IUCN Red List

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (http://www.iucnredlist.org/) is considered to be the world’s most comprehensive repository of information pertaining to the conservation status of the world’s species. The IUCN Red List uses the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria as a standard methodological approach to assessing the risk of extinction of the planet’s biodiversity based on information relating to the distribution, population status, ecology and natural history, threats and conservation actions known for species being assessed. Amphibians are a prominent part of the IUCN Red List, comprising one of three vertebrate groups (together with birds and mammals) to have been comprehensively assessed at least once. This comprehensive assessment was done by the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) initiative in 2004, and there have been smaller updates since then, concentrating primarily on the addition of new species and some smaller regional/national updates. However, Red List assessments need to be updated within a period of ten years if they are not to become obsolete. Reassessing previous assessments is a more involved process than assessing brand new species, and need a new approach, which is why we have a new tool: The IUCN Red List Amphibian discussion forum. IMPORTANT NOTE: Given the current quality control requirements needed for conservation assessments to be published on the IUCN Red List, and our very limited human resources, we are unable to process large numbers of assessments at this time. Country-level global reassessments may be possible if requests come with the funding and resources necessary to conduct such reassessments, or if the herpetological community of the country or region in question is willing to take over stewardship of its global assessments.

Amphibian Forum

This Amphibian Forum has been designed with the primary purpose of reassessing amphibian species, and to a lesser degree the assessment of new species that may require more extended input from the general herpetological community, such as new species emerging from taxonomic splits of wide-ranging species. The aim of the forum is to provide a platform whereby the herpetological community can post new and recent information relevant to the reassessment/assessment of amphibian species. If new information is available through publications or feedback, then a new draft assessment with this new information will be posted on the forum for feedback. To facilitate use of existing information, the forum has included maps generated through the Global Amphibian Bioblitz (http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/global-amphibian-bioblitz), a citizen-science initiative seeking to involve the general public in reporting sightings of amphibian species all over the globe. The use of the Bioblitz data is left to the experts’ discretion, and there is no requirement to use these data, although use is encouraged when sources and/or evidence provided are considered to be reliable. Our own published and draft ranges will be included within the Bioblitz’ maps to facilitate viewing. Feedback compiled through the forum will be used to update species assessments prior to following the appropriate channels (review process, consistency check) for publishing final assessments in the IUCN Red List. For more information on the forum as well as to how to join and contribute, please click here. IMPORTANT NOTE: Given the current quality control requirements needed for conservation assessments to be published on the IUCN Red List, and our very limited human resources, we are unable to process large numbers of assessments at this time. Country-level global reassessments may be possible if requests come with the funding and resources necessary to conduct such reassessments, or if the herpetological community of the country or region in question is willing to take over stewardship of its global assessments.

Amphibian Red List Authority

Much has changed since the days of the Global Amphibian Assessment, both in terms of coordination of the assessment process and the assessment process itself. Today, the remit of curating and updating the Amphibians on the Red List database falls to the IUCN SSC Amphibian Red List Authority (Amphibian RLA). The Amphibian RLA is comprised of a group of herpetologists who have received training in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria and in IUCN’s Species Information Service (SIS), the database that feeds into the IUCN Red List, and who are thus qualified to act as either assessors or reviewers for amphibian assessments. The Amphibian RLA has a wiki site which was originally designed to help the RLA coordinate its activities and have access to relevant and important documents; however, this wiki also has useful information and resources that are made available to the general herpetological community and may complement some of the aspects covered in this forum. For more information on the Amphibian RLA please visit the RLA wiki page.