Decades of habitat destruction - is there any chance left for the endemic and Critically Endangered Cyrtodactylus gialaiensis in Vietnam?

The discovery of the Gia Lai Bent-toed Gecko ( Cyrtodactylus gialaiensis ) on a coffee farm in Chu Se District, Gia Lai Province, raises concerns about its natural habitat, threats, and conservation status. Restricted to a small range of less than 10 km 2 in Vietnam and occurring outside any protected area in the country, the species was classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List soon after its description. A recent survey identified a small population of the gecko in Chu Se District, but other potential sites have not been investigated. In this study, we expand the survey area to assess the population status and distribution of this Critically Endangered species. Our results show that C. gialaiensis occurs in at least three districts of Gia Lai Province, including Chu Se, Duc Co and Chu Pah. The subpopulation size in Chu Se is estimated to be extremely small, with fewer than 100 individuals, but still larger than those found in Duc Co and Chu Pah. We identify habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, as well as uncertainties related to land use and land cover, as the main drivers of its alarming population decline and the potential imminent extinction of its wild population in the near future. Although some conservation actions were implemented as part of this study, there remains an urgent need to strengthen both in situ and ex situ conservation efforts for this highly imperiled species.