Gustavo presented a talk on his dissertation research titled Bromeligenous Amphibians in Suboptimal Habitats: A Case Study of Phyllodytes gyrinaethes and its Environmental Interactions ​during our annual Biosymposium at the BBC campus. 

Congrats to Jon for passing his qualifying exams! Jon is now a PhD candidate. 

​Anne presented at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2024 annual meeting in early January in Seattle, WA. She presented a poster about her work investigating the effects of microplastics on tadpoles titled “Investigating the impacts of microplastics as a potential vector for chemicals on tadpoles”. 

The last taxonomic contribution of the lab in 2023 is a collaboration with the description of two new species of lizards in the genus Petracola from Peru, led by Luis Mamani. The two new species are Petracola amazonensis and P. shrugojalcapi (shown in the picture by V. Vargas). The two new species increase the diversity of Petracola to seven species. However, like other genera of gymnophthalmids, the diversity is still underestimated.

Citation: ​Mamani, L. , V. J. Vargas, J.C. Chaparo, A. Catenazzi. Two new species of gymnophthalmid lizards (Squamata: Cercosaurinae) from the Andes of Peru and their  phylogenetic relationships. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 17(1-2): : 161–173 (e328).

Lab collaborator Valia Herrera-Alva published today the description of a new species of terrestrial-breeding frog, Pristimantis similaris from the montane forests of southern Peru. The species is cryptic (hence the name) with P. rhabdolaemus and P. pharangobates, also distributed in southern Peru, but molecular analyses and careful examination of their external morphology allowed Valia to set them apart. 

Pristimantis similaris is a member of the family Strabomantidae, a group of small, ground-dwelling frogs found throughout the tropical Americas. The new species is distinguished by its small size (less than an inch in length), rough skin, and long, slender legs. It also has a distinctive oval-shaped tongue, which it uses to snatch insects from the leaf litter.

The discovery of Pristimantis similaris highlights the incredible biodiversity of the Peruvian cloud forests, a hotspot for amphibian endemism. These fragile ecosystems are home to hundreds of frog species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

"The cloud forests of Peru are a treasure trove of undiscovered life," said Valia. "This new frog is a reminder that there is still so much we don't know about the natural world, and that even the most common-looking creatures can hold hidden secrets."

The scientists who discovered Pristimantis similaris are calling for increased conservation efforts in the Peruvian cloud forests. These irreplaceable ecosystems are threatened by deforestation, climate change, and other human activities.

"We need to do more to protect these cloud forests," said Valia. "They are not only home to a wealth of biodiversity, but they also play an important role in regulating the climate and providing clean water. By protecting the cloud forests, we are protecting the future of our planet."

The discovery of Pristimantis similaris is a testament to the power of scientific curiosity and the importance of protecting our planet's biodiversity. With continued research and conservation efforts, we can ensure that these remarkable creatures continue to thrive for generations to come.

Citation: ​Herrera-Alva, V., A. Catenazzi, C. Aguilar-Puntriano. 2023.  A new cryptic species of terrestrial breeding frog of the Pristimantis danae Group (Anura, Strabomantidae) from montane forests in Ayacucho, Peru. ZooKeys​ 1187: 1-29.
doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1187.104536

Alessandro was host to Emanuele Biggi's live TV show Geo, and spoke about amphibian declines, their ecological consequences, and the paradox of species discoveries (and rediscoveries) as many more are lost due to habitad destruction, disease, and climate change. The interview (in italian) can be seen online at https://www.raiplay.it/programmi/geo. 

Our planet is home to almost 9,000 amphibian species. For more than 100 years, these animals have dramatically suffered the consequences of deforestation, agriculture, wetland drainage, agrochemicals and other pollutants. In recent times, new threats have emerged making 40% of all amphibian species threatened with extinction under “Red List” released by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which was recently updated. New threats include climate change and emerging infectious diseases. Among them, amphibian chytrid fungi causing skin infections play a key role. These fungi have been spread all over the world by humans and induce the disease chytridiomycosis in amphibians, leading to population declines and even extinctions.

Citation: Lötters, S., A. Plewnia, A. Catenazzi, K. Neam, A.R. Acosta-Galvis, Y. Alarcon Vela, J.P. Allen, J.O. Alfaro Segundo, A. de Lourdes Almendáriz Cabezas, G. Alvarado Barboza, K.R. Alves-Silva, M. Anganoy-Criollo, E. Arbeláez Ortiz, J.D. Arpi L., A. Arteaga, O. Ballestas, D. Barrera Moscoso, J.D. Barros-Castañeda, A. Batista, M.H. Bernal, E. Betancourt, Y.O. da Cunha Bitar, P. Böning, L. Bravo-Valencia, J.F. Cáceres Andrade, D. Cadenas, J.C. Chaparro Auza, G.A. Chaves-Portilla, G. Chávez, L.A. Coloma,C.F. Cortez-Fernandez, E.A. Courtois, J. Culebras, I. De la Riva, V. Diaz, L.C. Elizondo Lara, R. Ernst, S.V.Flechas, T. Foch, A. Fouquet, C.Z. García Méndez, J. E. García-Pérez, D.A. Gómez-Hoyos, S.C. Gomides,J. Guerrel, B. Gratwicke, J.M. Guayasamin, E. Griffith, V. Herrera-Alva, R. Ibáñez, C.I. Idrovo, A. Jiménez Monge, R.F. Jorge, A. Jung, B. Klocke, M. Lampo, E. Lehr, C.H.R. Lewis, E.D. Lindquist, Y.R. López-Perilla, G. Mazepa, G.F. Medina-Rangel, A. Merino Viteri, K. Mulder, M. Pacheco-Suarez, A. Pereira-Muñoz, J.L. Pérez-González, M.A. Pinto Erazo, A.G. Pisso Florez, M. Ponce, V. Poole, A.B. Quezada Riera, A.J. Quiroz, M. Quiroz-Espinoza, A. Ramírez Guerra, J.P. Ramírez, S. Reichle, H. Reizine, M. Rivera-Correa, B. Roca-Rey Ross, A. Rocha-Usuga, M.T. Rodrigues, S. Rojas Montaño, D.C.Rößler, L.A. Rueda Solano, C. Señaris, A. Shepack, F.R. Siavichay Pesántez, A. Sorokin, A. Terán-Valdez, G. Torres-Ccasani, P.C. Tovar-Siso, L.M. Valencia, D.A. Velásquez-Trujillo, M. Veith, P.J. Venegas, J. Villalba-Fuentes, R. von May, J.F. Webster Bernal & E. La Marca. 2023. Ongoing harlequin toad declines suggest the amphibian extinction crisis is still an emergency.  Communications Earth and Environment, 4, 412. doi: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-01069-w

