The genus Atelopus (Anura: Bufonidae) has suffered one of the most drastic declines recorded in the Neotropics. Nine of 10 Venezuelan species are categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. None of these species had been observed since the mid 1980s until recently, when an adult female of Atelopus mucubajiensis and several adults of A. cruciger were rediscovered. To assess the current distribution and status of A. cruciger we explored 15 locations where it was formerly known. Two populations were detected. Historical and current distribution maps were constructed based on these field explorations and data from museum collections. Using PCR assays we detected infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in one morbid and three live specimens. Our surveys suggest A. cruciger populations from lower altitudes on the northern slope of the Cordillera de La Costa are recovering, although the presence of B. dendrobatidis could jeopardize their long-term survival unless active conservation strategies are adopted.

Effective conservation requires that arguments for identifying units for preservation and management are based on scientifically sound information. There is a strong conservation concern for the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena of the Baltic Sea. This concern rests on the assumption that these porpoises represent a genetically distinct population reproductively separated from adjacent populations to the west. We argue that current scientific support for this claim is weak and to a large degree speculative. Current management of Baltic harbour porpoises as a genetically separate conservation unit is premature and we urge that high priority be given towards resolving this issue.