Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Crested Toads Returned to Puerto Rico by Detroit Zoo

By Patricia Janeway

Royal Oak, MI - The Detroit Zoo’s breeding program for the critically endangered Puerto Rican crested toad has yielded the best results in 10 years with 3,701 tadpoles. The Zoo kept 20 tadpoles for future breeding at the National Amphibian Conservation Center and shipped the rest to Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, for release into the wild.

The Detroit Zoo has been working to preserve the Puerto Rican crested toad (Peltophryne lemur) since 1999. Last year, the Zoo shipped 2,000 tadpoles for release.

“We are thrilled to almost double the number of Detroit Zoo-born tadpoles for release into the wild this year. Establishing a new population of amphibians in their natural environment is enormously gratifying and one very important way that the National Amphibian Conservation Center helps to save amphibians,” said Chief Life Sciences Officer Scott Carter.

More than a third of the planet’s 6,000 amphibian species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, climate change, pollution, pesticides, introduced species, over-collection and infectious diseases.

The award-winning National Amphibian Conservation Center is a state-of-the-art facility that boasts a spectacular diversity of frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians. The Wall Street Journal dubbed the attraction “Disneyland for toads”.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through Labor Day and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the day after Labor Day through October. Admission is $11 for adults 15 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 14; children under 2 are free. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org. The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day); admission is free. For more information, call (313) 852-4056.

To view Detroit Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-472-Detroit_Zoo