Building capacity to implement conservation breeding programs for frogs in Madagascar: Results from year one of Mitsinjo's amphibian husbandry research and captive breeding facility

2011·8.7 MB·English

by  Devin Edmonds

8
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Building capacity to implement conservation breeding
programs for frogs in Madagascar: Results from year one
of Mitsinjo’s amphibian husbandry research and captive
breeding
facility
1JDevin Edmonds, 1 Justin Claude Rakotoarisoa, Gainer Dolch, Jennifer Pramuk, 23Ron Gagliardo,
45Franco Andreone, 4Nirhy Rabibisoa, 4Falitiana Rabemananjara, 6Sahondra Rabesihanaka, and
6Eric Robsomanitrandrasana
1,7Association Mitsinjo, Andasibe, MADAGASCAR 2WoodlandPark Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA 2Amphibian Ark, Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA
4Amphibian Specialist Group, MADAGASCAR sMuseoRegionale di ScienzeNaturali, Turin, ITALY6La Direction Generate desForets, MADAGAS-
CAR
—
Abstract. Madagascar is ranked 12th in amphibian species richness by the International Union on
the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is considered to be one of the highest priority countries for
amphibian conservation. Nearly one quarter of the island’s amphibian species are threatened with
extinction with habitat alteration and over-harvesting for the pet trade contributing most to this dra-
matic decline. The impending threat of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobati-
dis (5c/), which has been associated with many of the world’s recent amphibian population declines
and extinctions, is of great concern. In response to the tremendous threats facing Madagascar’s
amphibians, a national strategy for amphibian conservation was developed, emphasizing the need
for ex situ conservation action. This project was officially launched through a collaborative effort
between a community-run organization, the IUCN, and the Malagasy government. With significant
financial support from multiple international agencies, the result was the construction of a captive
We
breeding facility in Andasibe, east-central Madagascar. discuss the process for developing and
implementing this project which has included facility construction, terrarium building, culturing lo-
cal feeder insects, and the training of Malagasy technicians. This is the first captive breeding and
amphibian conservation project of its kind in Madagascar. Our hope is that it will not only serve as a
model for other range country facilities, but become a center for training and education in an area of
Madagascar that contains tremendous amphibian diversity and endemism.
Key words. Amphibians, Madagascar, husbandry, capacity building, frogs, breeding facility, live food colonies
Citation: Edmonds D, Rakotoarisoa JC, Dolch R, Pramuk J, Gagliardo R, Andreone F, Rabibisoa N, Rabemananjara F, Rabesihanaka S, Robsomanitran-
drasana E. 2012. Building capacity to implement conservation breeding programs forfrogs in Madagascar: Results from year one of Mitsinjo’s amphibian
husbandry research and captive breeding facility. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 5(3):57-69(e55).
Introduction
sity (Andreone et al. 2008). For example, the more than
120 species in the subfamily Mantellinae interestingly do
With more than 286 described frog species (Amphibi- not engage in amplexus, and a number exhibit vaiying
aWeb 2012), Madagascar supports among the highest forms of parental care. Members of the genus Mantelki
amphibian species richness of any country in the world. are toxic and display bright aposematic coloration serv-
All but one frog species are endemic, while salamanders, ing as a familiar example of convergent evolution with
and caecilians are unknown from the island. The diver- the poison frog family Dendrobatidae from Central and
sity of frog species is highest in the eastern rainforest SouthAmerica. Containing some ofthe smallest frogs in
belt (Andreone et al. 2005), with the area around the vil- the world, species in the genus Stumpffia deposit small
lage of Andasibe in east-central Madagascar being par- numbers of eggs in terrestrial foam nests where non-
ticularly speciose, supporting more than 100 frog species feeding tadpoles develop directly into frogs. The bio-
within a 30 km radius oftown (Dolch 2003). diversity of Madagascar is truly impressive, not only in
The amphibian faunae around Andasibe and else- terms ofits well-known lemur and plant species, but also
where in Madagascar is especially amazing in terms of in the behavioral and morphological attributes of its di-
their ecological, morphological, and reproductive diver- verse amphibian fauna.
