Conservacion de Rhino Der Ma Darwinii

8/2/2019 Conservacion de Rhino Der Ma Darwinii

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Leaf LitterThe Magazine of Tree Walkers International and Amphibian Conservation


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The unique reproductive strategy of these frogs (vocalsac brooding) has long been recognized and newdetails about the behavior were added by 19th and20th century investigators (e.g. De la Espada, 1872;Harting, 1879; Howes, 1888; Barros, 1918; Wilhelm,

Unfortunately the Chiles Darwin Frog, R. rufum, has

not been seen since the 1970s (Busse and Werning,2002; Crump, 2003). The decline of the Darwins Frog,R. darwinii, is also documented and looks to be mostapparent in the northern portion of its limited range(Busse, 2002; Busse and Werning, 2002; Crump,2003; Crump and Veloso, 2005). No single causeaccounts for all amphibian declines (e.g., Blaustein,1994; Pounds et al., 2006; Mendelson et al., 2006;Collins and Crump, 2009). Likely contributing to theDarwins Frog declines are problems of deforestation,replacement of native forests with mono-cultured exotictree species, and non-sustainable land managementpractices (Armesto et al., 1996; Aravena et al., 2002;Cuevas and Cifuentes, 2009). Many of the frog

species that inhabit the dwindling southern temperatehumid forests of southwestern South America are

found nowhere else; there are minimally 37 anuransunique to these forests in Chile, constituting no lessthan 85% of the regional amphibian fauna includingthree endemic genera and an endemic family to Chile(Calyptocephalella,Insuetophrynus, Telmatobufo, andthe Calyptocephalellidae, respectively) (Daz-Pez etal. 2008; Rabanal and Nuez, 2008; Vidal et al. 2008;Fenolio et al., 2011). Many of them are now threatened.

Conservation actions will be required to ensure thesurvival of these species, and useful activities includethe implementation of captive breeding and assurancecolonies.

Darwins Frogs have long been bred in captivity. Theearly 1930s, Wilhelm removed tadpoles from a male R. darwinii report a male R. darwiniitaking larvae into his mouth(Wilhelm, 1932). More recently, Klaus Busse breda captive group in Germany multiple times (Busse,

1970, 1989, 1991, 2002). One of us (DBF) had acaptive group in the 1980s and 1990s and they bred for

R.darwiniihabitat.

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several years. Recently, a captive breeding programat the Universidad de Concepcin captively produced

R. darwiniiand the program we detail here, at theNational Zoo of Chile, has groups of frogs breeding.This is all great news. Having multiple programs inChile working with this endangered amphibian helpsto bolster the likelihood that they will survive into thefuture. Collaboration between these groups is in the

best interest of these endangered amphibians.

The Darwins Frog Conservation Initiative is acollaboration between the Atlanta Botanical Garden,The National Zoo of Chile in Santiago and personnelfrom the Center for Advanced Studies of Ecology andBiodiversity at the Catholic University of Chile, fromNorthern Arizona University at Flagstaff, and fromGreenTracks, Inc. The goals of the initiative focus onelucidating the reasons behind the declines of DarwinsFrogs and other amphibians endemic to Chilestemperate humid forests. Further, goals includeattempts to curb the declines using techniques suchas: (1) development of captive assurance colonies with

ex-situ breeding of endangered amphibians withinChile, (2) monitoring of diseases in wild populationsto better inform policymakers and conservationauthorities in Chile, and (3) education of the general

public regarding problems that Chilean amphibiansface. Ultimately, we aim to provide information aboutdeclining Chilean amphibians (including the spread ofemergent infectious amphibian disease) and to provideconservation options. Another goal is to establish the attention to the plight of all of south Chiles endangeredamphibians.

breeding facility within Chile. Many projects involvingamphibian conservation have removed individuals ofthe endangered species in question from the rangecountry for captive reproduction efforts elsewhere. We feel that by aiding local conservation efforts,complete with trained personnel and a moderncaptive reproduction facility, the chances of longterm conservation success are greater. We hope theprogram functions in perpetuity as long as DarwinsFrogs and other endemic amphibians of Chile requireconservation assistance. A grass roots approachharnessing local enthusiasm and pride is an important

part of the equation. Additionally, by removingindividuals of an endangered species from the rangecountry, the frogs might be exposed to new pathogensin the host country. This risk complicates the

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prospects of returning captive bred individuals to therange country for reintroduction should that become anecessity. This is not a condemnation of past captivereproduction efforts outside of host countries. Rather,we feel that as the collective amphibian conservationcommunity has learned through its experiences,range country breeding facilities, when possible, arepreferable. Cooperative projects involving the AtlantaBotanical Garden have led to the same conclusion.

Our captive breeding facility is located on the groundsof the National Zoo of Chile in Santiago (Parque

Metropolitano de Santiago, Chile). The building wasdesigned with one of its walls made of glass so thatthe visiting public could see into the laboratory. Wewanted to use the facility for education and outreachwith the general public. To draw visitors to the facility,we commissioned a large sculpture of a Darwins Frogmade by a Chilean artist and placed it to one sideof the lab. Additionally, signage with informationabout Darwins Frogs and other threatened Chileanamphibians educates visitors. To emphasize educationfor the general public, we developed a bilingual websitefeaturing our project: www.savedarwinsfrogs.org .

