| |  Carolus Linnaeus, the father of binomial nomenclature and classification of living organisms, wrote of amphibians in 1758:
These foul and loathsome animals are abhorrent because of their cold body, pale color, cartilaginous skeleton, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, squalid habitation, and terrible venom; and so their Creator has not exerted his powers to make many of them. Although amphibians today enjoy a considerably more positive image in the minds of the public (Kermit the Frog, Michigan J. Frog, the Budweiser Frogs), few zoos give them as much attention as they do the more charismatic megafauna, such as lions and tigers and bears. Ironically, amphibians are in desperate need of help from zoos, perhaps more now than any other class of vertebrates. Numerous populations of amphibians around the world are declining, some to the brink of extinction and beyond, and scientists are struggling to find out why. In some instances, the cause is clearly habitat destruction; in others, disease. However, a cause is not always readily identifiable and, in many cases, there are likely several factors involved. It is clear that this group of animals is suffering an extinction crisis the likes of which some believe has not been seen since the Jurassic/Cretaceous dinosaur extinctions (which, I remind you, the amphibians survived!).
The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) has a long history of success with amphibians. When the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles opened to the public in 1960, amphibians were already a part of the collection. The first amphibian breeding, Colombian giant toads (Bufo blombergi), occurred the following year. In 1969, our first gymnophionan was born, an Upper Amazon caecilian (Nectocaecilia petersii), and the first of many clutches of axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) was produced and reared soon thereafter. In 1990 (for the 30th anniversary of the Museum), the name of the facility was officially changed to the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles and Amphibians to acknowledge the importance of this class. Since 1994, increased emphasis has been placed on amphibian husbandry and conservation, and many significant species have been reproduced. These include emperor newts (Tylototriton shanjing), Anderson's newts (Echinotriton andersoni), Wyoming toads (Bufo baxteri), Puerto Rican crested toads (Peltophryne lemur), Panama golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) and golden mantellas (Mantella aurantiaca).
In 1997, DZS intensified its commitment to amphibian conservation with the inception of the National Amphibian Conservation Center (NACC), the first facility in the world designed, constructed, and interpreted specifically for amphibians. Set in a 2-acre resurrected Michigan wetland, this 12,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to saving amphibians and shaping public attitude toward these threatened and valuable animals. Nearly half the facility is off-exhibit, comprising holding and breeding rooms, offices, and research space. Five staff members take care of the day-to-day needs of the animals and to support breeding and research programs. Opened to the public in June of 2000, the facility currently houses around 65 species of amphibians and upwards of 1300 individuals.
The Goals of the NACC are:
1. To educate. The NACC presents millions of visitors and students with live animals and exhibits to inspire a sense of appreciation and public stewardship for amphibians and their habitats. Through interpretive graphics in and around the building and distance-learning programs, the NACC strives to shape public attitudes and provide creative ways for citizens to understand and take responsibility for these animals and the environment.
2. To save. The NACC provides an ex-situ site for the maintenance and breeding of rare and endangered amphibians to complement in-situ conservation programs. The center provides physical space for maintaining genetic reservoirs of endangered species in the event that wild populations become extinct, and to hold wild animals and their offspring until a time when they can be reintroduced into their native habitats or transferred to other zoo conservation programs.
3. To study. The NACC serves as a resource for academic, governmental, and other conservation-oriented amphibian biologists from around the world by providing a controlled environment for amphibian observation and non-invasive research on all aspects of biology, from basic husbandry requirements to reproductive behavior and embryology/development. An endowed fund to support Visiting Scholars is also being established to support top researchers from around the world for three-month terms to complement the continuous research programs of permanent staff.
4. To pioneer. The NACC brings together cutting-edge techniques of education, exhibition, conservation, and research, providing a model for future conservation facilities around the country and the world. | |
