Population status of Centrolene savagei (Anura: Centrolenidae) in the Western and Central Andes of Colombia

Abstract

to determine the population status of Centrolene savagei (Centrolenidae) in the Western and Central Andes of Colombia. Scope: promotion of the population study of the endemic glassfrogs species of Colombia. Methodology: C. savagei (Centrolenidae) has only been registered in the Central and Western Andes of Colombia. We conducted a visual encounter survey in eight different localities where C. savagei was previously reported: Alto Bonito, Florencia, La Pastora, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Filandia, Boquía, Alto el Otoño and Chicoral, with an effective sampling effort of 54 h per locality. Each captured individual was marked, sexed and the height above water level of the perch was registered. Furthermore, all detected clutches in each survey were also marked and height above water level was recorded. We use a standard capture-recapture model to estimate the size of the population in each study site assuming closed population conditions. Main Results: C. savagei was absent at La Pastora and Florencia. In all localities where C. savagei was registered, male individuals and clutches were usually found between 1.5-2.0 m, while female individuals remain most of the time above 6 m height, and only go down for reproduction. The population size of C. savagei in the study area of Alto del Otoño was 132 ± 13 ind, in Chicoral was 41 ± 8 ind and in Santa Rosa de Cabal was 37 ± 6 ind. In Filandia, Boquia and Alto Bonito, recaptures were not carried out, so the size of the population could not be estimated. Conclusions: The presence of C. savagei in 75% of the localities where it had previously been reported suggests that the biotic and abiotic conditions in these sites are still adequate to sustain populations of this endemic species.