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Amphibian News

Year of the Frog

The Assocation of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are partnering with various organizations around the world to make 2008 the international Year of the Frog. The San Diego Zoo hopes to help spread the word about all amphibians and help make a difference!

An interview with Jeff Lemm, project manager for the mountain yellow-legged frogs, concerning saving this species in Southern California	An interview with Don Boyer, curator of reptiles and amphibians, concerning the panamanian golden frog and the amphibian decline crisis

A world without frogs?

Can you imagine it? Since the 1980s, global amphibian declines have been noted and studied. And not just mild declines; scientists have documented dramatic drops and even mass localized extinctions of entire species. In fact, scientists believe that over a third of the world’s amphibian species are threatened; since the 1980s, more than 120 species have become extinct! Many of these have taken place in Australia, Central America, South America, and the U.S.

A deadly fungus

There are a number of reasons cited for these declines, including habitat destruction, the pet trade, climate change, introduced species, pollution, and disease. One of those diseases is chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease caused by a fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which affects amphibians’ ability to respire through the skin.

Because amphibians usually have a life cycle that includes both an aquatic and a terrestrial phase, they are susceptible to environmental effects on land and in the water. In addition, their skin is highly permeable, so they may be more sensitive to toxins within these environments. As a result, some scientists look to amphibians as indicators of the environmental health of an area, and believe that declines in populations of amphibians indicate that other animals and plants in the area will eventually be at risk as well.

Leaping to their aid

The San Diego Zoo is contributing to the health of frog populations by maintaining a successful breeding program of some rare and endangered frog species. Our researchers are developing guidelines for disease surveillance, perfecting techniques to freeze amphibian cell cultures for the Frozen Zoo®, collecting and storing sperm, eggs, and embryos from animals within our collection, and managing assurance colonies of amphibians on-site, including our local mountain yellow-legged frog.You can see several amphibian species on exhibit at the Zoo and the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park.