Correspondence. Email: [email protected], *[email protected]
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Unfortunately, nearly one quarter of Madagascar’s these barely more than half (14 species) had reproduced
amphibian species are considered threatened with ex- in the last ten years. Furthermore, these programs are
tinction, and an additional 18.5% of species have not yet largely informal, operating without proper bio-security
had their conservation status determined and are listed as and population management practices, which are crucial
Data Deficient (IUCN 2011). The most significant threat to the long-term success of projects supplying animals
facing the frogs ofMadagascar is habitat alteration (An- for future reintroduction efforts. This knowledge gap and
dreone et al. 2005; Glaw and Vences 2007), largely due lack of capacity hinders ex situ conservation measures.
to agricultural activities, charcoal production, logging, Additionally, until recently, expertise in amphibian hus-
and both artisanal and large-scale industrial mining op- bandry remained outside of Madagascar and this pro-
erations. Additionally, particularly charismatic and col- hibited the development of in-country captive breeding
orful frog species, such as those in the genera Dyscophus, programs. Developing captive breeding programs within
Mantella and Scaphiophryne are at risk from over-har- the native range of a species is advantageous for numer-
, ,
vesting for the international pet trade (Andreone et al. ous reasons, including significantly reducing biosecurity
2006). Of special concern are the Malagasy frog species risks, lowering financial costs when compared to export-
confined to high altitudes due to the pressing threat of ing species for breeding programs elsewhere, and instill-
global warming and upslope elevational displacement ing pride and confidence in range country stakeholders
(Raxworthy 2008). (Gagliardo et al. 2008).
The threat of emergent infectious diseases is also of
grave concern. The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrci-
Methods and implementation
chochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has been asso-
ciated with drastic population declines and extinctions ACSAM
elsewhere in the world, until recently was thought to be
absent from Madagascar (Weldon et al. 2008). However, To develop a plan to address the threats facing the am-
recent indications ofBd in the Makay region still remain phibians of Madagascar, a conference of more than 100
unconfirmed (Rabemananjara et al. 2011; Andreone et al. international and Malagasy experts was held in Antanan-
2012). Lotters et al. (2011) conducted an extinction risk arivo in September, 2006. Known as “A Conservation
assessment based on a combination of environmental Strategy for the Amphibians ofMadagascar” (ACSAM),
models and an examination of species life history traits, this conference led to the development of the Sahona-
and revealed that many ofthe frog species in Madagascar gasy Action Plan (Andreone and Randriamahazo 2008)
are likely to be severely affected by Bd. Considering this, which is now the national strategy for amphibian con-
it is vital to take appropriate biosecurity precautions, de- servation in Madagascar, endorsed and supported by the
velop awareness campaigns, and enact necessary conser- Malagasy government. Within this action plan was a call
vation measures as quickly as possible before Bd spreads urging a proactive approach to be taken to develop hus-
throughout the country. bandry expertise for frog species from varied ecological
Captive breeding can be used as a tool for the con- guilds, which had yet to be kept in captivity. This would
servation of amphibians by establishing captive assur- facilitate rapid ex situ conservation action should the
ance colonies when threats cannot be addressed in time need arise.
ACSAM,
to prevent extinction, and by developing associated re- Following the community-run conservation
introduction and population supplementation programs organization Mitsinjo developed a plan to establish a bi-
for species in decline (Griffiths and Pavajeau 2008; Men- osecure facility specifically for the purpose of building
delson et al. 2007). In recent years, ex situ conservation capacity to maintain, breed, and conserve local amphib-
measures for amphibians have notably been applied in ian species. Based in the frog diversity hotspot of An-
direct response to the threat of Bd (Pessier 2008). The dasibe, Mitsinjo is involved in a varied set of activities
Amphibian Ark was formed in 2006 to build capacity including research, rainforest restoration, environmental
in range country and subsequently has assembled many education, ecotourism, and community health compo-
tools for helping implement ex situ programs (Zippel et nents. The organization is composed ofapproximately 40
al. 2011). Though these programs have limitations and members from theAndasibe population, about a dozen of
are temporary solutions, in some cases they are the only which are employed fulltime.
option available to prevent imminent extinction (Pava- Mitsinjo identified three main objectives for the
jeau et al. 2008). breeding facility:
There are manyurgent threats to the endemic frog spe- 1) Build capacity within Mitsinjo and train techni-
cies in Madagascar, but as ofyet there is little capacity to cians to care for and manage captive frog populations.
