Mood:
sharpTopic: Places to go
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Year of the Frog
Joe Mendelson, Zoo Atlanta
Ron Gagliardo, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Edgardo Griffith, El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama
If you haven’t heard about the Global Amphibian Crisis, don’t miss this presentation. A recent assessment of the world’s 5,000-plus amphibian species indicates that nearly a third of all frogs, toads and salamanders are threatened with extinction. Our two speakers for the evening, Joe Mendelson of Zoo Atlanta and Ron Gagliardo of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and Edgardo Giffith of the Houston Zoo, are among those fighting on the front lines in the battle to save these endangered creatures. Their presentation helps to kick off 2008 as the Year of the Frog, which will be celebrated by zoos and aquariums across the United States.
In addition to the loss of habitat, particularly in the tropical forest regions of the world, a growing threat to amphibian populations is the spread of a newly-discovered fungus known as chytrid. Population die-offs due to the spread of chytrid have reached epidemic proportions in different parts of the world, including Central America. Our speakers will share tales of their exploits in the jungles of Panama and neighboring countries, where they have personally witnessed the drastic disappearance of species like Panamanian Golden Frogs and mounted collecting expeditions in the hopes of establishing viable captive colonies of species that may not survive in the wild.
The efforts undertaken by Mendelson, Gagliardo and Griffith go hand-in-hand with those of our own Houston Zoo, which is attempting to establish similar amphibian breeding programs in Panama itself. These programs are yielding tangible results with several of the world’s most spectacular and threatened species of amphibians. These programs are yiedling tangible results with several of the world's most spectacular and threatened species of amphibians. Our speakers will explain how these initiatives fit into the larger global campaign to save amphibian species from extinction, and what concerned citizens can do to help support this cause.
For more information about the Zoo's involvement in amphibian conservation, click here.
Posted by wendellsfrogblog
at 4:02 PM EST
