Action for Amphibians! 

Amphibians across the globe are declining at a rapid rate due to a variety of factors. If current trends continue, more than one-third of our world’s amphibian population will become extinct. Amphibians play an important role both ecologically and culturally to our society. They eat a massive quantity of insects, which not only aids in the spread of disease but is a necessity to agriculture. Amphibians also provide medical researchers with the tools needed to study future cures for many human diseases. Our backyard amphibians are important bio-indicators. Their skin is permeable, meaning that they can absorb almost anything in the environment. No frogs present could mean lots of toxins in our backyards. To top it off, frogs and salamanders are a beautiful part of our natural world, both visually and by song. Frogs have held a special place in various human cultures for centuries, cherished as agents of life and good luck. This loss would be devastating to life as we know it.

At the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens we are doing our part to mitigate the decline of our Florida native amphibian populations. We have teamed up with The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC/FWRI) and the Florida Museum of Natural History to run state wide wild surveys for several potentially damaging emerging amphibian diseases. Florida currently has roughly 68 species of amphibians native to the state, 16 being Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). These SGCNs are thought to be declining in population due to habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, climate change, and emerging wildlife diseases (EWDs).

The three EWDs that we are testing for are the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), a Perkinsus-like protozoa, and ranavirus (family Iridoviridae). Surveillance sites are chosen all throughout the panhandle and peninsular Florida, with roughly 30 samples (from both adults and tadpoles) taken per site. To test, we simply swab the animal with a cotton-tip swab in between the fingers and toes as well as up along the inner thighs. Sometimes it is necessary to swab the inside of the mouth on specimens, depending on the disease we are testing for. Swabs are stored in crylic screw cap vials and sent to the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research Wildlife Disease Laboratories (Allan P. Pessier, DVM, Dipl. ACVP, Associate Pathologist).

Though little is currently known about the EWDs and their impact on the native SGCN, once we compile all of the data we can assess the results and take the next step in preventing the spread of these diseases in our amphibian populations.

Jen Stabile, Amphibian Keeper
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens