Philautus marki Biju & Bossuyt, 2009
Pseudophilautus marki (Biju & Bossuyt, 2009)
|Red List Category & Criteria:||Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) ver 3.1|
|Assessor(s):||IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group|
|Reviewer(s):||Andreone, F. & Crnobrnja-Isailovic, J.|
|Contributor(s):||Pascual Cuadras, A., Angulo, A. & Biju, S.D.|
Listed as Critically Endangered because its area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be less than 10 km2, its extent of occurrence (EOO) less than 100 km2, all individuals are in a single location, and there is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat in the Nelliyampathi Hills, Western Ghats of India.
|Range Description:||This species is currently known only from Kaikatti-Nelliyampathi (at 1,000 m asl), Palakkad district, state of Kerala, India (Biju and Bossuyt 2009). Its AOO is thought to be less than 10 km2, its EOO to be less than 100 km2, and it is believed to be endemic to the Nelliyampathi Hills, as surveys in neighbouring areas have not recorded this species beyond its type locality (S.D. Biju pers. comm. January 2011).|
|Range Map:||Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.|
This species is considered to be rare (S.D. Biju pers. comm December 2010). Its population is thought to be possibly declining (S.D. Biju pers. comm January 2011).
|Current Population Trend:||Decreasing|
|Habitat and Ecology:||This species occurs in disturbed evergreen forest patches (Biju and Bossuyt 2009). Males were found in the rain in a late evening on leaves about 1 m high and females were found on the ground on the surface of dead leaves (Biju and Bossuyt 2009). Like other congeners, this species breeds by direct development (S.D. Biju pers. comm. December 2010).|
|Use and Trade:||
There are no reports of this species being utilized.
Habitat loss and fragmentation due to small and large-scale agricultural practices and infrastructure development and construction for tourism over the last five years are major threats to this species (S.D. Biju pers. comm. December 2010). However, it is unknown how much tolerance this species may have to disturbed environments.
This species does not occur within any protected area (S.D. Biju pers. comm. December 2010). Given that it is only known to occur at Kaikatti-Nelliyampathi, conservation of its evergreen forest habitat is a priority. More information is needed on this species' population status, natural history and threats.