The Flatwoods Salamander Recovery Program Needs Help!
In case you aren't aware, the Amphibian Foundation, based in Atlanta, is home to the only captive population of Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders (Ambystoma cingulatum). These beautiful salamanders are at imminent risk of extinction. To help save them, we're gearing up to implement a conservation strategy—one that's never been carried out with this species. We're seeking your support to help our baby salamanders grow strong and thrive!
Background
The Amphibian Foundation recently welcomed hundreds of Flatwoods Salamanders, which hatched in our lab from eggs collected from our Florida Fish and Wildlife partners the field in January. These larval (baby) salamanders are living in 20 mesocosms, artificial wetlands for salamanders to live and breed within. Right now, the mesocosms are filled with rainwater.
Some salamanders are growing much quicker than expected. In fact, a few of them have begun metamorphosis (exciting)! This is several weeks earlier than expected, so we will have new salamanders in less than a week!
Challenge
To prepare for these salamanders, the rainwater mesocosms need to be modified into a 'transitional' mesocosm with land, water, and an ecotone (a way for them to move between the water and land). This conservation plan has never been accomplished for this threatened salamander, especially at this large scale. We need your financial support to effectively accomplish this plan.
This is a time-sensitive ask. The baby salamanders will drown in the water-only mesocosms if we leave them as is. Our other option is to return the salamanders to our lab, but they will miss a key component of their reproductive ecology—imprinting on the wetland where they metamorphosed. This is key because 90% of Flatwoods Salamanders return to the pond they were born in to breed.
Click here to contribute to our community funding campaign, to learn more, and share in your networks.
We hope that we can look to our community of stewards, amphibian enthusiasts, conservationists, and animal lovers to help support these special and threatened salamanders when they need us most!
Thank you for your support!
Mark Mandica
Executive Director
Amphibian Foundation
 |
| A young Frosted Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum) |
Background
The Amphibian Foundation recently welcomed hundreds of Flatwoods Salamanders, which hatched in our lab from eggs collected from our Florida Fish and Wildlife partners the field in January. These larval (baby) salamanders are living in 20 mesocosms, artificial wetlands for salamanders to live and breed within. Right now, the mesocosms are filled with rainwater.
Some salamanders are growing much quicker than expected. In fact, a few of them have begun metamorphosis (exciting)! This is several weeks earlier than expected, so we will have new salamanders in less than a week!
Challenge
To prepare for these salamanders, the rainwater mesocosms need to be modified into a 'transitional' mesocosm with land, water, and an ecotone (a way for them to move between the water and land). This conservation plan has never been accomplished for this threatened salamander, especially at this large scale. We need your financial support to effectively accomplish this plan.
This is a time-sensitive ask. The baby salamanders will drown in the water-only mesocosms if we leave them as is. Our other option is to return the salamanders to our lab, but they will miss a key component of their reproductive ecology—imprinting on the wetland where they metamorphosed. This is key because 90% of Flatwoods Salamanders return to the pond they were born in to breed.
Click here to contribute to our community funding campaign, to learn more, and share in your networks.
We hope that we can look to our community of stewards, amphibian enthusiasts, conservationists, and animal lovers to help support these special and threatened salamanders when they need us most!
Thank you for your support!
Mark Mandica
Executive Director
Amphibian Foundation
Comments
Post a Comment