Category Archives: biodiversity

Press release: Smithsonian Scientists Find Deadly Amphibian Disease in the Last Disease-free Region of Central America

Posted on by
Toad Mountain harlequin frog (Atelopus certus)

The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project has established an assurance colony for two species endemic to the Darien, including the Toad Mountain harlequin frog (Atelopus certus), shown here. (Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute)

Smithsonian scientists have confirmed that chytridiomycosis, a rapidly spreading amphibian disease, has reached a site near Panama’s Darien region. This was the last area in the entire mountainous neotropics to be free of the disease. This is troubling news for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, a consortium of nine U.S. and Panamanian institutions that aims to rescue 20 species of frogs in imminent danger of extinction.

Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or even extinctions of amphibian species worldwide. Within five months of arriving at El Cope in western Panama, chytridiomychosis extirpated 50 percent of the frog species and 80 percent of individuals.

“We would like to save all of the species in the Darien, but there isn’t time to do that now,” said Brian Gratwicke, biologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and international coordinator for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. “Our project is one of a few to take an active stance against the probable extinction of these species. We have already succeeded in breeding three species in captivity. Time may be running out, but we are looking for more resources to take advantage of the time that remains.”

The Darien National Park is a World Heritage site and represents one of Central America’s largest remaining wilderness areas. In 2007, Doug Woodhams, a research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, tested 49 frogs at a site bordering the Darien. At that time, none tested positive for the disease. In January 2010, however, Woodhams found that 2 percent of the 93 frogs he tested were infected.

“Finding chytridiomycosis on frogs at a site bordering the Darien happened much sooner than anyone predicted,” Woodhams said. “The unrelenting and extremely fast-paced spread of this fungus is alarming.”

The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project has already established captive assurance colonies in Panama of two priority species endemic to the Darien—the Pirre harlequin frog (Atelopus glyphus) and the Toad Mountain harlequin frog (A. certus). In addition, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo maintains an active breeding program for the Panamanian golden frog, which is Panama’s national animal. The Panamanian golden frog is critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and researchers have not seen them in the wild since 2008.

Bd infection

Chytridiomycosis is a rapidly spreading amphibian disease that attacks the skin cells of amphibians (shown here) and is wiping out frog species worldwide. (Doug Woodhams, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)

“We would like to be moving faster to build capacity,” Gratwicke said. “One of our major hurdles is fundraising to build a facility to house these frogs. Until we jump that hurdle, we’re limited in our capacity to take in additional species.”

Nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are at risk of extinction. While the global amphibian crisis is the result of habitat loss, climate change and pollution, chytridiomycosis is at least partly responsible for the disappearances of 94 of the 120 frog species thought to have gone extinct since 1980.

“These animals that we are breeding in captivity will buy us some time as we find a way to control this disease in the wild and mitigate the threat directly,” said Woodhams, who was the lead author of a whitepaper Mitigating Amphibian Disease: strategies to maintain wild populations and control chytridiomycosis. This paper, published in Frontiers in Zoology, systematically reviews disease-control tools from other fields and examines how they might be deployed to fight chytrid in the wild. One particularly exciting lead in the effort to find a cure is that anti-chytrid bacteria living on frog skin may have probiotics properties that protect their amphibian host from chytrid by secreting anti-fungal chemicals. Woodhams recently discovered that some Panamanian species with anti-chytrid skin bacteria transmit beneficial skin chemicals and bacteria to their offspring. The paper, Social Immunity in Amphibians: Evidence for Vertical Transmission of Innate Defenses, was published in Biotropica in May.

“We are all working around the clock to find a cure,” Gratwicke said. “Woodhams’ discovery that defenses can indeed be transferred from parent to offspring gives us hope that if we are successful at developing a cure in the lab, we may find a way to use it to save wild amphibians.”

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute serves as an umbrella for the Smithsonian Institution’s global effort to understand and conserve species and train future generations of conservationists. Headquartered in Front Royal, Va., SCBI facilitates and promotes research programs based at Front Royal, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and at field research stations and training sites worldwide.

# # #

Media only: contact Lindsay Renick Mayer, Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 202-633-3081

Seeing spots.