A
address them through ex situ means. recent survey by Share knowledge and expertise gained with other organi-
Garcia et al. (2008) ofzoological institutions and private zations and institutions in Madagascar.
breeders around the world found only 27 species offrogs 2) Conduct husbandry research on local frog spe-
from Madagascar were being kept in captivity, and of cies from varied ecological guilds to understand their life
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Building capacity to implement conservation breeding programs for frogs in Madagascar
Figure 1 The facility was constructed between November 2010 and March 2011 from the foundations ofan old abandoned forest
.
station. A) Original abandoned building in January 2009. B) Facility constructionNovember 2010. C) Facility construction Decem-
ber 2010. D) Facility construction January 2011.
histories and captive care requirements, facilitating ex (Figure 2). Entrance to the facility is through two sets of
situ conservation efforts. doors, in between which is a threshold on the floor to help
3) Establish captive assurance colonies of threat- prevent organic debris from entering. Beyond the barrier
ened frog species from the Andasibe-area and develop is a hand washing station and area to change into dedi-
associated reintroduction and supplementation programs cated clothing and footwear. The building was designed
lest they are needed. to facilitate workflow habits that minimize biosecurity
risks, with staff from Amphibian Ark, Woodland Park
Facility specifications and construction Zoo, North-West University, and Jersey Zoo contribut-
ing input during construction based on experience gained
Fundraising began in 2009 and was received first from designing similar facilities elsewhere in the world.
Amphibian Ark, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Frog species kept at the facility are and will be com-
the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Facility con- posed ofa local species assemblage, considerably lower-
struction began in November 2010, with the basic infra- ing biosecurity risks (Pessier and Mendelson 2010). Wa-
structure ofthe building being completed in March 2011 ter is sourced from a river atAmbatomandondona, which
km
(Figure 1). The facility was constructed in the Mitsinjo- is 2.5 from the facility. This source is supplemented
A
managed Analamazaotra Forest Station from the founda- with rainwater. solar water heater, 1g sediment filter,
tions of an abandoned building historically used for for- and carbon filtration will be used to help prevent amphib-
estry activities. The location was chosen for its elevated ian pathogens from entering the facility through the wa-
position to prevent flooding during the cyclone season ter supply. Additionally, all windows, doors, and drains
and for the ease of access to the main road leading to are sealed to prevent pests and amphibians from entering
Andasibe village. or exiting the building. Wastewater is discharged through
m
Measuring 185 2 the facility contains three sepa- a carbon and sediment filter to stop soaps, detergents, and
,
rate areas for live food production, captive breeding and chemicals used for cleaning and disinfecting materials
husbandry research, and an isolated room for quarantine from polluting the surrounding forest.
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InformationalAren forVisitors
m
18.5
Figure 2. Overview ofthe biosecure Mitsinjo amphibian captive breeding and husbandry research center as ofApril 2012.
Materials to build shelves and terraria (wood, glass, Twenty-four terraria are currently used for rearing
silicone, aluminum, screen, etc.) were all sourced from tadpoles and offspring with an additional 46 terraria
within Madagascar, and were constructed locally in An- constructed and being used for adult frogs (Figure 3).
dasibe. Material used inside terraria such as gravel, dead Terraria are setup in an “open-system” where they are
leaves, and live plants were collected from the surround- outfitted with bulkheads that drain into floor drains. This
ing forest when possible. Plants were disinfected with a allows terraria to be cleaned and serviced without need-
0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution before entering the ing to be moved offof shelving units, and helps regulate
facility, with other organic material being cleaned with the moisture content of the substrate. Wastewater from
water and then fully air dried in the sun for several days terraria housing captive assurance populations and from
prior to being brought inside. terraria for husbandry research drain into separate floor
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Figure 3. Terraria and aquaria at the breeding facility. A) Terraria setup on shelving and plumbed so wastewater flows into a drain
A
in the floor. B) terrarium housing a group ofBoophispyrrhus. C) Aquaria for raising tadpoles. D) Boophispyrrhus tadpoles pro-
duced at the facility.
drains. The facility has capacity and is planned to support diet ofthe captive frog populations. Early on, advisors to
a total of300+ terraria and aquaria, which are continually the project stressed the importance of establishing live
being built by Mitsinjo and should be finished in 2013. food colonies before frogs were brought into captivity.
