Rizki Kurnia Tohir, Mirza Dikari Kusrini, Ani Mardiastuti, Dede Aulia Rahman
Globally, amphibian populations are facing a substantial decline attributed to envi-ronmental degradation and lack of public attention. Indonesia, which one of coun-tries with the high number of amphibian species in the world, paradoxically holds the record for the highest number of data-deficient amphibians. Indonesia currently has only one protected species, the bleeding toad (Leptophryne cruentata) also catego-rized as Critically Endangered. Considering this, our study undertakes a compre-hensive review of bleeding toad research, highlighting research gaps and identify-ing potential topics for future investigations. In this study, we used an electronic database to acquire relevant studies aligned with our research objectives. The liter-ature collection process involved the utilisation of the Publish or Perish (PoP) and manual internet searches. Our documentation reveals limited literature on bleeding toads, comprising only 20 reviews, with a notable prevalence of grey literature. This underscores the critical endangerment of bleeding toads, coupled with their neglect in research endeavours. Furthermore, our examination presents limited in-formation on crucial aspects, such as taxonomy, morphology, geographical distribu-tion, habitat characteristics, encounter records, behaviour, protection status, threats, and bioprospecting. The research gap is exceptionally high, with only two out of the 11 research topics attaining sufficient research status. Our findings un-derscore the urgent need for further research in this area. We identified at least 18 potential research areas that were essential for completing the baseline data. These findings serve as a valuable resource for researchers and policymakers seeking to address the critical endangerment of bleeding toads and to formulate effective con-servation strategies. © 2025, J. Tropical Biodiversity Biotechnology.
Department of Tropical Biodiversity Conservation, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia; Department of Forestry Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung Selatan, Lampung, 35365, Indonesia; Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia