CR Costa Rica CU Cuba CV Cape Verde CX Christmas Island CY Cyprus CZ Czech Republic

DD former East Germany DE Germany DJ Djibouti DK Denmark DM Dominica DO Dominican Republic DZ Algeria EC Ecuador EE Estonia EG Egypt EH Western Sahara ER Eritrea ES Spain ET Ethiopia FI Finland FJ Fiji FK Falkland Islands (Malvinas) FM Micronesia, Federated States of FO Faroe Islands FR France FX France, Metropolitan GA Gabon GB United Kingdom GD Grenada GE Georgia GF French Guiana GH Ghana GI Gibraltar GL Greenland GM Gambia GN Guinea GP Guadeloupe GQ Equatorial Guinea GR Greece GS South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands GT Guatemala GU Guam GW Guinea-Bissau GY Guyana HK Hong Kong HM Heard and McDonald Islands HN Honduras HR Croatia HT Haiti HU Hungary ID Indonesia IE Ireland IL Israel IN India IO British Indian Ocean Territory IQ Iraq IR Iran, Islamic Republic of

IS Iceland IT Italy JM Jamaica JO Jordan JP Japan KE Kenya KG Kyrgyzstan KH Cambodia KI Kiribati KM Comoros KN Saint Kitts and Nevis KP Korea, Democratic People's Republic of KR Korea, Republic of KW Kuwait KY Cayman Islands KZ Kazakhstan LA Lao People's Democratic Republic LB Lebanon LC Saint Lucia LI Liechtenstein LK Sri Lanka LR Liberia LS Lesotho LT Lithuania LU Luxembourg LV Latvia LY Libyan Arab Jamahiriya MA Morocco MC Monaco MD Moldova, Republic of ME Montenegro MG Madagascar MH Marshall Islands MK Macedonia ML Mali MM Myanmar MN Mongolia MO Macau MP Northern Mariana Islands MQ Martinique MR Mauritania MS Montserrat MT Malta MU Mauritius MV Maldives MW Malawi MX Mexico MY Malaysia MZ Mozambique NA Namibia NC New Caledonia NE Niger NF Norfolk Island NG Nigeria

NI Nicaragua NL Netherlands NO Norway NP Nepal NR Nauru NU Niue NZ New Zealand OM Oman PA Panama PC former Pacific Trust Territory PE Peru PF French Polynesia PG Papua New Guinea PH Philippines PK Pakistan PL Poland PM St Pierre and Miquelon PN Pitcairn PR Puerto Rico PS Occupied Palestinian Territory PT Portugal PW Palau PY Paraguay QA Qatar RE Réunion RO Romania RS Serbia RU Russian Federation RW Rwanda SA Saudi Arabia SB Solomon Islands SC Seychelles SD Sudan SE Sweden SG Singapore SH St Helena and Dependencies SI Slovenia SJ Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands SK Slovakia SL Sierra Leone SM San Marino SN Senegal SO Somalia SR Suriname ST Sao Tome and Principe SU former Soviet Union SV El Salvador SY Syrian Arab Republic SZ Swaziland TC Turks and Caicos Islands TD Chad

TF French Southern Territories TG Togo TH Thailand TJ Tajikistan TK Tokelau TL Timor-Leste TM Turkmenistan TN Tunisia TO Tonga TR Turkey TT Trinidad and Tobago TV Tuvalu TW Taiwan, Province of China TZ Tanzania, United Republic of UA Ukraine UG Uganda UM United States Minor Outlying Islands US United States of America UY Uruguay UZ Uzbekistan VA Vatican City State (Holy See) VC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VE Venezuela VG Virgin Islands (British) VI Virgin Islands (U.S.) VN Viet Nam VU Vanuatu WF Wallis and Futuna Islands WS Samoa XA1 French Antilles XC1 Caribbean XE1 Europe XF1 Africa XM1 South America XS1 Asia XV1 Various XX1 Unknown YE Yemen YT Mayotte YU former Yugoslavia/ Serbia & Montenegro ZA South Africa ZC1 former Czechoslovakia ZM Zambia ZW Zimbabw

unep-wcmc 2007 review of non-cites amphibia species that are

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