The Amphibian Foundation's Frog Blog

State Herpetologist, John Jensen took me out months ago to collect conservation breeding stock of Marbled Salamanders, Ambystoma opacum . Last autumn, John Jensen who is one of the state herpetologists for GA Department of Natural Resources, and also on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Amphibian Foundation, took me out into the field in the hopes of collecting Marbled Salamanders for inclusion in our conservation breeding program. This program, of which the ultimate goal is to successfully propagate healthy Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders ( Ambystoma cingulatum ) for release into restored habitat in the southeast, also focuses on surrogate species. Ambystomatid salamanders, such as the Marbled and Flatwoods species, have not been reliably bred in captivity, and gaining a better understanding on how this can be accomplished is vital to the program's success. Marbled Salamanders and Flatwoods Salamanders are unique in one interesting way — they breed exclusively in dry eph...

The Amphibian Foundation is celebrating our one year anniversary this month! It’s been a whirlwind of a year, and we want to thank you for your continued support. Read below to learn about our tremendous growth and key accomplishments, achieved with your help! Amphibian Foundation founders Mark and Crystal Mandica, standing outside the Blue Heron Nature Preserve shortly after incorporating one year ago. Building an Amphibious Presence in Atlanta If you’re a regular blog guest, then you know that the Amphibian Foundation was founded in 2016 as a nonprofit dedicated to protecting endangered amphibians and their habitats. But did you know that in one year, the Amphibian Foundation: Created an office and labs at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve in Atlanta. Formed a Board of Directors with 6 members. Built a team of 25 staff members and dedicated volunteers. Trained 5 interns, and expanded into an internationally recognized internship program. Cared for more th...

Welcome to the #CritterLab - which houses reptiles and amphibians for captive breeding projects, as well as part of the teaching collection for our Critter Camps and Atlanta Urban Ecology programs. The lab is not open to the public, but we will have Open Houses throughout the year.

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2hqeDtI  Consider giving the gift of a membership in The Amphibian Foundation. Memberships directly support the conservation of imperiled amphibian species, like this Frosted Flatwoods Salamander, photographed last night peeking out from under the moss in the world’s only captive colony of this species. The Amphibian Foundation is working closely with state, federal and academic agencies to conserve this species and others that are in decline or threatened with extinction. Memberships of any amount can be accessed at the link in our bio and the funds support our conservation initiatives. Memberships of $100 or more also receive the coveted Amphibian Foundation logo (larval Flatwoods Salamander) care decal, and $250 or more will also receive an Amphibian Foundation t-shirt from TeePublic! Membership link is in the bio! Thank you Instagram Community for all your support!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2h6JC1s Got my awesome Amphibian Foundation t-shirt!! It's a great design of a juvenile salamander and better yet, it helps this amazing conservation group with fundraising to accomplish their goals by the end of the year. Amphibians are in SERIOUS trouble and 40% of them are in danger of going extinct or have already been wiped out...more than any other group of animals! Go check out @frogsneedourhelp, follow them and get your t-shirt today! #amphibian #amphibians #frogsneedourhelp #frogs #frog #salamander #animals #tshirt #conservation #help #getinvolved #howyoucanhelp - #regrann

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2gYW9jw Hi Everybody! I apologize for not having much time to post lately. We have been overwhelmed with setting up the new facilities at The Amphibian Foundation. It’s an exciting time, and we are building 2 indoor research labs for amphibians, as well as a huge outdoor breeding and assisted-metamorphosis facility. We still need help! We are $2500 short on our initial set-up costs and are reaching out to the online amphibian community to help raise the last piece, and get us fully set up and ready to raise and breed endangered amphibians. Become a Member of The Amphibian Foundation! Or Give the Gift of Membership! Memberships are available in any amount and are described here. Your contributions go directly to The Amphibian Foundation. http://ift.tt/2gYW6Eq Purchase Amphibian Foundation merchandise! Proceeds go directly to The Amphibian Foundation. http://ift.tt/2fSU2BT All of our programs, initiatives and research, as well as ways to get involved are d...

I will be discussing Global Amphibian Declines and the creation of a new non-profit dedicated to the conservation and research of our precious amphibians! For more information, see the AST website: meetu.ps/322wrx  From the Atlanta Science Tavern Website:  Amphibians (frogs, salamanders and caecilians) are a interesting group of vertebrates with a rich global biodiversity. They occur in even the most unlikely places such as the Arctic Circle, deserts, and our urban neighborhoods. Despite this ability to adapt to extreme conditions, amphibians are declining worldwide - from pristine as well as developed environments. Scientists have identified multiple anthropogenic factors contributing synergistically to amphibian declines, which are now affecting almost 40% of the global amphibian population. Therefore, a multifaceted approach is necessary to address the amphibian decline phenomenon. We will explore the major documented causes, as well as some of the most...