CRITICISM OF THE ASSIGNEMENT OF THREAT CATEGORY FOR GASTMTHERN RUIZII (AMPHIBIA: ANURA: HYLIDAC)

Abstract

Gastrotheca ruizi is considered by Estupiñán (2004) as an Endangered Species (EN), using the threat category of the UICN because it has a small area of distribution, broken into fragments or fluctuating: B1 ab (iii); however, recent collections and field observations in the Valle de Sibundoy, Putumayo Department, Colombia (type locality of the species) provide sufficient information to reject the previous classification and propose the reassignment in the Nearly Threatened (NT) category. Lastly, as a fundamental measure for the protection of this endemic species, it is proposed to include the habitats where the species lives in the Sistema de Áreas Protegidas de Colombia.