| | (ATAG)
Amphibian Taxon Advisory Group Home Steering Committee Members Primary Goals of the ATAG Action Plan ATAG Managed Programs/Species Listserves Educational Materials for Teachers Links of Interest | Action Plan

Tactic 1. Intensive management at the SSP or PMP level shall establish and maintain a genetic reservoir that will insure the long-term preservation of maximal genetic variation for healthy captive populations. Intensive management at the SSP or PMP level is reserved for those taxa that: A) are prominent, widely used educational ambassadors where the continued availability of specimens is unlikely without a large-scale zoo-based captive propagation program; B) have a direct viable field effort that requires a large-scale zoo-based captive propagation program to provide specimens to establish reintroduced populations or sustain wild populations. ACTION PLAN: Taxa within the collection plan that directly support this tactic are Puerto Rican crested toad (Bufo lemur), Wyoming toad (Bufo baxteri), blue dart-poison frog (Dendrobates azureus), emperor newt (Tylototriton shanjing), golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca), Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis), Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki), and Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni).
Tactic 2. Provide husbandry information on RCP species that strives for optimal welfare of the individual captive animal for the specific outcome desired by zoo-based programs. ACTION PLAN: Write, peer review, publish and disseminate Taxon Management Accounts for SSP and PMP species and important DERP species.
Tactic 3. Support institutional initiatives that target regional issues impacting amphibians but do not necessarily require a large-scale management program such as an SSP or PMP. ACTION PLAN: Call for institutional initiatives to be presented at annual TAG meetings.
Tactic 4. Hold ATAG meetings at least once annually open to all IRs and publish minutes in a timely fashion.
Tactic 5. Maintain listserves that allow individuals to seek advice or information from their colleagues on husbandry, natural history, conservation, research, educational themes and presentations, facility and operational concerns, keeper training and development, and interacting with governmental management groups with current or potential oversight of conservation programs. ACTION PLAN: Maintain Amphibsteering listserv open only to the steering committee, AmphibianIR listserv open only to institutional representatives, and Amphibtalk open to all parties interested in amphibian biology and management.
Tactic 6. Manage finances in a fiscally responsible manner so funds continue to accrue while small grants are periodically issued to projects that support one or more of the goals and are implementable through one or more of the tactics. ACTION PLAN: Deliver annual financial reports. Strive to keep a minimum balance of $20,000.00 in the account. If minimum balance is present, offer up to 10% of total balance (up to $2,000.00) per year for grants. |