The Amphibian Foundation's Frog Blog

Last night, during a Thunderstorm, some brave souls joined us for a trial release of Gopher Frogs ( Lithobates capito ) into their mesocosm, where hopefully they will acclimate to their new home in time to reproduce this fall+. The Gopher Frog Release Team (July 31, 2018) Anthony Mandica, Crystal Mandica, Lillie Kline, Roberto Valencia and Aunt Christina Amphibian Foundation Co-founder Crystal Mandica introducing a Gopher Frog into the mesocosm Kevin McCauley, Executive Director of the Blue Heron Nature Preserve stopped by to release a Gopher Frog Lillie Kline, from Atlanta Audubon Society reaching for a jumpy Gopher Frog Roberto Valencia, our newest international intern from Ecuador, show here adding Gopher Frogs to their new home. This new captive breeding program, which the Amphibian Foundation is developing with Zoo Atlanta, GA DNR, USFWS and UGA aims to produce healthy, captive bred Gopher Frogs (a state 'Rare' species, and Georgia's rarest frog)....

We are nearly complete with our outdoor conservation research facility — an array of 20 tri-phasic mesocosms nicknamed 'Metamorphosis Meadow' or MetaMo. Todays Task: the completion of 3 sandhill mesocosms designed for the captive breeding of Georgia's rarest frog, the Gopher Frog ( Lithobates capito ). The source populations for the 11 year assisted metamorphosis and experimental release program continue to decline, so we have teamed up with Zoo Atlanta, Georgia DNR, UGA and USFWS to establish captive breeding groups of the species. Today's Mesocosm Team (front left): Nooch, Crystal and Mark Mandica, Roberto Valencia (visiting from Ecuador) and Caleb Black; (back left) Barbara Marston, Jason Bracken, Emma Slutsker, Juan Taquechel, Joshua Black, and Dr Michael Black (top right). Kate Carson looking happy with pride over completing a Gopher Frog mesocosm. Kate was instrumental in building the Flatwoods Salamander mesocosms as well. Anthony Mandica, co-founde...

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2vNqz2u  This is an incredible species to work with and we are grateful for the generous donation of these frogs by Erik Anderson #LeafFrogs #LeafFrog #Cruziohyla #Cruziohylacraspedopus #AmphibianFoundation #Frog #Frogs #FrogsOfInstagram #FrogsNeedOurHelp

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via Instagram http://ift.tt/2wheTqm Cruziohyla calcarifer is a large, beautiful #LeafFrog from northern South America. This is an incredible species to work with and we are grateful for the generous donation of these frogs by Rainforest Junkies #LeafFrogs #LeafFrog #SplendidLeafFrog #Cruziohyla #Cruziohylacalcarifer #AmphibianFoundation #Frog #Frogs #FrogsOfInstagram #FrogsNeedOurHelp

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2uGTmHf These frogs were donated to the foundation by Erik Anderson #FringedLeafFrog #Cruziohyla #Cruziohylacraspedopus #AmphibianFoundation #Frog #Frogs #FrogsOfInstagram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #LeafFrog

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2tYFCr0 Follow @amphibianfoundation for more beautiful pictures and information on Amphibians, amphibian conservation and declines. Glass frogs are transparent on their ventral surface, but their dorsal coloration can be quite beautiful. C. granulosa often has shades of blue mixed with green on their dorsum. Their granular glands are also quite prominent and spectacular! #Cochranella #Cochranellagranulosa #GranularGlassFrog #Centrolenidae #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #EndangeredSpecies #RacingExtinction #EndExtinction #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony #CaptiveBreedingColony #Mandica #CritterCamp #Critter-Camp #AmphibianFoundation #TheAmphibianFoundation

Lemur Leaf Frogs , Agalychnis lemur , like this young froglet pictured here, are completely adorable. We have worked with both Panamanian and Costa Rican lineages of these incredible animals. Lemur Leaf Frogs, like most phyllomedusines lay their eggs on leaves over water. Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles plop right into the water below. It has been long known that these developing embryos have the ability to hatch early if they detect that they are in danger (from predatory wasps for example) but recent research on Red-Eyed Leaf Frogs (a relative of A. lemur ) has been investigating the mechanism by which these developing animals are able to make life decisions at such an early age. Truly fascinating work by  Karen Warkentin at Boston University . Lemur Leaf Frogs are also #CriticallyEndangered, meaning that their already dangerously low numbers are still declining in the wild. Organizations like #CRARC and #TheVivarium at the #ManchesterMuseum are working hard to save...

