Amphibian population declines in montane southern Mexico: resurveys of historical localities

Abstract

Declines of amphibian populations have been well documented in the US, Canada, and Central America, but little is known regarding the status of amphibian populations in Mexico. In 2000, we surveyed 43 transects from 3 upland regions in Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico. We found 161 adult amphibians belonging to 39 species, representing only 19–48% of the anuran fauna known from these regions. We found one dead ( Eleutherodactylus saltator) and one dying frog ( Ptychohyla erythromma) from two different streams near Chilpancingo, Guerrero. Both frogs were infected with Batrachochytridium dendrobatidis, a pathogenic fungus involved in other declines of amphibian populations. We collected 368 tadpoles; 60 (19%) tadpoles from 9 different streams among the three regions were missing mouthparts, which is indicative of infection by chytrid fungus. We report additional data from the state of Chiapas, Mexico, that document declines, disease, and apparent extirpations from that region as well. Overall, we report 31 populations (representing 24 species) that appear to have been extirpated, including populations of as many as 11 endemic species that have been missing for 16–40 years and may be extinct.