Species of the Day: Miles' Robber Frog
© James McCranie
Species of the Day: Miles’ Robber Frog Miles’ Robber Frog, Craugastor milesi, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. This Honduran endemic was once considered ‘Extinct in the Wild’ as it had not been seen since 1983, and surveys between 1992 and 1998 failed to find it. However, the species was rediscovered in 2008 after a single individual was found at Cusuco National Park, western Honduras. Geographical range
www.iucnredlist.org www.amphibians.org Help Save Species www.arkive.org
Once abundant, Miles’ Robber Frog declined dramatically throughout the 1980s. Habitat loss and conversion likely impacted upon the species, but the sudden disappearance of populations in areas of pristine forest may be attributed to chytridiomycosis. This fungus is known to infect other amphibian species in the region, and the species’ affinity to streamside habitats makes it highly susceptible to infection. The recent rediscovery of Miles’ Robber Frog gives rise to the hope that a single resistant population remains. However, the species’ status is still extremely precarious, and research is urgently required to determine the viability of the surviving population.
Species of the Day is sponsored by
The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.
Species of the Day: Miles’ Robber Frog Miles’ Robber Frog, Craugastor milesi, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. This Honduran endemic was once considered ‘Extinct in the Wild’ as it had not been seen since 1983, and surveys between 1992 and 1998 failed to find it. However, the species was rediscovered in 2008 after a single individual was found at Cusuco National Park, western Honduras. Geographical range
www.iucnredlist.org www.amphibians.org Help Save Species www.arkive.org
Once abundant, Miles’ Robber Frog declined dramatically throughout the 1980s. Habitat loss and conversion likely impacted upon the species, but the sudden disappearance of populations in areas of pristine forest may be attributed to chytridiomycosis. This fungus is known to infect other amphibian species in the region, and the species’ affinity to streamside habitats makes it highly susceptible to infection. The recent rediscovery of Miles’ Robber Frog gives rise to the hope that a single resistant population remains. However, the species’ status is still extremely precarious, and research is urgently required to determine the viability of the surviving population.
Species of the Day is sponsored by
The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.
