Endangered Costa Rican
Frog Focus of Study
MANCHESTER, England,
(UPI) -- British
biologists are studying
a Costa Rican leaf frog,
Cruziohyla calcarifer,
to save it from
extinction and learn how
to care for it in zoos
and aquariums.
Scientists from The
University of Manchester
and the Chester Zoo --
Britain's largest zoo --
said the brightly
colored frog, a native
of the Costa Rican
rainforest, is being
threatened by a
combination of
environmental change and
disease.
"This research aims to
contribute to our
understanding of the
basic factors that
influence the
development and survival
of these frogs," said
Richard Preziosi, the
project's lead
investigator. "For
instance, with the
exception of certain
mammals, we know
surprisingly little
about what animals
should be eating. And
yet the diet of splendid
leaf frogs affects their
coloration which, in
turn, determines their
mating behavior.
"The global decline in
amphibian populations
means research such as
this, carried out ex
situ, is therefore
critical for both
conservation projects in
the wild and for
maintaining and
successfully breeding
the frogs in zoos and
aquariums," he added.
The research is being
complemented by field
studies in Costa Rica
that include examining
the effect that
ultraviolet rays have on
the fitness and
viability of
captive-bred frogs. |
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