FrogLog 103 PDF here - Amphibian Specialist Group

other six working both to culture locally-sourced invertebrate
foods and to care for and conduct husbandry research on captive
frogs. As of June 2012, there are over 70 terraria within the facility
housing eight local frog species. The facility has room to support
at least 300 enclosures, all of which are and will be built by hand
from glass, aluminum, and silicone sourced within Madagascar. It
is expected terraria construction will be completed in early 2013.
Numerous biosecurity measures are taken to ensure the health and
safety of the frogs within. Most importantly, all species that are
and will be kept at the facility are from the surrounding forests in
the Andasibe-area. Additionally, windows, doors, drains and other
entrances to the facility are sealed to prevent pests and frogs from
entering or exiting. There is a strict entrance policy to reduce the
amount of traffic that goes in and out of the building, with personnel
changing into dedicated footwear and clothing in a separate
entrance room. An isolated quarantine room allows frogs to be
acclimated to captivity while their health is assured before being
moved to the room housing established populations. Additionally,
incoming and outgoing water, waste, and materials are disinfected
using heat, desiccation, and/or sodium hypochlorite, and workflow
is prioritized with separate technicians caring for different groups
of frogs on different days.
So far breeding success has been had with two species, with resulting
tadpoles being used in studies on their optimal captive diet,
density, and substrate. If large-scale rescue operations are required
in the future, as has been the case in many other areas of the world
with the introduction of amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis (Bd), information gained from these initial
studies could be applied to closely related species from similar
ecological guilds, facilitating future ex-situ conservation action in
Madagascar.
Mitsinjo now plans to develop an educational and community outreach
center which features live frogs displayed in terraria alongside
educational graphics. This will help expand our organization’s
environmental education activities within the Andasibe community,
as well as provide ecotourists with an opportunity to view
some of the area’s often overlooked frog species, and in turn help
generate funding for the captive breeding and husbandry research
facility. Additionally, Mitsinjo is pursuing funding to develop a
long-term monitoring program for the frogs of Andasibe to track
change in abundance and species richness over time. This work
will compliment Mitsinjo’s current participation in the nation-wide
Bd early detection plan, as well as the husbandry research that is
being conducted at the captive breeding center.
We are extremely grateful to the following organizations which
have supported the development of the captive breeding and husbandry
research facility - Amphibian Ark, the Association of Zoos
and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund, the Wildlife Conservation
Society, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Cleveland
Metroparks Zoo Africa Seed Grant, Tree Walkers International,
Biopat, Understory Enterprises, American Frog Day, Conservation
International, Toronto Zoo, and Woodland Park Zoo.
Save The Frogs! Ghana Spearheading Efforts to
Create a New National Park for the Protection of the
Critically Endangered Togo Slippery Frog (Conraua
derooi)
By Gilbert B. Adum*, Emmanuel Akom, William Oduro, Kerry Kriger, Caleb Ofori-Boateng & Mark-Oliver Rödel
The Togo slippery frog (Conraua derooi) is an evolutionarily
distinct amphibian that is a close relative of the world’s largest
frog, the Goliath frog (Conraua goliath). The species is
wholly forest and stream-dependent, living in fast-flowing water,
where all of its life activities (mating, breeding, development) take
place. The Togo slippery frog was once abundant in both Togo and
Ghana but declined precipitously and was not seen for several decades
until it was re-discovered in 2005 in the Togo-Volta region in
Togo and Ghana and the Atewa Range Forest Reserve (Atewa Forest)
in Ghana. Whereas the Volta region frogs seem to be harvested
by locals for food, the Atewa population seemed to be currently
unharmed, thus holding the only promise of the perpetuity of the
frog. The Atewa Forest has been under threat from mining interests
for nearly a century. As far back as 1914, there were plans to mine
SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana is West Africa’s first non-profit organization
dedicated exclusively to amphibian conservation, and is the first
international branch of USA-based non-profit SAVE THE FROGS!. The
mission of STF! Ghana is to protect Ghana’s amphibian populations and to
promote a society that respects and appreciates nature and wildlife. Gilbert
B. Adum, gilbert@savethefrogs.com
34 | FrogLog 20 (4) | Issue number 103 (July 2012)
STF! Ghana and representatives of NGOs against mining in Atewa
meet with King of Akyem Abuakwa, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin
II.