| Citation |
IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2016. Sylvirana maosonensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T58659A87956517. Downloaded on 13 September 2020. |
Description |
JUSTIFICATION
Listed as Least Concern as this species is relatively widespread and is presumed to have a large population.
RANGE DESCRIPTION
This species is currently known from 200-1,500 m asl in central Laos (Stuart 1999, Stuart 2005), central to northern Viet Nam (Bourret 1937, Inger et al. 1999, Orlov et al. 2002, Bain et al. 2007, Hendrix et al. 2008, Gawor et al. 2009, Nguyen et al. 2009), and southern China (Jiang et al. 2007, Fei et al. 2009, Fei et al. 2012). The species extent of occurrence (EOO) is 472,499 km2, which represents six threat-defined locations.
DESCRIPTION
The size of this species population is not well known, however it has been detected in a considerable number of surveys (e.g. Bourret 1937, Inger et al. 1999, Stuart 1999, Orlov et al. 2002, Stuart 2005, Bain et al. 2007, Jiang et al. 2007, Hendrix et al. 2008, Fei et al. 2009, Gawor et al. 2009, Nguyen et al. 2009, Fei et al. 2012), and described as very abundant in Viet Nam (J. Rowley pers. comm. December 2015). It is likely that ongoing forest loss associated with expanding agriculture throughout much of its range (Meyfroidt and Lambin 2008, Sodhi et al. 2009, Meyfroidt et al. 2013) is causing some population declines.
HABITAT AND ECOLOGY
This species is closely associated with evergreen forest and has mostly been observed adjacent to streams on banks, leaf litter, and in vegetation up to half a meter above the ground (Inger et al. 1999, Stuart 1999, Stuart 2005, Bain et al. 2007, Hendrix et al. 2008, Gawor et al. 2009). Some observations of it have also occurred in degraded forest (Stuart 2005). The species breeds by aquatic larval development in a number of different habitats; calling males and tadpoles have been recorded from forested streams, ponds, and still water adjacent to roads in Viet Nam during August (Gawor et al. 2009).
THREATS
Habitat loss and degradation due to rapidly expanding agriculture is an ongoing threat to biodiversity throughout Southeast Asia (Sodhi et al. 2009). In the southernmost part of this species range large areas of forest are converted to agricultural land to grow cash crop plantations (e.g. rubber, coffee and tea) (Meyfroidt and Lambin 2008, Meyfroidt et al. 2013). High rates of deforestation for logging, and agricultural encroachment on natural forest are also ongoing in much of Laos (Sodhi et al. 2009). This species is very likely threatened to some degree by habitat loss.
USE AND TRADE
There are no records of this species being utilized.
CONSERVATION ACTIONS
Conservation Actions
This species is known from a number of protected areas including Tam Dao, Ke Bang and Ba Be National Parks in Viet Nam (Inger et al. 1999, Bain et al. 2007, Hendrix et al. 2008, Gawor et al. 2009). A considerable number of other protected areas are included in parts of this species predicted range; it very likely occurs in some of these also.
Research Needed
In order to ensure the species long-term survival, the lack of data must be addressed; research should be carried out to determine its relative abundance and threats. |
