Second chance: 80 critically endangered spotted tree frogs to be released into Kosciuszko National Park
Much of Australia, specifically the state of New South Wales, was hit hard by bush fires during the summers of 2019 and 2020. One of many species that was negatively impacted by these forest fires were the spotted tree frog(Litoria speceri). Another setback that affected these frogs was a deadly disease in 2001, although the specifics were not mentioned in the article. From 250-300 individuals reduced to only 10 after the fires, a breeding program successfully released 80 back into the NSW national park. A quote from the Department of Planning Environment’s threatened species officer states that the frog is “fundamental to the maintenance of the ecosystem health in NSW upland rivers.” The tadpoles consume algae in large quantities as well as provide food for other species, contributing to a network of ecosystem interactions. Conservation efforts are impressive in Australia where the rate of extinction is the highest in the world. The Saving our Species program in NSW has funding of over $175 million over 10 years. There is a hopeful outlook for many of Australia’s wildlife, including the spotted tree frog.
2 comments:
Very interesting! This approach ties in with some fellow students' presentation topics!
This was a super interesting article to read! I'm really glad they are taking conservation efforts so seriously. It is amazing that they were able to release 80 frogs back into the wild! I had never thought about how areas with wildfires can impact smaller animals like frogs. I also wonder if the disease that infected them was chytrid or if it was something else? Great job on the post!
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