Rebecca Reid, Auckland Zoo
Here at Auckland Zoo we are celebrating yet another world-first – this one in the form of zoo-bred, second-generation, Archey’s Frogs.
Since 2012 Auckland Zoo has bred Archey’s frogs five times, rearing them to maturity twice, with these latest second generation froglets well on their way, something never achieved elsewhere in the world!
“Good conservation takes time, but it’s been very much worth it”, says Richard Gibson, Auckland Zoo Curator of Ectotherms and Birds.
“Learning how to rear this endangered species reliably is of great value should something catastrophic happen to the wild population and we need to utilise captive breeding and reintroduction as a recovery tool.”
Currently we have around 25 Archey’s frogs. The youngest four hatched in October 2017 and metamorphosed into miniature (<5mm) replicas of their parents just before Christmas. It will take three to four years before these frogs become fully grown, 40mm long adults.
Just one of four remaining species of native frog and in much need of this conservation support, this unique amphibian used to have a wide distribution across mainland North Island. Due to extensive habitat loss through deforestation and degradation, and introduced mammalian predators such as rats, stoats, European blackbirds, hedgehogs and possums, the species is considered ‘Nationally Critical’ by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and ‘critically endangered’ by the IUCN.
Richard Gibson, Curator of Ectotherms and Birds at Auckland ZooLearning how to rear this endangered species reliably is of great value should something catastrophic happen to the wild population and we need to utilise captive breeding and reintroduction as a recovery tool
Today Archey’s frogs survive naturally in just two locations, Coromandel Peninsula and Whareorino Forest, and at the latter are protected by extensive predator control programmes. Several years ago, DOC introduced a small population to Pureora Forest as an insurance population when chytrid fungus, a new emerging disease of amphibians, was discovered in New Zealand, which could further threaten an already endangered species. More recently, Auckland Zoo added to this new Pureora population by releasing frogs with new genes. These frogs were collected from Whareorino, and underwent extensive disease screening and quarantine at the Zoo for six months before they were released alongside the original Pureora release site.
As well as our breeding programme, our talented and passionate ectotherm team also help DOC monitor wild Archey’s frog populations each spring to confirm their continued recovery.