We have also emphasized education for the personnelrunning the facility. The lead veterinarian for the zoo,Marcela Tirado, visited the Atlanta Botanical Gardenfor captive amphibian husbandry training. She alsoattended the Association of Zoos and Aquariumscaptive amphibian management program.

The captive breeding facility at the National Zoo of Chileis modeled after the amphibian breeding facilities at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Front opening terrariumsstreamline maintenance and upkeep. ZooMedLaboratories supported our project with discounted

rates on equipment and in serving as a staging groundfor a host of equipment purchased in the United Statesbefore it was shipped to Chile. There are 32 18x18x18inch (roughly 46x46x46cm) terraria in the facility toaccommodate the same number of breeding groups.a false bottom made of egg crating to keep fouledwater away from the inhabitants and to provide ampledrainage of the media. The terraria are supportedon lab racks. The lab racks are arranged so that thevisiting public can see them through the wall of glass.

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Automated misting systems keep the humidity ineach enclosure at appropriate levels and dampen theterraria a number of times daily (the number of mistingon the season). Fluorescent lighting illuminatesthe enclosures. The building has an environmentalcontrol system strong enough to keep the ambienttemperatures cool during the hottest of Santiagos

summer days. Floor drains facilitate cleaning. Shouldthe electricity fail, a self-starting generator has beenprovided that can power the building for an extendedperiod through potential blackouts. A spare waterstorage unit was also implemented on a hillside abovethe breeding facility, should the water supply to thezoo be interrupted. The 350-gallon (1325L) reservetank has enough water to run the facility for more thanfour weeks. The water will gravity-feed to the breedingof the captive breeding facility is an insect culturingalready in production. We are working to add bean strongest earthquake in recorded history. In particular,the self-starting generator and backup water supply

to report that they are already breeding. The goal isto maintain the collection of wild collected frogs bylocality. We would like to have as many localitiesrepresented in our facility as space permits. Breedingare accommodated individually in deli cups whenyoung, and then in plastic tubs on shelves.

Field work has involved visiting historic localities whereDarwins Frogs have been reported. It also includeschecking forests without reports ofRhinoderma thathave appropriate habitat. Since 2008, we have visitedpopulations, skin swabs are collected. The swabs aretested for the presence of amphibian chytrid fungus(Bd) in the laboratory of M. Levy at North CarolinaState University, School of Veterinary Medicine. At theend of our study, we will publish a report documentingwhere we observed frogs and where we have detectedamphibian diseases.

accessible via a 2-wheel-drive vehicle. However,4-wheel-drive vehicles are usually required. Hiking infrom the ends of logging roads and other non-developedaccess ways is also routine. For a few remote localities,renting horses and mules has been necessary. The packanimals allow for access to distant forest fragmentsdays. The trips to these remote localities have beenmemorable. Uncut forest fragments offer a glimpseinto what southern Chile was once like.

Our project has combined three key components: (1) anex-situ captive breeding facility within Chile, completebetter understand the causes for the declines of DarwinsFrogs, and (3) an education and outreach program tohelp us communicate our message to the public. Wefeel that projects with all of these components have abetter chance at producing viable conservation options

for declining amphibian species. We are currentlylooking to expand our capacity at the National Zoo ofChile to accommodate six to twelve additional speciesof amphibians that have experienced marked declinesin recent years. Sadly, there is no shortage of candidatespecies. Building from the platform of an educatedhusbandry staff in Santiago, the experiences we havehad with Darwins Frogs, and the relationships we havedeveloped with wildlife authorities in the governmentand throughout Chile, we are optimistic about ourchances. Nevertheless, the issues threatening theamphibians of Chiles southern humid forests are notgoing to be solved through these measures alone. Non-sustainable forestry practices are eliminating criticalhabitat. Alteration of habitat in other ways is alsocontributing to the problems. Invasive species, liketrout, could be impacting local anurans by feeding onand educational outreach programs offer steps in theright direction, but there is still much work to be done.

Charles Darwin referenced the origin of species asthe mystery of mysteries in the opening paragraphofOn the Origin of Species (Darwin, 1859). Over 150 years after his landmark publication, the mystery ofmysteries might not be the evolutionary origins ofDarwins Frogs, but rather their fate at the hands of

humans.

Acknowledgements: We are grateful to the following Aquariums and their Conservation Endowment Fund(grant No. 08-809), The Shared Earth Foundation,The Sophie Danforth Conservation Biology Fund,The Chicago Board of Trade Endangered SpeciesFund, Cisco Systems, and the George and Mary RabbFoundation. We would like to thank Klaus Busse for

his help throughout our project and with this article.Klaus has more experience in keeping and breedingRhinoderma than anyone else so we are grateful for hisinput. We would like to thank ZooMed Laboratoriesfor their generous assistance with this project. Wethank Robert Hill and Mark Mandica for their timeand suggestions as we developed the breeding center.Osvaldo Cabezas, our amphibian keeper at the NationalZoo of Chile, has done a tremendous job in keeping ouranimals happy and healthy.

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Conservacion de Rhino Der Ma Darwinii

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