Posted on by
Yellow-flecked glass frog (Cochranella albomaculata)

Yellow-flecked glass frog (Cochranella albomaculata)

Cute Frog of the Week: June 13, 2011

This sleepy-looking frog’s vibrant skin is enough to awaken anybody. The yellow-flecked glass frog (Cochranella albomaculata) lives in the lowlands of Central America and northern South America. This frog prefers the sticky humid air that hangs around elevations from sea level to 1,500 meters above sea level. Its golden brown eyes, that seem to almost pop out of its head, and glassy yellow polka-dotted skin are common sights in the forest vegetation around freshwater streams where its larvae develop.

This species is listed by the IUCN as ‘least concern’ due to its wide range, but monitoring has revealed that this species is declining rapidly in some areas due to chytridiomycosis. Therefore, this species is a priority amphibian rescue candidate species. As a species occurring in lowlands, it is probably less vulnerable to chytridiomycosis in the lowland parts of its range, but we have a lot to learn about the absolute effects of Bd in warmer lowland areas.

Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Living the high life.

Posted on by

Panama cross-banded treefrog (Simlisca sila)

Panama cross-banded treefrog (Simlisca sila)

Cute Frog of the Week: June 6, 2011

Nightfall in the misted lowland forests of Costa Rica, Panama, and northern Columbia awakens a brown frog with characteristic blue thighs. The Panama cross-banded treefrog (Similisca sila) hides among the dense overhanging vegetation on forest floors. The moisture of mist and droplets of water are not enough for the little frog; it stays close to slow-moving stream banks and shallow rocky pools where its tadpoles can be found. It is not afraid of the dark or of heights. It can venture higher in the forest or even to more open landscapes if it so desires. The Panama cross-banded treefrog can live in secondary forest complete with dense vegetation. It has been found ranging from sea level to 500 meters above sea level.

This beautiful frog is a common amphibian species found in Panama and Colombia. Its range is expanding in Costa Rica, where it is still considered rare. Though the Panama cross-banded treefrog is not considered endangered, it is still vulnerable to deforestation, pollution, illegal crops and human settlement.

Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Prescription for Saving Frogs

Posted on by

SMARxT DisposalPanama may seem like a world away, but you can help save frogs locally by committing to one simple task at home, wherever you may live. Amphibians are super sensitive to water contamination. They show evidence of harm at pollution levels that scientific tests can’t detect. Amphibians are truly today’s “canaries in a coal mine.”

While research on the long-term effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment is ongoing, there’s no question that properly disposing of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications, instead of flushing them in the toilet or pouring them down the drain, means you’re keeping our water sources clean – for frogs and for people.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Pharmacists Association, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America teamed up to organize  SMARXT DISPOSAL, a campaign aimed at educating consumers on how to dispose of medicines in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Here’s what they recommend:

  • Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), add a small amount of water to dissolve it.
  • Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds to make it less appealing for pets and children to eat.
  • Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.

Help spread the word about this simple step everyone can take to protect our environment and frogs. Find out more about SMARXT DISPOSAL here.

—Katie Borremans, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cute in any form.

Posted on by
Limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus)

Highland color-form of the Limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus)

Cute Frog of the Week: May 30, 2011

Camouflaged among the moss-covered rocks in the highlands and lowlands of Panama, the Limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus) is difficult to spot even with its yellow clinging toes. These green-and-black-eyed amphibians leave their superb hiding places during the dry season and make their way to the fast-flowing streams of the Panamanian rainforest. Females lay their eggs in streambeds, where eager males wait to fertilize them. Laying clutches of eggs in faster-flowing waters may seem treacherous for the tiny frogs, but they brave the risk. Eggs that are laid in those areas of streams are less likely to be preyed upon, or to face competition from other frog species.

Limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus)

Lowland color-form of the Limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus)

Limosa harlequin frog tadpoles are not left to be swept away by hurried streams once they hatch. Suction disks on their bellies help anchor them to the rocks in the streambeds. However, the species seems to be losing its grip in its fight to survive. It is listed as endangered in the wild and the population is still decreasing. It is facing threats ranging from deforestation to pollution. Those threats are compounded by the ravaging affects of the chytrid fungus.  The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project has brought the Limosa harlequin frog into captivity and is learning how to successfully breed them, giving hope for the survival of the species.

Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Join the Global Amphibian BioBlitz!

Posted on by

Global Amphibian BlitzAmphibians around the world are disappearing. Recent estimates suggest that nearly one-third (32 percent) or about 2,000 species of this unique group of animals is threatened with extinction. Nearly 168 species are thought to have gone extinct in the last two decades. With increasing land-use and climate change around the world, these trends are likely to worsen. To better understand and conserve these diverse and fascinating creatures, scientists urgently need information on where amphibians persist.