Mitsinjo’s project was officially launched through Four frog species were collected and acclimated to cap-
a Contract of Collaboration with the IUCN SSC Am- tivity in April 2011 once live food cultures were estab-
phibian Specialist Group (ASG) of Madagascar and the lished and the Contract ofCollaboration between Mitsin-
Malagasy governmental agency Direction Generate des jo, ASG, and the DGF was finalized. The first frogs were
Forets (DGF) inApril 2011. This contract ensures all ac- assigned to six groups in separate terraria (Table 1). Spe-
tivities comply with Malagasy Law and helps make cer- cies were chosen not only for their husbandry research
tain Mitsinjo’s objectives complement and correspond to potential, but also to provide Mitsinjo technicians with
those in the SahonagasyAction Plan. varied practical experiences caring for taxa with diverse
Frog and live food sources
Table 1. Initial breeding groups established for training in
April, 2011.
All live foods produced at the facility were originally
Males to
collected from around Andasibe to prevent introducing Group Species Females Breeding?
potentially invasive invertebrate species to the area. Live
BLBL-A Blommersia blommersae 5.0 No
food species identification was provided by the Univer-
BLBL-B Blommersia bommersae 5.0 No
sity ofAntananarivo Department OfEntomology. While
the facility was being constructed, more than six months BOPY-A Boophispyrrhus 3.1 Yes
were spent collecting local invertebrates and developing HEBE-A Heterixalus betsileo 2.1 No
techniques to culture them in captivity. Mitsinjo contin- MABE-A Mantidactylus betsileanus 3.2 Yes
ues to expand live food sources to provide variation in the MABE-B Mantidactylus betsileanus 4.2 Yes
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Figure 4. Seven species of frogs were included in a husbandry research and technician training program during the first year of
the project. The IUCN Red List status, in parenthesis, follows species. A) Heterixalus betsileo (LC). B) Mantidactylus betsileanus,
(LC). C) Heterixalus punctatus (LC). D) Blommersia blommersae (LC). E) Guibemantis aff. albolineatus “Andasibe” (DD). F)
Stumpffia sp. “Ranomafana” (DD). G) Boophispyrrhus (LC).
life histories and, presumably, different captive care re- there were no unexplained mortalities, were the frogs
quirements. Additional individuals of the first four spe- from the second group moved to the same room, where
cies as well as three new species were enrolled in the established populations were being maintained. Detailed
program throughout the following year, totaling seven records to track their individual identities and sex, health
species being kept for training and research as of June, in captivity, collection location, and breeding history are
2012 (Figure 4). managed in a studbook by Mitsinjo, ASG-Madagascar,
All frogs were collected from or near the road leading and the DGF.
to Andasibe village. Two days were spent searching for Species currently kept for husbandry research at the
and collecting target species, after which all frogs were facility have either an IUCN Red List status of Least
moved into the quarantine room for housing while the Concern (LC) or Data Deficient (DD), and are not con-
final aspects of construction in the main frog room were sideredpriority species for rescue operations byAmphib-
completed. Body score condition of each individual was ian Ark. The decision to work with locally abundant LC
DD
recorded weekly during acclimation. or species was made to manage risks while techni-
The second group of frogs acclimated to captivity in cians gained the specialized knowledge and practical ex-
2012 was weighed upon entry into and exit out of quar- perience needed to maintain captive frog populations in
antine. Only after all appeared in good condition, and a biosecure conservation breeding facility. Information
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Building capacity to implement conservation breeding programs for frogs in Madagascar
A
Figure 5. Lectures and discussions during January-March 2011 Figure 6. practical hands-on lesson in terraria design and
helped train Mitsinjo technicians in captive frog husbandry construction, early March, 2011.
techniques.
and experience gained from maintaining these non-pri- veloped to culture local invertebrate species. The newly
ority species may be applied to establishing captive as- trained university technicians returned to Antananarivo
surance colonies and developing population supplemen- with starter cultures of live foods to practice culturing
tation or reintroduction programs for highly threatened them in their laboratory, thereby developing the first set
species in the future. ofskills needed to maintain captive frog populations.