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2bFz9X2 . Their common name comes from the bony points behind the eyes. Developing Crowned Tree Frog larvae are #ObligateEggFeeders and pictured here is the female depositing unfertilized eggs into the ‘tree hole’ for the tadpoles to eat. My preliminary observations indicate the larvae need both her eggs and her feces to consume in order to develop properly. This behavior demonstrates the lack of other natural sources for nutrition inside of the tree holes that Anotheca use to reproduce. #oophagy #coprophagy #Anotheca #Anothecaspinosa #CrownedTreeFrog #Hylidae #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #EndangeredSpecies #RacingExtinction #EndExtinction #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony #CaptiveBreedingColony #Mandica #NeotenicZoo #TetrapodZoo #YoungScientistsLeague #ysci #y-sci #CritterCamp #Critter-Camp #AmphibianFoundation #TheAmphi...

Lemur Leaf Frogs have disappeared throughout most of their range in Costa Rica and Panama - mostly due to the devastating emergent infectious amphibian disease - #chytridiomycosis (chytrid) We have bred hundreds of Panamanian Lemur Leaf Frogs in our frogPOD, and donated over 400 of them to institutions and amphibian conservation programs. This highlights the importance of captive breeding programs to keep species alive until they can be once again safe in the wild. Plus, look how cute they are #Agalychnislemur #Phyllomedusinae #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #AtlantaBotanicalGardenConservation #EndangeredSpecies #AtlantaBG #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #salamanders #salamander #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony via Instagram http://ift.tt/29tYQGb

 I shot this image today in the #frogPOD 'after dark' when most of the frogs has woken up. This is just the reflection of the frog off the side of the enclosure, but it have the image quite an interesting affect. #Agalychnis #Agalychnislemur #Phyllomedusinae #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #AtlantaBotanicalGardenConservation #EndangeredSpecies #AtlantaBG #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #LeafFrog #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony via Instagram http://ift.tt/29wvHjf

 Another amazing and imperiled #phyllomedusine - Leaf and Monkey Frog #Agalychnis #Agalychnismoreletii #Phyllomedusinae #LeafFrog #LeafFrogs #Hylidae #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #SalamandersNeedourHelp #AtlantaBotanicalGardenConservation #EndangeredSpecies #AtlantaBG #FrogsOfInstagram #SalamandersOfInstagram #frogs #frog #salamanders #salamander #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony

This is one of the most spectacular species of the already spectacular group of tree frogs - the #phyllomedusines or Leaf and Monkey Frogs. #Cruziohylacraspedopus #Phyllomedusinae #LeafFrogs #LeafFrog #MonkeyFrog #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #AtlantaBotanicalGardenConservation #EndangeredSpecies #AtlantaBG #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #salamanders #salamander #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony via Instagram http://ift.tt/29kS0HF

One of the four #centrolenid species we are working with, and they are all amazing. #Cochranella #Cochranellagranulosa #GlassFrog #Centrolenidae #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #AtlantaBotanicalGardenConservation #EndangeredSpecies #AtlantaBG #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony

https://frogblogmanchester.com/2016/05/11/patience-is-a-virtue/#comment-24264 Spawning Cruziohyla crespedopus in the Vivarium at Manchester Museum. photo by Adam Bland

#RainChamber #frogLAB #ToadLove There is dramatic size and color dimorphism in this species, with the females atypically more brightly colored than the males. #Inciliusconiferus #Bufonidae #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #SalamandersNeedourHelp #AtlantaBotanicalGardenConservation #EndangeredSpecies #AtlantaBG #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #toad #toads #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony

Hopefully we will be able to breed this remarkable species soon. A. spurelli belongs to the hylid subfamily #Phyllomedusinae - Leaf and Monkey Frogs - Their extensive webbing on the hands and feet enable this frog to glide from one tree to the next. #Agalychnisspurelli #AmphibianConservation #AmphibianConservationProgram #FrogsNeedOurHelp #SalamandersNeedourHelp #AtlantaBotanicalGardenConservation #EndangeredSpecies #AtlantaBG #FrogsOfInstagram #frogs #frog #ribbit #CaptiveBreeding #CaptiveBred #ExSitu #InSitu #CaptiveAssuranceColony

Rebecca Hollman , one of our Amphibian Conservation interns on the flatwoods salamander team took this shot yesterday of a newly metamorphosed Ambystoma cingulatum stalking a small pile of Black Worms

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Anotheca is declining throughout much if its range. The Garden maintains a #CaptiveAssuranceColony of this remarkable species, producing offspring which can hopefully, one day be returned back to Panama to repopulate the region once the deadly amphibian disease - #AmphibianChytridFungus is no longer a threat.