To collect this information, we need your help. Today, AmphibiaWeb, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, and Amphibian Ark are launching the Global Amphibian Blitz. Visit www.inaturalist.org/projects/global–amphibian–blitz to contribute your observations of amphibians along with the dates and locations where you observed them, anywhere in the world. You can even upload a photo of the species with your observation, or link to a photo on your Flickr or Picassa pages. If you’re unsure which species you’ve seen, mark them as ‘ID Please!’ and our team of expert curators will help you with your identification. Watch this short video for more information.

Together, through the cooperation of scientists and amateur naturalists from around the globe, let’s census the world’s amphibians to discover which species are still here and where they persist. Let’s find every one!

How can I contribute my observations?

Watch getting started video or follow these four easy steps:

  1. Visit www.inaturalist.org/projects/global–amphibian–blitz and click ‘add observations’.
  2. Log in to iNaturalist – the engine behind the Global Amphibian Blitz – with your Facebook, Twitter, Google, or Yahoo account.
  3. Upload you amphibian photo from your hard-disk or link to your photo that’s already on Flickr or Picassa.
  4. Add a date, geographic coordinates, and the best identification you can and click ‘’Save observation’.

How else can I get involved?

In addition to contributing your own observations, if you know something about amphibians in a certain part of the world, you can help identify other’s observations. If you are an amphibian expert and would like to sign on as a curator, contact global-amphibian-blitz@inaturalist.org. You can also help by telling your friends about the Blitz or spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Picassa.

How can do I keep track of updates?

Check back regularly to see how the Blitz is progressing, receive updates from curators, and compare your contributions with others. You can also follow the Global Amphibian Blitz Blog where we will report any particularly unusual observations.

What about threatened species?

For contributions identified as a threatened species according to the IUCN Red List the public coordinates will be obscured by about 5 kilometers to discourage those who would seek to exploit rare species.

What taxonomy are you using?

The Global Amphibian Blitz uses the checklist of species from Amphibiaweb which is updated weekly with newly described species. We use the taxonomy of the Amphibian Species of the World to group these species into families and genera.

Regard my bark.

Posted on by
Granular poison dart frog (Dendrobates granuliferus)

Granular poison dart frog (Dendrobates granuliferus)

Cute Frog of the Week: May 23, 2011

During the wet season, male granular poison frogs (which are very toxic as a way to defend against predators) inhabit lowland humid forests with fast-flowing streams, vocalizing incessantly. Ranging from Costa Rica to Panama, this frog behaves rather aggressively, especially during the wet season, the time of year when males divide stream banks into their “territories” so as to court female poison frogs. The frogs use the territories as calling sites, in addition to places to lay eggs. The male frogs unvaryingly defend these areas from other males, competing over choice females.

Experimental studies in Costa Rica suggest that the male granular poison frog spends the majority of its time and energy defending its calling site. And the data from these studies also show that these warning signals are more vocal (acoustic) than visual. But you can be sure that these calls differ somewhat from those used to attract females! If an encroaching male granular poison frog were to dare approach too closely, these frogs have no qualms about engaging physically. The lengths they will go to defend their territory epitomize their unique aggressive behavior.

Although adaptable to habitat destruction, fragmentation, and human encroachment, these frogs seem to prefer primary forests, and their population numbers are declining. Studies indicate that granular poison frog densities are highest on stream banks in primary forests. But no matter how many males lay claim to a particular mountain stream, you can be sure that even though territory sizes may have increased in these cases of lowered density, these cute frogs will not suddenly become amicable or even tolerant of males that come too close!

Photo credit: Brian Kubicki, Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

This time, it is not good to be a leader

Posted on by
Atelopus varius

Atelopus varius is just one of many species of frog that is critically endangered. (Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project).

Chytrid fungus is believed to have played a role in the disappearance of 94 of the 120 frog species thought to have gone extinct since 1980.  But that is not the only battle frogs are facing in the fight to survive.

No one issue can explain all of the population declines that are occurring at an unprecedented rate, and much faster in amphibians than most other animals, the scientists conclude in a study just published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

The totality of these changes leads these researchers to believe that the Earth is now in a major extinction episode similar to five other mass extinction events in the planet’s history. And amphibians are leading the field – one estimate indicates they are disappearing at more than 200 times that of the average extinction rate.

In this case, it is not good to be the leader.