Results and discussion Live food production
Fruit flies
Mitsinjo technician training
To assemble a team ofMitsinjo technicians dedicated to Fruit flies {Drosophila spp.) were the first live foods es-
tablished by Mitsinjo, with the earliest successful cul-
the daily husbandry ofamphibians and live food colonies
tures produced in October, 2010. Two species ofdifferent
at the facility, a week-long training course was developed
sizes were initially captured, however, only the smaller
in January 2011, which included presentations about ba-
species (similar in size to the familiar Drosophila me-
sic amphibian biology, ecology, and captive husbandry
lanogaster proved easily cultured. Plastic water bottles
techniques. )
From a group of 14 Mitsinjo members who participat- covered with fabric secured in place with rubber bands
ed in this initial training course, five technicians were se- are used to contain the flies (Figure 7), with media be-
ing composed entirely of ingredients available locally in
lectedto work atthe facility andwere enrolled in a further
two months ofintensive preparation with the project’s di- Andasibe (Table 2).
rector. Training was composed of assigned readings and
Table 2. Fruit fly media (makes 10 cultures)
related activities about amphibian husbandry, as well as
practical lessons involving caring for newly established Ingredient Quantity
live food colonies, building terraria, and identifying and Potatoes-boiled until soft 12-15
handling frog species in the field. As a final component Bananas 2
of the training program, a week of on-site presentations Powdered milk 6 tablespoons
and demonstrations about frog husbandry was presented
Sugar 2 tablespoons
by stafffromthe Woodland Park Zoo andAmphibianArk
Baker’s yeast -20-40 granules per culture
(Figures 5 and 6).
One ofthe objectives ofthe project is to build capacity Crickets
within other Malagasy institutions and organizations to
help develop additional amphibian conservation breed- Trial cricket breeding began inNovember 2010. Five dif-
ing programs elsewhere in Madagascar. As a first step ferent species including Giyllodes sigillatus, one Giyllus
in this direction, a live food production training course sp., two Modicogryllus sp., and a cave cricket ofthe fam-
supported by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust was ily Rhaphidophoridae have been bred by Mitsinjo (Fig-
carried out by Mitsinjo in November 2011 for the Uni- ure 8), but only three are currently producing in quan-
versity of Antananarivo’s Department of Animal Biol- tities large enough to feed captive frogs. Crickets are
ogy. During this week-long course, Mitsinjo technicians maintained in ventilated plastic boxes labeled with the
instructed a group from the university in techniques de- hatch date and the species. Boxes measure 60L x 40W x
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30H cm for adult breeders and 35L x 25W x 20H cm for Other live food sources
juveniles. The boxes are stored on shelves heated with
heat cable which is attached to a thennostat. The tem- In addition to fruit flies, crickets, and springtails, Mitsin-
perature varies with season, but typically is maintained jo has attempted to establish cultures of various other
between 22 °C and 27 °C. Breeding slowed considerably invertebrates from the Andasibe-area. The most success
in 201 1 during the cool months ofJuly and August, dur- has been with a local cockroach species from the for-
ing which time the facility did not yet have electricity for est which cannot fly or climb smooth surfaces. They are
heating, and nighttime temperatures dropped to as low as cared for in nearly an identical way to crickets but are fed
13 °C. Crickets are fed a varied diet of seasonally-avail- a slightly different diet which includes powdered milk.
able fruits and vegetables (carrot, zucchini, apple, potato, Up to now, only four individuals have been found and
mango, cucumber, etc.) as well as a protein source of collected, and from these founders breeding has only oc-
ground patsamena (a small dried shrimp widely avail- curred twice, first in October 2011 and then again in Jan-
able at markets inAndasibe). uary 2012. Currently, Mitsinjo is maintaining a colony
of around 60 roaches, most of which are still juveniles.
Springtails
It is expected to take at least one additional year before
The first springtails (Collembola sp.) cultured at the fa- they are producing enough to be used as a food source
cility were sourced from bark on a mango tree in Anda- for captive frogs.
sibe village in April, 2011. Attempts were made to cul- There has been some success in culturing isopods.
ture them on multiple substrates including dead leaves, These were setup in small plastic boxes layered with
a soil mixture, and charcoal. Moist charcoal proved to moist cardboard and leaf litter, and were fed fish flake.
be the most practical. To detennine the best food source The isopods survived and even appeared to reproduce,
for the springtails, cultures were divided into two differ- but for unknown reasons, all cultures died between June
and September 2011. In the future, Mitsinjo plans to
ent groups, one fed groundpatsamena and the other fed
Aquafin Professional Basic Fish Flake. Cultures fed fish again collect isopods and start new cultures.
