Over 50 people gathered at Taman Safari Indonesia, Cisarua, Bogor on July 27th for the start of the amphibian workshop. After a welcome by the President of SEAZA, Mr. Jansen Manansang, presentations were given by Mr. Kevin Johnson from Amphibian Ark, Prof. Djoko Iskander from the Dosen Institut Teknologi Bandun, and Mirza Kusrini from Bogor Agricultural University.  These presentations outlined the global amphibian crisis, the formation of the Amphibian Ark, and amphibian issues in Indonesia.

During the prioritization workshop, a total of 381 species were reviewed, with data compiled for 207 species. Workshop participants did not have sufficient information to review the remaining 174 species, but additional local amphibian experts have been identified to assist with reviewing these species.

Based on the data available during the workshop, Indonesian amphibian species were prioritized into the following conservation roles:

• 182 species that for one or more reasons require further in situ research to be carried out as part of the conservation action for the species. One or more critical pieces of information is not known at this time.
• 6 species undergoing specific applied research that directly contributes to the conservation of the species, or a related species, in the wild (this would include clearly defined ‘model’ or ‘surrogate’ species).
• 1 species threatened through wild collection (e.g. as a food resource), which could be bred in captivity – normally in-country, ex situ - to replace a demand for wild harvested specimens.
• 86 species that are specifically selected for management – primarily in zoos and aquariums - to inspire and increase knowledge in visitors, in order to promote positive behavioral change.

These figures will be likely to change slightly, once additional information has been received from amphibian experts who were not present at the workshop.

Data from the Indonesian workshop can be found on the AArk portal.

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) hosted the three-day Panamanian Amphibian Prioritization Workshop from the 12th-14th of November 2008. The workshop, facilitated by Paul Crump from the Houston Zoo, was well attended with thirteen participants from ten different organizations. A total of 204 species were evaluated using the prioritization tool developed by Amphibian Ark. The workshop participants worked very efficiently, completing all evaluations after two days. The third day was spent discussing both implementation of the workshop results, and the production of a larger national amphibian conservation action plan.

The participants identified four basic groupings of species based on their conservation need and thus dictates their ex situ “role”.

1. Species that are likely extinct (ARK– 10%),
2. Species that are stable now but will be exposed to threatening processes soon (RESCUE – 15%),
3. Species that’s conservation status are completely unknown (NONE – 32%),
4. Species that require no conservation action (NONE – 43%).
 
All the species that fall into the third group were flagged for in situ assessment work.

Data from the Panamanian workshop can be found on the AArk portal.

Prioritization workshop for species in Hong Kong and Guangdong,
Hong Kong, May 22-23 2008

Twenty-two participants representing seven organisations gathered at Ocean Park in Hong on May 22nd for the start of a two-day amphibian workshop. The two main aims of the workshop were to present a series of papers outlining some of the amphibian conservation activities that are currently underway in Hong Kong and Guangdong, and to attempt to prioritize all amphibian species from the two areas for potential ex situ conservation programs.

A number of presentations were given during the morning of the first day, and this was a great way for the presenters to share the work they are involved in with the other participants.

The scope of the amphibian species prioritization workshop was all amphibian species in Hong Kong and Guangdong. This included 24 species that occur in Hong Kong, with one of these, Philautus romeri, being endemic. The species from Hong Kong included 2 Endangered, 2 Near Threatened, 2 Vulnerable, and 18 Least Concern species. All of these species, except for Philautus romeri also occur in the Guangdong province. An additional 42 species that occur in the Guangdong province, but not in Hong Kong, were evaluated during the workshop.

Of the 66 species evaluated, three species, Andrias davidianus (Chinese Giant Salamander, 大鯢), Philautus romeri (Romer’s Tree Frog, 香港(羅氏)小樹蛙) and Cynops orphicus (Dayang Newt, 潮汕蠑螈) were ranked considerably higher than the remaining species. A number of research projects are underway in China with Andrias davidianus and considerable experience exists with commercial farming of the species. A captive program already exists for Philautus romeri, with Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Gardens and Ocean Park already involved in captive breeding and release of the species.

Data from the Hong Kong workshop can be found on the AArk portal and a more detailed report of the workshop is also available.

More than 200 southern African amphibian species were prioritized for conservation action during a two-day AArk-facilitated prioritization workshop hosted by the Johannesburg Zoo.

About twenty amphibian experts from all walks of life – field, university, museum, zoo, NGO, government and students – gathered to consider and answer the various questions needed to identify ex situ roles and priorities among the region’s threatened frogs. AArk Taxon Officer Richard Gibson facilitated the meeting, ably assisted by Jesse Krebs from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo who expertly manipulated the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) files for reference by the participants.

Four species were recommended for urgent rescue programs, twenty species for ex situ research initiatives to investigate both biology and husbandry, and fifteen species were identified as suitable for educational purposes. Interestingly, two of the latter educational species are actually seriously threatened but it was considered that a concerted educational effort was likely all that was necessary to improve their status.

The process ran very smoothly, with the support of all present, and resulted in a tidy list of species prioritized for Rescue, Research and Educational purposes. Prioritization of about 35 species from Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe was not completed owing to lack of information and familiarity with them in the wild. Further assistance will be sought to complete these species scores in coming weeks.

Data from the southern African workshop can be found on the AArk portal. Additional information is being gathered for those species which couldn’t be adequately prioritized with the expertise present at the meeting.