—Cindy Hoffman, Defenders of Wildlife

I wasn’t in Alice in Wonderland – but with the right script, I could be a star.

Posted on by

Budgett's frog (Lepidobactrachus laevis)
Budgett’s frog (Lepidobactrachus laevis)

Cute Frog of the Week: May 16, 2011

A large, stout aquatic frog, Budgett’s frogs occur in the Gran Chaco of South America, a semiarid region extending into northern Argentina, southern Paraguay and much of Bolivia.

During the dry winter months, Budgett’s frogs remain inactive underground, encased in a hard shell composed of layers of unshed skin.  These guys were into cocooning before it was popular.  In this case, they’re not catching up on their reading, bonding with family members or Web surfing.  The cocoon in this case protects them from excessive water loss and allows the frog to persist until the rains arrive, signaling the beginning of the wet summer months (October to February).  The heavy spring or summer rains flood the chaco and create many temporary pools or “pozos” which provide suitable habitat.

These frogs appear to be nocturnal sit-and-wait ambush predators. Remaining motionless while submerged in the water or soft mud with only their eyes and nostrils visible, they wait among grasses and reeds for prey to come within grasp of their strong, powerful jaws. Don’t let the sly smile fool you – this is a very aggressive frog. When disturbed, they inflate themselves and stand on their outstretched limbs to appear larger. And if that didn’t convince you to go away, the Budgett’s frog will lunge, bite, and then emit a piercing shriek. In fact, the name for this species in Guarani is kukurú-chiní or “the toad that shrieks.” Quite a reputation for a smiling frog, eh?

That’s just the half of it.  You should see the tadpoles.  When they hatch and begin feeding, their uniqueness becomes even more apparent. The tadpoles are carnivorous and cannibalistic and begin feeding almost immediately. The cartilages that support the larval jaws are expanded laterally to create a wide, gaping mouth that the tadpoles of this species use to ingest their prey whole. Someone should remake John Carpenter’s “The Fog’ into ‘The Frog.’  These animals would be a natural.

But Hollywood will need to move quickly.  Budgett’s frogs do not appear to be particularly abundant where they occur. Combined with their strict habitat requirements, Budgett’s frogs are vulnerable to habitat modification associated with agriculture and ranching where they occur. And like so many of their amphibian cousins, this species is also apparently susceptible to chytridiomycosis, with one death reported in a captive specimen.

Photo credit: Houston Zoo

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Springtime pool party: Understanding vernal pools and why they are so important

Posted on by
Spotted salamander

The spotted salamander is one amphibian species that uses vernal pools each spring to breed. (Photo by: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project)

A vernal pool is a temporary pool of water made up of rainfall or ice melt. Although dry or partially filled with water for most of the year, they fill up completely around springtime (the word “vernal” means occurring in the spring). They stay full for a couple of months until about the end of summer. What’s great about these natural pools is that they don’t have any fish living in them—making it a lot easier for young amphibians to grow and thrive!

These unique habitats, found all throughout New England, are very important for certain organisms to survive. Many have even learned to use these temporary wetlands to the point that they have evolved over time into what are called “obligate” vernal pool species, meaning that they need these pools for certain stages of their lives. Fairy shrimp use them to hatch eggs in early spring, and wood frogs go there to lay their eggs in early spring, too— just to name a few.

Vernal pools are especially important in Massachusetts because even species that are listed as rare in this state—like the marbled, blue-spotted, and Jefferson salamanders—rely heavily on these pools for breeding. These mole salamanders get their name because they are usually found burrowed underground, but in the springtime they go to water to start their courtship and breed. Males leave their spermatophores on the pond floor, and females pick them up and use them to fertilize their eggs. They can’t get all of this done in permanent ponds because fish would eat their eggs, so it is very important that these temporary habitats remain protected and abundant.

Lucky for mole salamanders and other amphibians, vernal pools are protected by law under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. If they meet the state’s definitions of “wetlands,” certified vernal pools cannot be altered or tampered with at all. And if a pool lies within a recognized wetland, it will receive the same protection as the wetland and will be protected as an important feature of wildlife habitat. It is important that vernal pools are acknowledged and certified—and the best part is that anyone can help!

If you live in Massachusetts and think you have spotted a vernal pool, contact the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program to see if it can be certified as a wildlife habitat. They have certification forms and information on rare species on their website. You can also contact them at 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westboro, MA, 01581, or by calling 508-792-7270.

—Angela Caputo-Papastamos, Zoo New England