Year of the Frog

Amphibians are going extinct at an unprecedented rate.  It is possible that 1/3 of all known amphibian species will go extinct.  2008 was declared Year of the Frog and AZA accredited zoos such as the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum have joined other conservation organizations to try and raise public awareness, conduct research and initiate captive breeding programs.

What is the Tulsa Zoo doing?

In response to the unprecedented decline in amphibian species due in part to the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobaditis), many research and recovery projects focusing on these unique animals are underway.  Chytrid has become a worldwide epidemic among amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians), and there is currently no treatment for wild amphibians.  The Tulsa Zoo has supported research involving chytrid in the Panamanian Golden Frog of South America, but we’re also doing our part to help save amphibians right here in Oklahoma. 

Three species of local salamander have been chosen for the Tulsa Zoo’s study: the Oklahoma Salamander (Eurycea tynerensis), the Kiamichi Slimy Salamander (Plethodon Kiamichi), and the Ringed Salamander (Ambystoma annulatum).  These species exhibit very different lifecycles.  For example, the Oklahoma Salamander spends its entire life in water while the Kiamichi Slimy Salamander is entirely terrestrial.  The Ringed Salamander has an aquatic larval stage but is terrestrial as an adult.  By studying these differences and learning to reproduce suitable conditions in captivity we hope to provide information that will benefit several types of salamander. 
 
There will be two parts to the study; one will take place at the Zoo while the other will be in the field.  The Tulsa Zoo is developing a special holding facility to house potentially hundreds of native Oklahoma salamanders.  This facility will have strict quarantine protocols and controlled environmental conditions to allow us to learn what it takes to breed and raise these animals in captivity.  This information will be combined with data from other institutions and research projects to help save similar species all over the globe.

The Tulsa Zoo will also be working in the field testing wild salamanders for the chytrid fungus and monitoring salamander populations.  Groups will be located, their preferred habitat will be documented, and other information about them will be collected.  These populations will then be monitored over the next several years to identify population and habitat trends and to see what effects the chytrid fungus is having on Oklahoma salamanders.  Our field studies will begin in the fall of 2008.

To learn more about the Amphibian Ark click here.