Lost ‘starry night’ harlequin toad thought on the verge of extinction for 30 years is ‘rediscovered’

The starry night harlequin toad — so-called for its white-spotted black colouration — has been photographed by scientists for the first time since 1991.

The toad, whose proper name is ‘Atelopus arsyecue’, has not been comprehensively studied in 30 years, because biologists have not been able to access its small habitat on Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range.

The land is sacred to the indigenous Arhuaco community of Sogrome, so they have prevented scientists from carrying out investigations there.

Over the past three decades, the only evidence that the species had not died out was a photograph of one of the toads, provided by a spokesperson for the community in 2009. 

However, a new partnership between the Colombian NGO Fundación Atelopus and the Sogrome community has allowed biologists to study the toad once more.

The scientists were surprised to find a population of 30 starry night harlequin toads when they visited its tiny habitat.

 

The starry night harlequin toad, pictured — so-called for its white-spotted black colouration — has been photographed by scientists for the first time since 1991

Classified as being critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in their Red List of Threatened Species, the population of starry night harlequin toads had been thought to be on the decline.

The stunning monochrome toad only lives on Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at altitudes between around 6,600–11,500 feet (2,000–3,500 metres) above sea level — and has been threatened by the fungal disease chytridiomycosis and habitat loss. 

The last official record of the toad population was in 1991, when the species was only known from six individual specimens. 

Until now, biologists had to largely speculate as to how many of the rare animals still survived.

Despite being inaccessible to science for almost three decades, however, the Sogrome community has continued to live in harmony with the toad, which they have protected alongside the coastal mountain habitat that they both share.

‘Harlequin toads across Latin America at these higher altitudes have largely vanished over the past three decades as the result of a deadly fungal pathogen,’ said Lina Valencia of the Global Wildlife Conservation which funded the expedition.

However, she added, ‘it turns out that the starry night harlequin toad has bucked the trend.’

‘Indigenous and local communities can help us not just find species lost to science, but better understand how some species are surviving and how we can conserve the natural world in a way that connects spiritual and cultural knowledge.’

‘We are tremendously grateful to the Arhuaco people for giving us this opportunity to work with them.’

WHAT HAD EXPERTS THOUGHT ABOUT THE FATE OF THE TOAD?

‘A 2004 assessment stated that the species was known from only six specimens and that there had not been any records since 1991.’

‘Since then the most recent record of the species is from a 2009 photograph taken by Ruperto Chaparro-Villafaña and verified by L.A. Rueda-Solano.’

‘There have been very few surveys to the area because it is difficult to access, so it is still unclear (as it was in 2004) whether the paucity of records is caused by the lack of survey effort, genuine rarity or population decline.’

‘Despite this uncertainty, due to the ongoing decline in the extent and quality in its habitat, the population of this species is suspected to be decreasing.’

SOURCE: The International Union for Conservation of Nature

The toad — properly called 'Atelopus arsyecue' — has not been comprehensively studied in 30 years, as biologists had not had access to its small habitat

The toad — properly called ‘Atelopus arsyecue’ — has not been comprehensively studied in 30 years, as biologists had not had access to its small habitat

To the indigenous Arhuaco people who live alongside the toad in the Sogrome community of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain, it is sacred

To the indigenous Arhuaco people who live alongside the toad in the Sogrome community of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain, it is sacred

To the Arhuaco people, the starry night harlequin toad is known as ‘gouna’ — and its life-cycle and behaviours are taken as signals to determine when to undertake activities like planting crops and performing spiritual ceremonies.

This motivated the Sogrome community to choose the toad as the focus of its Amas la Sierra project, which aims to prove that humans can achieve their goals without disturbing the balance of nature while making bridges with non-indigenous cultures.

‘The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a place that we consider sacred, and harlequin toads are guardians of water and symbols of fertility,’ said Sogrome community member and biologist Kaneymaku Suarez-Chaparro.

‘We manage our resources and conserve our home as the law of origin dictates, which means that we live in balance with Mother Earth and all of the life here.’ 

‘Now we have a great opportunity to bring together two worldviews for the protection and preservation of the Sierra species: the Western scientific knowledge and the indigenous scientific, cultural and spiritual knowledge.’

