What makes a good home for a crowned tree frog Triprion spinosus? That’s the question Smithsonian scientists set out to answer as they work to reintroduce captive-bred frogs back into their natural habitat.
In the wild, male crowned tree frogs are picky about real estate. They search for water-filled tree cavities where they call out to potential mates. If a female approves of his choice, she’ll lay her eggs in that carefully selected pool.
But when releasing frogs bred under human care, researchers wanted to stack the odds in their favor. The solution? Build artificial tree holes from different materials and let the frogs choose their favorites.
Newly released frogs began exploring right away, and we were able to track their movements for the first few weeks using a radiotransmitter. Before long, their calls echoed through the forest as they settled into their new homes, we will continue monitoring the artificial tree holes to see if we get any eggs laid in these structures and continue to explore other tree hole designs.
This research is part of the Tropical Amphibian Research Initiative, supported by the Bezos Earth Fund and conducted through collaboration among the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.
When conservationists prepare to release endangered species back into the wild, they face a critical question: how do we give them the best chance at survival? For the lemur leaf frog (Agalychnis lemur), a species that has vanished from most known sites across its range, researchers are literally thinking outside the box.
Rather than releasing adult frogs directly into Panama’s forests, our research team took an innovative approach: introducing tadpoles bred in human care into large soft-release containers in the wild. Half of the containers were treated with antifungals to see if protecting animals at this critical stage can help frog survival. This early intervention targets one of amphibians’ most devastating threats—the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)—at a vulnerable life stage, potentially offering protection as the tadpoles metamorphose into adult frogs.
Agalychnis lemur breeds in slow-flowing swampy conditions. The species has experienced dramatic chytridiomycosis-related declines and has disappeared from most known sites, including a formerly occupied location in Altos de Campana National Park. While the species is breeding well in captivity and showing signs of recovery at a few sites in Costa Rica and Panama, these release trials could inform recovery efforts at many sites where this species has disappeared.
Previous research has shown promising results with fungicide treatments in artificial pond environments. Studies found that commonly used agricultural fungicides can reduce or eliminate Bd infections in susceptible tadpoles, with the fungicide degrading quickly and causing no significant harm to pond ecosystems or invertebrate communities.
This lemur leaf frog project brings together expertise from multiple institutions, including Gonçalo Rosa from IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC) and ZSL, along with partners from the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and Zoo New England. By creating artificial breeding points that can be safely treated with antifungal agents to reduce pathogen loads, the team is developing a replicable model that could help other endangered amphibian species facing similar threats.
The experiment is now underway, and researchers are monitoring whether this early antifungal protection helps the tadpoles survive disease once they complete metamorphosis. The results could inform future amphibian reintroduction programs worldwide, offering a practical tool in the fight against one of the most destructive wildlife diseases on the planet.
This research represents a collaborative effort to develop evidence-based conservation strategies for critically endangered amphibians in the face of emerging infectious diseases called the Tropical Amphibian Resilience Initiative funded by the Bezos Earth Fund and other donors to the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.
Modern zoos and aquariums around the world specialize in captive breeding endangered species, they care for living collections of animals and help safeguard against their extinction. Our own project is a partnership between the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Zoo New England and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. This explainer video captures some of what zoos and aquariums around the world have been doing to breed endangered species.
In recent decades, habitat loss, environmental change, and a deadly chytrid fungus has decimated amphibian species around the world. Thanks to a new $2 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), in partnership with the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA), launched a transformative five-year project spanning Panamá, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia: The Tropical Amphibian Resilience Initiative (TARI). This initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity to address amphibian conservation across Latin America.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity for amphibian conservation,” stated ASA’s Executive Director Gina Della Togna. “For the first time, we are launching a coordinated international effort to halt amphibian extinctions in the Neotropics, a region that harbors 48% of the world’s amphibian biodiversity. It’s a powerful testament to what collaboration and joining forces can achieve for endangered species, and a sobering reminder of how much help amphibians need.”
The grant empowers collaborations among international partners, including the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, a conservation partnership between the Smithsonian, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Zoo New England. The coalition is building safety-net populations of frog species at risk of extinction from the deadly fungus.
The Amphibian Survival Alliance, the world’s largest global partnership dedicated to the conservation of amphibians and their habitats, rallies collaborators from high amphibian biodiversity landscapes, including Parque Explora (Colombia), FUDECI (Venezuela), and Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios (Ecuador), to deliver regional impact and coordinate on-the-ground conservation actions in key amphibian biodiversity hotspots.
The Bezos donation catalyzes conservation by targeting landscapes with the highest amphibian biodiversity on Earth. This initiative will serve as a model for regional collaboration and knowledge-sharing, ensuring a lasting impact on amphibian populations and their habitats.
“Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrates on the planet, yet they receive far less attention than other at-risk species,” said Dr. Cristián Samper, Managing Director and Leader for Nature Solutions at the Bezos Earth Fund. “This partnership between the Bezos Earth Fund and the Smithsonian is about turning the tide, combining cutting-edge science with urgent action to save these species from extinction. By investing in regional collaboration, we are laying the foundation for amphibian conservation that will have a lasting impact.”
The international team of scientists are pioneering new methods to recover amphibian populations affected by fungal diseases and other major threats, rewild native frogs raised in captivity, and identify habitats critical for amphibian conservation.
The project strengthens captive breeding programs for 25 of the region’s most endangered species, with a goal of boosting captive populations by 15% over five years. It also expands conservation expertise across Latin America, offering training workshops in small-population management and launching a regional Amphibian Biobank to safeguard the genetic diversity of at least 25 critically endangered frog species.
As part of decision-making and community engagement, the project contributes to updating National Amphibian Action Plans for the four countries, aligning them with international biodiversity targets and action plans; and engages over 1,000 students annually through outreach programs and public seminars to raise awareness about amphibians.
“I am deeply grateful to the Bezos Earth Fund for their trust in this partnership and their commitment to conserving the most threatened group of vertebrates on the planet. I am equally thankful to our incredible partners, whose expertise and dedication have made this ambitious initiative possible,” added Della Togna.
This collaboration paves the way for a sustainable future for amphibians and their ecosystems by combining the scientific rigor and institutional strength of STRI with the expertise and regional leadership of ASA. Together, this partnership demonstrates the power of global collaboration in addressing urgent biodiversity challenges and ensuring Life on a Sustainable Planet.
