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Tlalocohyla (Tlalocohyla)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 220529182

Conserving a possibly critically endangered newly discovered Hylid frog endemic to a single wetland in Costa Rica.

Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation (Project No. 220529182) - Tlalocohyla - Awarded $4,950 on June 08, 2022

This newly discovered frog (Varela et al., 2022) has been found in a singular 8-hectare wetland. This grant has enabled search efforts, community work and natural history research of the species. 

 

Natural History & Research 

 The team was able to establish a biosecurity protocol at the entrance of Tapir Valley Nature Reserve, where the species was found. Since it is a new species, we are unsure of how different infectious diseases like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis can affect it. The protocol is a preventative action whilst we currently determine the presence/absence of certain diseases in the species. 

The team is also working towards understanding the species habitat requirements and characterizing the species distribution within the wetland. We are currently developing the methodology for estimating the species population size and working with other institutions to fill in the knowledge gaps about this species evolution and biogeography.  

 

Exploratory Efforts  

This grant has enabled the begining of the exploratory search efforts. Unfortunately, we have not found any populations of Tlalocohyla celeste anywhere else. However, because of these exploratory efforts, the team has found other amphibian species that had not been documented in the area before, some of which are endangered species. Because of this grant's support, we are developing a more robust herptological inventory of this unexplored area of Costa Rica.  

 

Community Outreach 

The team has also been working towards increasing community engangement and outreach. Thankfully there is an already established citizen science program that acts as a platform for amphibian workshops and community activities related to Tlalocohyla celeste and amphibians. Currently, the team is working to get the story of Tlalocohyla celeste implemented in the local schools curriculums. In October of 2023 the team, alongside the citizen science program will host the first Amphibian Count of Bijagua, an incredible opportunity to increase search efforts alongside the community to further understand the biodiversity they coexist with. 

Project document