The amphibian extinction crisis is still an emergency
Authors: Lötters Stefan , Plewnia Amadeus , Catenazzi Alessandro , Neam Kelsey , Acosta-Galvis Andrés , Vela Yesenia Alarcon , Allen Joshua , Segundo Juan Alfaro , Cabezas Ana Almendáriz , Alvarado Gilbert , Alves-Silva Kleiton , Anganoy-Criollo Marvin , Ortiz Ernesto Arbeláez , L. Jackeline Arpi , Arteaga Alejandro , Ballestas Onil , Moscoso Diego Barrera , Barros-Castañeda José , Batista Abel , Bernal Manuel , Betancourt Esteban , Bitar Youszef , Böning Philipp , Bravo-Valencia Laura , Andrade José Cáceres , Cadenas Diego , Auza Juan Carlos Chaparro , Chaves-Portilla Giovanni , Chávez Germán , Coloma Luis , Fernández Claudia Cortez , Courtois Elodie , Culebras Jaime , Riva Ignacio De la , Diaz Vladimir , Lara Luis Elizondo , Ernst Raffael , Flechas Sandra , Foch Thibaut , Fouquet Antoine , Méndez Carmen García , García-Pérez Juan Elias , Gómez-Hoyos Diego , Gomides Samuel , Guerrel Jorge , Gratwicke Brian , Guayasamin Juan , Griffith Edgardo , Herrera-Alva Valia , Ibanez Roberto , Idrovo Carlos , Monge Andrés Jiménez , Jorge Rafael , Jung Alisha , Klocke Blake , Lampo Margarita , Lehr Edgar , Lewis Carrie , Lindquist Erik , López-Perilla Yeny , Mazepa Glib , Rangel Guido Medina , Merino-Viteri Andrés , Mulder Kevin , Pacheco-Suarez Mauricio , Pereira-Muñoz Andry , Pérez-González José , Erazo Maria Pinto , Pisso-Florez Gustavo , Ponce Marcos , Poole Vicky , Riera Amanda Quezada , Quiroz Aarón , Quiroz-Espinoza Michelle , Guerra Alejandro Ramírez , Ramírez Juan , Reichle Steffen , Reizine Hugo , Rivera-Correa Mauricio , Ross Bernardo Roca-Rey , Rocha-Usuga Andrés , Rodriguez Miguel , M. Sintana Rojas , Rößler Daniela , Solano Luis Rueda , Señaris Celsa , Shepack Alexander , Pesántez Fausto Siavichay , Sorokin Anton , Terán-Valdez Andrea , Torres-Ccasani Grecia , Tovar-Siso Pablo , Valencia Lina , Velásquez-Trujillo David , Veith Michael , Venegas Pablo , Villalba-Fuentes Jeferson , von May Rudolf , Bernal Juan Webster , Marca Enrique La 
Published: June 2023

AbstractAnthropogenic biodiversity loss is extreme in amphibians. Despite ongoing conservation action, it is difficult to determine where we stand in overcoming their extinction crisis 1,2. Extinction risk is not equally distributed across amphibians 3-5. Among the most threatened amphibians are the 131 Neotropical harlequin toads (Atelopus), many of which dramatically declined since the late 1980s with several considered possibly extinct 5,6. Recently, more than 30 species have been rediscovered7, raising hope for a reversing trend in the amphibian extinction crisis. We use harlequin toads, for which comprehensive past and present population status, threat and conservation action data are available, as a model for examining whether the amphibian extinction crisis is still in a state of emergency. We show that since 2004 no species has improved its population status, suggesting that the conservation community has not yet bent the curve. Threats such as pathogen spread and habitat change persist unabated; additionally, climate change is expected to be a future threat. More on-the-ground mitigation strategies need implementation, especially habitat protection and disease management, combined with captive conservation breeding. With harlequin toads serving as a model for amphibians with high extinction risk, it is clear that the amphibian extinction crisis is still underway.