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  IUCN 14 Sep 06
A quarter of the Mediterranean’s amphibians are threatened with extinction
IUCN Mediterranean Red List of Threatened Species - Reptiles and Amphibians published today

Málaga, Spain (IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation) – The Mediterranean basin could soon experience significant reptile and amphibian extinctions according to the new Mediterranean Red List of Threatened Species – Reptiles and Amphibians published today by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

The Mediterranean basin is considered a “biodiversity hotspot” because many of its species are found only in this region.

One in four of the Mediterranean ’s species of amphibians - frogs, toads, newts and salamanders - are threatened with extinction: of the 106 amphibian species, 26 are listed in that category.

The vast majority of these are found nowhere else in the world: 64% of these amphibians are endemic to the region. One species is listed as extinct: the painted frog (Discoglossus nigriventer). “This means that as our native species reach extinction, part of our natural heritage disappears forever ,” says Annabelle Cuttelod, Red List Coordinator at the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.

On a global level, almost one-third of the world’s 5,918 amphibian species are threatened with extinction, revealed the World Conservation Union in its Global Amphibian Assessment.

Snakes and lizards make up the bulk of the Mediterranean ’s reptiles. In Spain alone, five of the seven species of the lizard genus Iberolacerta, are threatened. Three of the four species of giant lizard from the Canary Islands (genus Gallotia) are critically endangered and one, the Gallotia auaritae, is already extinct. Terrestrial tortoises are also generally threatened with two of the five Testudo terrestrial tortoises critically endangered.

Eastern Mediterranean has a greater diversity of reptile species (lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, and crocodilians) due to the characteristic arid lands while parts of the rainier Western Mediterranean have a wider variety of amphibians.

Of the 355 reptile species (excluding marine turtles) found in the Mediterranean , almost half of them occur only in this region and 46 of them are currently threatened with extinction.

For the new study, all the reptile and amphibian species were evaluated for their conservation status by experts according to the IUCN system. The results are presented in a report, prepared in partnership with Conservation International and with the financial support of the Mava Foundation.

Threats

The main threats facing reptiles and amphibians are principally habitat loss or degradation (for example through water extraction). Over-harvesting, human disturbance, pollution and invasive alien species are also significant threats.

Many reptiles, mainly snakes, are persecuted. Vehicle collision affects several snake and turtle species.

For amphibians, natural disasters and diseases are also significant threats. The Chytridiomycosis Fungal Disease - first recorded in Spain in 1997- has been implicated in declines of the Mediterranean populations of the midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans ) and the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra ) and could become much more serious.

Success story: Mallorca midwife toad (Alytes muletensis)

Thanks to a conservation project between the Conselleria de Medi Ambient in Mallorca , Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at Kent University and the Barcelona Zoo, the species known as “Ferreret” has experienced an improvement in status.

The species breeds well in captivity and reintroductions have been taking place since 1988, with several breeding populations already successfully established. Annual surveys are taking place and a reserve has been proposed to help protect the species.

With such concerted conservation efforts, the future of this species may well be secured, at least for the present.

“Examples like this show that by groups working together we can make a difference and we should all be encouraged to get more involved, ” said Jane Smart, Head of the IUCN Species Programme.

Action: Using Red List data to slow down the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010

The IUCNMediterranean Red List of Threatened Species: Reptiles and Amphibians is aimed to assist in regional conservation planning by assessing the status and distribution of all species occurring within the region and to develop a network of regional experts to support future assessments and information updates.

The evaluation includes a Red List assessment of all species, an identification of the main threats for each, a spatial representation of the centres of diversity and threats; and a database that provides a baseline for monitoring the status of Mediterranean reptiles and amphibians.

The next step now is to make this information available to policy makers and environmental planners for integration in the development planning process.

Based on this scientific data, governments at every level can now take the necessary actions to contribute to the IUCN initiative ‘Countdown 2010’, which aims to significantly reduce the loss of biodiversity by 2010, as agreed under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
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