Population Status of the Taurus Frog, Rana holtzi Werner (1898), in Its Terra Typica: Is There a Decline?

Authors: UĞUR KAYA, İ. ETHEM ÇEVİK, UĞUR C. ERİŞMİŞ

Abstract: The herpetofauna of the Taurus Mountains is diverse, and many species are locally abundant. The Taurus frog, Rana holtzi, is endemic to Maden Lake in the Taurus Mountains in Turkey. Although it was thought to be abundant in its restricted habitat, the population size of the Taurus frog and its related trend are uncertain. Like many animals, a great number of anurans have declined or become extinct over the past decades. In 2003, we conducted a mark-recapture study on the Taurus frog population in its terra typica. Our objective was to monitor R. holtzi in its terra typica to estimate its population size and assess the extent of any decline. Our results indicate that this species is facing a very high risk of decline in its natural habitat.

Keywords: Taurus frog, Rana holtzi, Maden Lake (Karagöl), population size, anuran decline

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