Malaysian species prioritization workshop, Kuala Lumpur, January 15-18 2008

Zoo Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosted an Amphibian Workshop in January 2008. Thirty-nine delegates from eight countries attended the workshop, which was held in the magnificent Palace of the Golden Horses hotel. The first day of the workshop began with an opening ceremony, with a number of distinguished guests, and was followed by an afternoon of presentations from some of the delegates, in a regular conference format. This was a great way for each of the participants to learn more about the work their colleagues have been involved in, and for the delegates to outline their particular interests and the projects they and their institutions are involved in.

Two separate simultaneous workshops were then run over the following two days, one focusing on amphibian species prioritization, and the other focusing on the ex situ management of amphibians. Participants in the species prioritization workshop used the Amphibian Ark species selection and prioritization tool to evaluate 211 species which occur in Malaysia. Sixty-two of these are endemic species. Seven additional taxa (Ansonia latifi, Ansonia latirostra, Ansonia endauensis, Ansonia sukumarani, Ingerophrynus gollumi, Rana monjerai and Theloderma licin) were added to the species from the Global Amphibian Assessment’s list of Malaysian taxa.

Unfortunately the participants at the workshop did not have enough information regarding forty-six of the species, and these were only partly evaluated. Other Malaysian amphibian experts were identified, and these people have been asked if they would be willing to assist in completing the evaluation of these forty-six species. The participants collectively came up with common analogue species for the ten highest ranking species, and suggested that the ex situ community in Malaysia uses these analogues to gain husbandry and reproductive experience, before working with the more endangered species.

Data from the Malaysian workshop can be found on the AArk portal and a summary report of the workshop is also available.

Venezuelan species prioritization workshop, Rancho Grande, 17th-18th November, 2007

A species prioritization workshop for Venezuelan amphibian species was held in Rancho Grande, 17th-18th November 2007. Twenty-five participants attended the workshop, and they were mainly researchers and experts from different parts of the country and some zoo representatives.

The prioritization workshop was facilitated by Luis Carrillo (CBSG Mexico) and Diana Sarmiento (ALPZA) and it was organized by AVZA (Venezuelan Zoo and Aquarium Association) and ALPZA.

Venezuela occupies the 8th position on country amphibian diversity with 293 species. Nevertheless, 26% of their species are threatened mainly by habitat destruction. To date there is one species recognized as extinct (Atelopus vogli).

The workshop begun with the explanation of the methodology and goals seek by AArk. Sixty-nine species were evaluated, but unfortunately twenty-five of them were incomplete evaluated due to lack of information for the participants.

The top ten prioritized species for Venezuela are the following:

The data from the Venezuelan workshop can be found on the AArk portal.

Colombian species prioritization workshop, Bogotá, 11th-12th November, 2007

The workshop for prioritization of Colombian amphibian species was successfully organized and facilitated by Luis Carrillo from CBSG Mexico and Diana Sarmiento from ALPZA. Fifteen people attended the two day workshop in Bogotá where we had representatives from Colombian zoos, amphibian experts and researchers from universities and NGOs.

The workshop was organized by ALPZA and ACOPAZOA (Colombian Zoo and Aquarium Association).

The workshop began with representative introductions followed by presentations on workshop methodology and AArk’s spreadsheet for species selection and prioritization. Participants with the help of the workshop’s facilitator began evaluating all the CR, EN and VU amphibian species. A total of 209 species were evaluated. Unfortunately the participants didn’t have the knowledge to evaluate 130 species, mainly due to lack of search in some areas (due to guerrilla risk) meaning that there are some information gaps, but participants agreed to contact other amphibian specialist that couldn’t attend the workshop to have some of this species evaluated too.

An important part of the workshop was dedicated to gathering new information on the species evaluated. Information focused on presence of chytrid, new populations discovered and so on.

The top ten prioritized species for Colombia are:

At the end of the workshop ECOFONDO (Mariela Osorno) showed preliminary results of the project in Magdalena River and Amazonas working together with the communities to develop local awareness and interest for amphibians and water conservation. ECOFONDO is leading a campaign for keeping water as a public resource.

Data from the Colombian workshop can be found on the AArk portal.

Costa Rican species prioritization workshop, San Jose, 31st October - 3rd November, 2007

AArk Taxon Officer Kevin Johnson facilitated a three-day prioritization workshop in Costa Rica, hosted by Fundacion Pro Zoologicos and Simon Bolivar Zoo in San Jose. There were approximately twenty participants at the workshop, including Federico Bolaños from the Universidad de Costa Rica and a number of his students, zoo staff, CBSG Mesoamérica staff, and experts from the private sector.

The participants worked through the prioritization of 188 species, and attempted to answer the questions for many taxa in the third section (Program Implementation) of the prioritization tool.

Data from the Costa Rican workshop can be found on the AArk portal.

Species prioritization workshop for North American and Puerto Rico, Fort Worth, TX, USA, 30-31st July and 1st August, 2007

Twenty people, including two Amphibian Ark facilitators and key amphibian experts from institutions in Canada, USA and Mexico gathered in August 2007 to work through prioritization of species in North America and Puerto Rico.

Due to time constraints, not all species were attempted, but the group prioritized 86 species. Of these 10 were from Puerto Rico, 5 occur in Canada, and the remainder are from the US and Mexico.

Of the high scoring species, half were in the Eleutherodactylus genus, from Puerto Rico.

Data from the North American and Puerto Rican prioritization workshop can be found on the AArk portal.