First record of the frog Eleutherodactylus lentus in the British Virgin Islands: Conservation implications of native or introduced status

摘要

Eleutherodactylus lentus, thought to be endemic to the US Virgin Islands, is now found on Jost Van Dykein the nearby British Virgin Islands, where previous surveys have failed to note it. This poses an unusualconundrum. If the new record represents human-aided dispersal, then control actions may be appropriate,even though the species is categorized as at risk in its native range. However, it is possible that this populationis native to Jost Van Dyke, and was not previously recorded because of methodological issues. In that case,protection would be warranted. Interviews with researchers and locals suggest the former scenario is morelikely.