For the outside world, only a single photograph of one of the toads provided by a spokesperson for the community in 2009 proved their continued existence

For the outside world, only a single photograph of one of the toads provided by a spokesperson for the community in 2009 proved their continued existence

The recent photographing of the starry night toads comes as the result of four years of discussions between Fundación Atelopus and the Sogrome community’s representative, Ruperto Chaparro-Villafaña, and their mamos, or spiritual leaders.

Chaparro-Villafaña had provided the 2009 photo of the toad, the subject of which was verified by Universidad del Magdalena biologist Luis Alberto Rueda Solano.

Back in April 2019, the researchers were allowed to undertake the eight-hour hike to visit the toad’s habitat and observe the starry night harlequin — without taking any photographs.

This formed a test of trust which the Arhuaco refer to as ‘resisting temptation’.  Having satisfied this, the mamos subsequently agreed to allow the team of scientists to return and photograph the toads.

Back in April 2019, biologists were allowed to visit the toad's habitat and observe the starry night harlequin — without taking any photographs. This formed a test of trust which the Arhuaco refer to as 'resisting temptation'. Having satisfied this, the mamos subsequently agreed to allow the team of scientists to return, as pictured, and photograph the toads

Back in April 2019, biologists were allowed to visit the toad’s habitat and observe the starry night harlequin — without taking any photographs. This formed a test of trust which the Arhuaco refer to as ‘resisting temptation’. Having satisfied this, the mamos subsequently agreed to allow the team of scientists to return, as pictured, and photograph the toads

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, of the 96 known harlequin toad species, 80 are either endangered, critically endangered or extinct in the wild. 

The reasons for the plight of the harlequin toads range from climate change to habitat destruction, infectious diseases and invasive species.

Since 2018, 37 species of the genus Atelopus have vanished from their known habitats, despite ongoing efforts to locate them once again.

However, the starry night harlequin toad is one of four such species to have maintained steady numbers on the mountain that is Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

This finding has surprised biologists, who have typically associated high-elevation habitats with rapidly declining amphibian populations.

‘We confirm that Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is one of the most important sites for the conservation of harlequin toads in Latin America,’ said Fundación Atelopus co-founder and Universidad del Magdalena reptile expert Luis Alberto Rueda.

‘Thanks to the indigenous communities like Sogrome, this special place continues to be a sanctuary for these special animals.’

A partnership between the Colombian NGO Fundación Atelopus and the Sogrome community  has let biologists study the toad once more

A partnership between the Colombian NGO Fundación Atelopus and the Sogrome community  has let biologists study the toad once more 

‘It is an incredible honour to be entrusted with the story of the starry night harlequin toad and the story of the Sogrome community’s relationship with it,’ said Fundación Atelopus vice president and biologist José Luis Pérez-González.

‘We were hoping to find one individual of the starry night harlequin toad, and to our great surprise we found a population of 30 individuals.’

‘We were full of joy and hope as we had the chance to observe a healthy population from a genus for which very few species remain.’

With the first steps in this partnership complete, the researchers will meets with leaders of the Sogrome community to discuss how best to collaborate in the monitoring and protection of the starry night harlequin toad going forward.

The toad, whose proper name is 'Atelopus arsyecue', has not been comprehensively studied in 30 years, because biologists have not been able to access its small habitat on Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range

The toad, whose proper name is ‘Atelopus arsyecue’, has not been comprehensively studied in 30 years, because biologists have not been able to access its small habitat on Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range

The stunning monochrome toad only lives on Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at altitudes between around 6,600–11,500 feet (2,000–3,500 metres) above sea level — and has been threatened by the fungal disease chytridiomycosis and habitat loss

The stunning monochrome toad only lives on Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at altitudes between around 6,600–11,500 feet (2,000–3,500 metres) above sea level — and has been threatened by the fungal disease chytridiomycosis and habitat loss

WHAT IS THE ENDANGERED ‘RED LIST’?

Species on the endangered red list are animals of the highest conservation priority that need ‘urgent action’ to save.

An Amber list is reserved for the next most critical group, followed by a green list.

Red list criteria:

  • Globally threatened
  • Historical population decline in UK during 1800–1995
  • Severe (at least 50 per cent) decline in UK breeding population over last 25 years
  • Severe (at least 50 per cent) contraction of UK breeding range over last 25 years  

Last year, in the UK, several more species were added to the list. 

These included:  

  • Atlantic puffin
  • Nightingale 
  • Long-tailed duck 
  • Turtle dove

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