The lab was present at the XII Congreso Latinoamericano de Herpetologia in Cochabamba the first week of November. Alessandro participated as part of the scientific outreach activities for NSF project DEB 2003497. These are the talks and poster presented by students and collaborators during the meeting.

Hamlet Maza presented a poster on his work on the role of fungal infection on substrate choice behavior in terrestrial breeding frogs titled Preferencia de microhábitat seco y húmedo en anuros de reproducción terrestre infectados por Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis en el bosque montano del valle de Kosñipata, Perú.

Valia Herrera presented her poster on chytrid prevalence in cloud forests of southern Peru, titled Prevalencia de quitridiomicosis en comunidades de anfibios de bosques montanos tropicales de Ayacucho y Cusco, Perú.

Alex Ttito gave a talk summarizing his research on the phylogeny of high Andean water frogs:  Desenredando las relaciones filogenéticas de especies y poblaciones de
Telmatobius (Anura: Telmatobiidae) en el centro y sur de Perú en un escenario de riesgo
de extinción.

Alessandro gave two talks, one on the ongoing mark-recapture study investigating fungal transmission in terrestrial-breeding frogs, and the second on frog-biting midges (Corethrellidae) in the montane forests of the Amazonian slopes of the Andes:

Alessandro also presented a poster on the work of AmphibiaWeb: AmphibiaWeb: Conectando a los amantes de los anfibios con la información.

Congratulations to Anne for being awarded a University Graduate School Dissertation Year Fellowship! This competitive award allows last year PhD candidates at FIU to dedicate themselves to writing their dissertations. 

 Amphibians are in trouble and in desperate need of conservation action, according to a new global assessment of the world’s amphibian population.

Salamanders are experiencing the greatest decline in numbers, but amphibians throughout the Neotropics are of particular concern, according to Alessandro Catenazzi, FIU biologist and one of the primary researchers on the international project. The team evaluated the status of 8,011 species of amphibians tracked by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their findings, published this week in Nature, indicate nearly 41percent of amphibian species are threatened with extinction, making them the most imperiled class of vertebrates on the planet, outpacing birds and mammals. Since 1980, at least 37 species have gone extinct, with disease and habitat loss being the primary culprits. The scientists warn climate change is quickly emerging as a major threat, attributing to 39 percent of populations declines since 2004.

"Global emerging diseases increasingly threaten biodiversity worldwide,
and amphibians are one of the most dramatic examples of species extinctions caused by
disease. No other group of vertebrates has been so negatively affected by a single disease" says Catenazzi. "We urgently need better strategies to prevent pandemics and mitigate the effects of introduced disease on wild amphibians"

While the news is not good for amphibians, the scientists do offer hope in this latest
assessment. Enforced habitat protections actually resulted in status improvements for some
species, indicating this should be a conservation priority, especially in regions where
agriculture, timber and plant harvesting, and infrastructure development are ever-present.
Better disease-management tools are also desperately needed to stave off the spread of a
deadly fungal disease responsible for many species declines and to prevent new emerging
diseases.

The Global Amphibian Assessment is the second of its kind, comprehensively assessing the
extinction risk of amphibians. The first assessment was completed in 2004, offering scientists a
baseline of data to measure against for this latest study. Throughout the world, there are 8,615
known species of amphibians with 8,011 being listed on the IUCN’s Red List, a comprehensive
information source on the global conservation status of animals, fungi and plants.
These numbers do not account for the yet-to-be-identified species of amphibians, which are
another area of concern. Many can be very small and reside in remote habitats that are not
immune to disease and the effects of climate change. Catenazzi is very familiar with the elusive
nature of many species, having identified nearly 60 previously unknown species
throughout his career.

According to Dr. Catenazzi, "The Global Amphibian Assessment is our best tool to monitor changes in the conservation status of amphibian biodiversity, and to provide highly vetted and curated
information that can form the basis for management and conservation actions aimed at
preventing the extinction of species".

The current assessment focused on population trends, ecological requirements, threats and
distributional boundaries of amphibians worldwide. While the number of threatened and
extinct species is increasing, the scientists hope this latest research will motivate governments
and conservation agencies to substantially increase their investment and political will for
conservation efforts of the world’s amphibians.

Luedtke, J.A., J. Chanson, K. Neam, L. Hobin, A.O. Maciel, A. Catenazzi, et al. 2023. Ongoing declines for the world’s amphibians in the face of emerging threats. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06578-4  ​