Evidence for the local extirpation of the Dehradun Stream Frog Amolops chakrataensis Ray, 1992 from the type locality, Chakrata in western Himalaya, India, and associated threats: a call for urgent conservation action

The current occurrence status of the ‘Critically Endangered’ Dehradun Stream Frog Amolops chakrataensis was assessed at its type locality in the Chakrata landscape in Dehradun District, Uttarakhand in the western Himalaya, India. Daytime and nighttime visual encounter and aural surveys were conducted for 39 survey days between 2023 and 2024, across multiple stream systems and seasons. Despite extensive effort, no individuals of A. chakrataensis were detected. This study identifies two additional ongoing threats under the IUCN Red List Threats Classification Scheme: pollution and residential & commercial development. Discrepancies in the current IUCN Red List distribution map were also detected, and an updated preliminary estimate of the indigenous range (sensu IUCN) was provided prior to putative local extirpation. These findings suggest a putative local extirpation at the type locality and highlight the urgent need for targeted monitoring and habitat conservation.

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