Molecular phylogenetics of stream treefrogs of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion group (Anura: Hylidae), and description of two new species from Ecuador. Download Pdf (open access) from Zootaxa
The global conservation group Amphibian Ark is coordinating a special event to reveal the scientific name of a new Ecuadorian frog named for HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, to honour his remarkable efforts to protect rainforests around the world. The event takes place at the Prince’s Highgrove House residence on 5 July and includes presentation of a commemorative medallion from the Tower Mint.. The event also involves explaining the discovery of the frog to a large audience of ‘WWF Green Ambassador’ schoolchildren who will all be wearing special frog masks!
The global conservation group Amphibian Ark is coordinating a special event to reveal the scientific name of a new Ecuadorian frog named for HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, to honour his remarkable efforts to protect rainforests around the world. The event takes place at the Prince’s Highgrove House residence on 5 July and includes presentation of a commemorative medallion from the Tower Mint.. The event also involves explaining the discovery of the frog to a large audience of ‘WWF Green Ambassador’ schoolchildren who will all be wearing special frog masks!
Amphibians are our most imperilled
terrestrial vertebrates, and climate change, epidemic disease and habitat
loss, are their greatest threats. Unless humanity takes immediate
action to stabilize the climate, while also fighting biodiversity’s other
threats, a multitude of species is likely to vanish. Conserving important
habitats like rainforests is therefore the single most significant act we
can take to protect amphibians. The Prince’s Rainforest Project is at the
forefront of these efforts, and HRH’s role will be honored in perpetuity in the
Latinised scientific name of this precious, newly-discovered species. The paper
describing the new species was published in the biological journal Zootaxa
on 4 July, a day before the event at Highgrove House.
The spectacular new stream frog was
discovered as new to science by Ecuadorian Scientist Dr. Luis A. Coloma in 2008
among preserved museum specimens. Dr. Coloma immediately recognized the
specimens as unique, a new species in the hylid genus Hyloscirtus. He
organized three expeditions with Ecuadorian colleagues to confirm its survival
in the Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park at about 2800 m altitude in the
Cordillera Occidental del Ecuador. Although the original locality had already
been cleared for agriculture, the team was able to locate three adult specimens
and some tadpoles in nearby areas. The frogs were found at night climbing on
branches close to a waterfall of about 8 meters height. DNA analyses have
confirmed that this is indeed a new species for science; but, sadly, a species
that, on IUCN Red List criteria, is already Threatened with Extinction. If this
rare species is to persist in the wild, it requires further scientific and
conservation action in the field and in the laboratory. Only two juveniles are
currently kept in a rescue facility, with the hope that these are a pair which
will eventually breed.
Dr Coloma, the world-renowned
amphibian biologist who discovered the new species and offered to name it in
honour of the Prince, will be in attendance. He received his PhD at the
University of Kansas, where he studied amphibian systematics and ecology. Dr
Coloma worked for 19 years at the Catholic University in Quito where he
conceived and launched Balsa de los Sapos (‘Life Raft for Frogs’). He currently
works on amphibian science and conservation and founded Centro Jambatu de
Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, in Quito, Ecuador as part of the
Ecuadorian NGO Fundación Otonga. Luis is a proud member of the Amphibian Ark
global network, which is facilitating the event with the Prince. The
commemorative medallion was sponsored by the North of England Zoological
Society (Chester Zoo), a strong supporter of the AArk.
The Amphibian Ark was founded in 2006
by three partners: the IUCN-Species Survival Commission’s Conservation Breeding
Specialist Group; the IUCN-SSC’s Amphibian Specialist Group; and the World
Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The AArk mission is facilitating
partnerships that ensure the global survival of amphibians, focusing on those
that cannot currently be safeguarded in nature. For more information,
please visit www.AmphibianArk.org.
c/o IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group
12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd
12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd
Apple Valley, MN 55124 USA
Amphibian Ark is a partnership among the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
