Conservation biologists at the Philadelphia Zoo are working to save Haiti’s rare frogs from extinction:
Recognizing the crisis facing amphibians and the potential to have a species-saving impact, the Philadelphia Zoo has established a new amphibian conservation program. It’s dedicated to saving endangered frogs through efforts in their native habitats as well as rescue and breeding at the zoo. The program is currently focused on Haiti and the highlands of Ecuador, which are home to a particularly high number of unique and at-risk frog species.
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In the case of Haitian frogs, we are focusing on breeding programs at the zoo, creating an “ark” to safeguard populations threatened with extinction. I traveled to Haiti in November on an expedition spearheaded by Blair Hedges of Pennsylvania State University, one of the world’s foremost experts on Caribbean amphibians. With a team of other conservation professionals, we explored an area that had not been visited by amphibian experts in decades. We returned with 11 endangered species and discovered two that were completely new to science. We are working to create successful breeding programs for several of these critically endangered species at the zoo.
And in case you were wondering what’s the big deal about frogs, there’s this:
Why should you care? Simply put, frogs matter. Beyond Kermit and their place in our national psyche – and each species’ intrinsic value as a unique biological marvel – frogs and toads are important components of many ecosystems. They are both predator and prey, eating insects and other invertebrates – including crop pests and carriers of human disease – and in turn serving as food for a number of other animals.
Frogs move nutrients through ecosystems. Tadpoles are like aquatic cows, consuming algae and other aquatic vegetation and taking that biomass onto land when they metamorphose into frogs. In areas where frogs have gone extinct, ponds become choked with algae, with detrimental consequences for other aquatic creatures.
Frogs also provide us with numerous medicines used to treat a variety of conditions, from depression to cancer.
Finally, frogs are the environment’s canaries in the coal mine. With their thin, permeable skin, they are exquisitely sensitive indicators of harmful chemicals in the environment. Their disappearance is a sign that something is amiss.
Read the full article to learn more about the Philadelphia Zoo’s amphibian conservation programme. See also: the Zoo’s website.
Previous related posts on Green Antilles: Rediscovering Haiti’s unique frogs and Saving Haiti’s frogs.
[Photo: Nick Hobgood]
