BUFFALO, NY—On Tuesday, November 15, the
Buffalo Zoo’s herp keepers gathered up 46 threatened tadpoles and prepared to
ship them to Puerto Rico, where they were
released into one of several sites in southern Puerto Rico
on Thursday morning.
Found only in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican crested toads have rough, warty
skin and are
olive green and brown in
color, with shades of yellow on their heads.
As their name implies, they
also have a high bony ridge
on their heads, which forms a “V” shaped structure.
In 1984, the Puerto Rican
crested toad became the first amphibian to be placed in the Association of Zoos
and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is designed to help a
species maintain a healthy and stable population. For more than 20 years, the
Buffalo Zoo has been dedicated in working to save the Puerto Rican crested
toad, which has become endangered due, in large part, to habitat loss. In
recognition of the Reptile Department’s long-standing breeding efforts, the
Buffalo Zoo was honored with the AZA’s Edward H. Bean Award in 1985, and was
one of 22 zoos to receive the North American Conservation Award in 2004 for the
Puerto Rican Crested Toad Species Survival Program Conservation Partnership.
Currently, 28 AZA institutions house Puerto Rican
crested toad populations. The Buffalo Zoo is one of only a few zoos this year
to hatch tadpoles. This is the first time since 2006 that the Buffalo Zoo has
sent tadpoles to Puerto Rico to be released
into the wild
Give your special someone a truly unique and loving Holiday gift of an animal adoption from the Buffalo Zoo.
