Great leap: A recent picture of the Mesilau Stream Toad. Researchers also found tadpoles, indicating breeding.
KOTA KINABALU: A species of toad feared to have gone extinct following the destruction of its habitat after the Mount Kinabalu earthquake has been sighted again.
This rediscovery of the Mesilau Stream Toad (Ansonia guibei) was made by researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Sabah Parks on Mount Kinabalu late last year.
UMS Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation herpetologist Assoc Prof Dr Evan SH Quah said the species was once relatively common but was feared to have become extinct after the devastating earthquake in 2015.
The quake caused massive damage to the species’ habitat and was believed to have caused a significant decline in the toad’s population and even its potential extinction, he said.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the species as critically endangered in 2017 after a survey in Mesilau failed to locate any specimens, supporting this theory, according to Quah.
With funding from the Asian Species Action Partnership, the research team led by Quah set out to reassess the status of the species last year.
In September 2023, the team was elated to rediscover a single sub-adult specimen of the Mesilau Stream Toad in its typical locality.
“In addition, tadpoles of the toad were also recorded in the main Mesilau River and Tibabar Stream.
“These findings are extremely encouraging, as they not only indicate that the species survived but is also breeding,” Quah said.
He added that the research team is continuing to monitor the toads in Mesilau to gather more ecological data on the species post-earthquake.
The Mesilau Stream Toad still faces many ongoing threats as it has an extremely restricted range and is confined only to the Mesilau watershed on Mount Kinabalu, which makes it vulnerable to any extensive changes in the environment, he added.
“Secondly, the preliminary data collected by the team indicates that the habitat of the toad has not fully recovered after the 2015 earthquake.
“Landslides still frequently occur at the cliff faces that were exposed after the earthquake, especially during the rainy season, so run-off and siltation from the landslides affect the water quality of the waterways where the toads breed.
“Finally, similar to other montane endemics, the Mesilau Stream Toad faces the ever-present threat of climate change,” Quah said.
He added that the toads would be vulnerable to changes brought about by a warming climate because they are a species that evolved to thrive in cool and moist conditions at high elevations.
“The data collected from this ongoing study is critical in the construction of a sound conservation plan to ensure the survival of the species.
“Details of the findings were just published this week in the journal Zootaxa,” he said.
