Gray Tree Frog

spzs — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:40:45 +0000

Photo: John M. Adamski

Recently, I was at the Cape May Zoo in New Jersey and was able to take this image of a Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor). One of my favorites, this tree frog is often heard, but seldom seen. It has a familiar call and is one of the last amphibians to breed in New York state. You can often hear males calling right through July. From time to time, people will bring one to the Zoo for me to identify. The are not rare here, but people are surprised to come across a “treefrog”. Gray tree frogs can survive long New York winters by using a glycerol produced in response to freezing of their extremities.

Hellbenders!

spzs — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:13:38 +0000

The last issue of the New York State Conservationist includes a piece about NY’s largest salamander the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis). Of the 18 species of salamanders found in NY, the Hellbender is the largest, with large adults reaching lengths of 2 feet or more. Females lay their eggs in cavities under rocks late in the summer, as males fertilize them. The eggs hatch in late fall. Not much is known about the larval stage of Hellbenders in the wild. They become sexually mature after 5 years and can live to be 30 years old!

Frogs: The Thin Green Line

spzs — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:26:13 +0000

photo: John M. Adamski

Just in case you missed it last Sunday… Check out the full episode of Frogs: The Thin Green Line. The PBS series Nature portrays several stories regarding amphibian declines around the world. Footage highlights include Edgardo and Heidi at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in Panama.

Who is calling?

spzs — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:19:29 +0000

Spring has sprung and the night air is filled with the familiar calls of our anuran friends. Here is a great page by Dr. Patricia Jones of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology that has the calls of many of the frogs of our region. One of the most familiar calls is from the Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer). So far this season, I have heard calls from the Wood frog (Rana sylvatica), the Spring peeper, and the Western chorus frog (Pseudacris triserieta triserieta). The call of the chorus frog can be sometimes confused with the aggression call of the spring peeper. Spend an early spring night by a wetland or pond and see how many frog calls you can identify.

The Vanishing Frog

spzs — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:10:55 +0000

If you missed Jeff Corwin’s “The Vanishing Frog” on Animal Planet the first time, you can now see the whole episode online here. Amphibians are declining at an alarming rate. The film shows different stories about frog declines including a very well done piece about our friends in El Valle, Panama. Amphibians are a unique class of animals that we can’t risk losing forever.

Help Save the Large-crested Toad

spzs — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:32:07 +0000

Want to help save an amphibian species from extinction? Visit www.helpafrog.org where you can buy frog related items. 100% of the proceeds go to the conservation of the Large-Crested Toad (Bufo cristatus) a critically endangered species. The Large-crested Toad was thought to be extinct, but has recently been rediscovered at two sites in central-eastern Mexico. This species has sucumbed to habitat loss of pine-oak forests and pollution of local streams. Protection of the environment may be their only hope for survival.

Martha Stewart features “Frog Hotel”

spzs — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:18:55 +0000

On Monday, October 6th, the El Valle amphibian rescue was featured on the Martha Stewart show. She had some amphibians from the Maryland Zoo as special guests. Bill Konstant, from the Houston Zoo, was there to talk about the massive effort to save Panamanian amphibians from Bd. Check it out!

Bd accidentally introduced to Mallorcan Midwife Toads

spzs — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:01:42 +0000

Amphibian chytrid or Bd (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) was accidentally introduced to Mallorcan Midwife Toads (Alytes muletensis) before their release into the wild in 1991. Bd was not even known to science before the late 90′s. It’s just another example of how disease can be spread unkowingly through conservation efforts. Luckily, the toads seem to be somewhat resistant to the fungus.

Armoured Mistfrog re-discovered!

spzs — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:27:36 +0000

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/11/frog.extinct.ap/index.html

Maybe there is still hope! The Armoured Mistfrog (Litoria lorica), a critically endangered Hylid from NE Australia has been discovered again. The animal has been thought to be extinct, although it wasn’t listed this way, as it has not been seen since 1991. An animal is usually listed as critically endangered when it is thought that there are less than 50 individuals in the wild. This is an amazing discovery, because this species was thought to have been wiped out by the virulent chytrid fungus.

Blue Dart Frog

spzs — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:17:28 +0000

photo: John M. Adamski

The Blue Dart Frog (Dendrobates azureus), one of the world’s most beautiful frogs, is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. It is only known from one fragmented locality in the southern part of Suriname. Because of it’s fragmented habitat, forest fire can directly threaten the survival of this species in the wild. Over-collection for the pet trade also has played a major role in this species’ decline. Captive breeding programs (both public and private) play a major role in the survival of this frog, ensuring that there is no need to collect from wild populations that are already under pressure.