Frog populations around the world have been falling victim to a
deadly infection, but there may be a ray of hope for their future:
For the first time Panama's La Loma tree frog has been bred in
captivity.
The critically endangered La Loma tree frog (Hyloscirtus
colymba) is notoriously difficult to care for in
captivity, but scientists with the Panama Amphibian Rescue and
Conservation Project have successfully bred the species in their
facility.
The rescue project has 28 adult La Loma tree frogs and the four
tadpoles that have resulted from the program at the Summit
Municipal Park outside of Panama City, Panama. Researchers have
also successfully bred the endangered Limosa harlequin frog
(Atelopus limosus).
"We are some of the first researchers to attempt to breed these
animals [in] captivity, and we have very little information about
how to care for them," said Brian Gratwicke, a research biologist
at the Smithsonian National Zoo. "We were warned that we might not
be able to keep these frogs alive, but through a little bit of
guesswork, attention to detail and collaboration with other
husbandry experts, we've managed to breed them."