This recently described species (2012) is only known from the western flank of Serranía de Perijá, located in northernmost elevations of the Andes in Colombia. Currently the species is known from three sites within a restricted area in the municipalities of La Jagua de Ibirico and El Becerril, Cesar Department, Colombia (Anganoy-Criollo 2012). It is found between 400 and 900 m Asl, its EOO is 364 km2 and it is considered to occur in two threat-defined locations.
Habitat and Ecology
This species inhabits humid forest. Individuals have been observed during the day along the edges of a stream in the quebrada El Veranero locality and within the leaf litter near this stream. The tadpoles of this species are free swimming and found along the edges of streams. It has been found in degraded forest and cultivated land, including marijuana (Cannabis sativa) and amapola (Papaver rhoeas) fields (Anganoy-Criollo 2012).
There is a lack of population information for this species. The population is not considered severely fragmented because it does not meet the criteria (i.e. reduced dispersal caused by habitat fragmentation and over half of the population in isolated habitat patches). Although Serrania de Perijá has been highly deforested, this species inhabits cultivated lands (Anganoy-Criollo 2012). Due to ongoing decline in the extent and quality of habitat, the population is suspected to be decreasing.
Although this species inhabits cultivated lands, the herbicides and pesticides used in this habitat, specifically glyphosate (Lynch and Arroyo 2009), are also a potential threat to the waterways and the survival of its embryos and tadpoles (Anganoy-Criollo 2012). The habitat is also subject to heavy grazing by livestock. The ability of this species to adapt to these environmental changes is unknown (Anganoy-Criollo 2012). In addition, coal mining concessions overlap with 90% of this species' distribution and pose a major threat to the species (Colombia Workshop August 2016).
This species is not known to occur in any protected areas.
This species would likely benefit from improved habitat protection at sites where it is known to occur.
More information is needed on this species' distribution, population status, ecology, and threats. There is a need for monitoring the population status of this species given the threats of illegal crop cultivation, coal mining and heavy grazing by livestock.
Red List Status
Listed as Endangered because of its extent of occurrence (EOO) of 364 km2, occurring in two threat-defined locations and there being a continuing decline in the area and quality of its habitat due to coal mining, livestock and illegal crop cultivation. However, the effects of these threats on the species are poorly understood as there is little information on specific habitat use and it appears to be somewhat tolerant of habitat change.
IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2017. Allobates ignotus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T77187242A85872707. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T77187242A85872707.en .Downloaded on 12 December 2018