Abstract
The Syrian Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates syriacus) is an anuran native to parts of the Middle East and the Caucasus. The species status in Syria is questionable, however, with the sole historical record consisting of a single specimen at the Natural History Museum in London, whose locality data suggests unsuitable habitat for the species in Damascus. Due to its largely fossorial and secretive nature, there are no confirmed records of the Syrian Spadefoot Toad in the country, and these issues have been exacerbated by a lack of herpetological funding and research for comprehensive conventional biodiversity monitoring in a country torn by conflicts, likely contributing to the scarcity of detections. Modern technology, however, has generated new opportunities to engage with community scientists to expand biodiversity knowledge, particularly in underserved communities and conflict zones. Here, we describe such an effort. The Facebook group Huwāt al-Ḥayāt al-Barriyah al-Sūriyah (Syrian Wildlife Hobbyists) sought assistance from Syrian community members to rediscover the Syrian Spadefoot Toad. Three confirmed sightings emerged from the group: tadpole observations in Lake Sedd al-Rabwa, Western Hama, and two adult specimens found in a greenhouse in Burj Arab, Tartous Governorate. Notably, these observations were approximately 35 km from each other and 120 km from the nearest confirmed occurrence in Lebanon. These new records confirm the presence of the Syrian Spadefoot Toad in Syria and highlight the potential of community science initiatives to contribute to the documentation and conservation of understudied, poorly known species, particularly in underserved communities and conflict zones.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 386-394 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Herpetological Conservation and Biology |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 3 |
State | Published - Dec 2024 |
Keywords
- community science
- conservation in conflict zone
- distribution
- rediscovery
- Syrian Spadefoot Toad
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Animal Science and Zoology