KOTA KINABALU: A group of researchers from the Institute of Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC) at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Sabah Parks have found the presence of the Mesilau stream frog in Kundasang, a species recently classified as endangered.
According to a statement released by UMS yesterday, the Ansonia guibei frog species, which inhabits Mount Kinabalu, was feared to have gone extinct following a strong earthquake centered on the highest mountain in Southeast Asia in 2015.
The natural disaster destroyed the habitat of the toads, which were previously easily found around Mount Kinabalu.
ITBC Associate Professor Dr Evan Quah, who led a new study on the species last year, said previous studies in Mesilau, Kundasang, in 2017 failed to detect any specimens of the animal.
He said this led to the species being listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
"With funding from the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP), a new study was conducted late last year to reassess the status of the species.
"The results of the study in September last year revealed that the research team rediscovered a half-adult specimen of the Mesilau stream toad, and tadpoles in the Mesilau and Tibabar streams in Kundasang," the statement said.
The discovery is considered a positive development as it not only indicates the survival of the species but also its reproduction.
Quah said the research team continues to monitor the presence of these frogs in Mesilau to obtain more ecological data about the species after the earthquake nine years ago.
He said the frog species still faces many threats, including having a very limited range and being confined to the Mesilau watershed area on Mount Kinabalu, which exposes it to any major environmental changes.
"Preliminary data collected indicates that the frog habitat has not fully recovered since the earthquake in 2015. Landslides still occur frequently, especially during the rainy season.
"Runoff water and sediment from landslides affect the water quality in the waterways where frogs breed.
"Like other mountain endemics, the Mesilau stream toad also faces the threat of climate change.
"As a species inhabiting cool and humid areas in highlands, it is exposed to changes brought about by global warming," he said.
As a result, the data collected through the ongoing study is crucial in implementing conservation plans to ensure the survival of the species.