A
small beetle species was also cultured for food.
flake were substantially more productive.
These were originally sourced in grains purchased at
Figure 7. A) Fruit fly cultures on shelves at the facility. B) Fruit flies are cultured in discarded plastic water bottles collected in
Andasibe. Fabric is secured in place, over the top with rubber bands, and strips ofplastic bag are placed inside (above the media)
on which the flies can deposit eggs.
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samamR&a
:: TkK attiiKifiiisuttiiiftmxsiiRttK
Figure 8. Locally-sourced crickets fromAndasibe being bred at Mitsinjo’s facility. A) Field cricket (Modicogryllus sp.). B) Large
field cricket (Modicogryllus sp.). C) Large black cricket (Gryllus sp.). D) Tropical house cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus). E) Cave
cricket (Rhaphidophoridae). F) Shelves with boxes housing field crickets and tropical house crickets.
market in the village, anticipating that their larvae could again, starting with worms sourced from and using tech-
be used to vary the diet of small frog species. Unfortu- niques developed by existing vermiculture operations in
nately, they proved to reproduce very slowly, regardless the area.
of the media they were kept on (rice, pasta, flour, and
peanuts were tried). Additionally, it was time consuming Frog husbandry research
to harvest the larvae from the cultures. As a result, cultur-
ing this species was abandoned after one year. The initial four species collected for training and hus-
In addition to isopods, cockroaches, and a small beetle bandry research remained in good health throughout the
species, Mitsinjo attempted to establish an earthworm first year, with two species (Boophis pyrrhus and Man-
culture in December 2010. More than 50 worms (species tidactylus betsileanus) reproducing on multiple occa-
unknown) were collected from soil in Andasibe. Worms sions. With no previously published accounts, this may
were placed into a box containing a mixture of soil and represent the first captive breeding ofthese frog species.
leaf litter. The box was kept outside in a cool location, Detailed records ofthe conditions provided for these spe-
and the moisture content ofthe substrate monitored regu- cies will be disseminated in the future once the captive
larly. Vegetable scraps were provided weekly as a food populations have been maintained for an extended pe-
source. While most worms survived, no reproduction riod oftime, and hypothesis-driven research has yielded
was noticed after more than four months and so the cul- significant results regarding their captive husbandry re-
ture was discarded. It has recently been brought to our at- quirements.
tention that vermiculture operations exist in Madagascar, As a first step towards conducting husbandry research
and it is planned in the coming year to investigate the on these species, tadpoles from the first clutch of eggs
potential of culturing earthworms as a food source once received from M. betsileanus were used in a preliminary
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training exercise to bothhelp understandthe optimal cap- required to sustain an assurance population of even just
tive larval diet for this species and to train technicians one species for 10 years (as described by Schad 2007),
how to conduct hypothesis-driven husbandry studies. and taking this into account alongside the exceptionally
Tadpoles were divided into three different aquaria, each high frog species richness found in the Andasibe-area,
one being fed a different diet, with observations made it would be an enormous task to develop conservation
about the metamorphosed frogs which resulted from breeding programs for more than a small fraction of the
each group (Figure 9). local frog species.
Although results from this first pilot-study were sta- This fact highlights two important points. 1) It is im-
tistically inconclusive due to inconsistent data collection perative to develop additional capacity in Madagascar
and lack of materials to measure and weigh the meta- with other in-country organizations to manage captive
morphosed frogs, it was a beneficial exercise because it assurance populations ofamphibians, as well as to assess
allowed technicians to learn how to formulate a hypoth- the specific conservation needs of species to prioritize
esis, collect data, and conduct their own research proj- those for breeding programs. 2) Captive breeding pro-
ect. Mitsinjo plans to repeat this same study when M. grams must have exit strategies and complement conser-
betsileanus breed again, measuring all newly metamor- vation activities which directly address the most pressing
phosed frogs with a caliper and recording all data regard- threats facing Madagascar’s frogs, such as habitat protec-
ing their development, including when each individual tion, forest restoration, and environmental awareness and
completes metamorphosis. education campaigns.
The outlook for addressing these two points is promis-
Conclusions and future outlook ing. Notably an Amphibian Husbandry Workshop led by
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is scheduled to take
Numerous authors and conservationists have discussed place inAntananarivo during December 2012 to train ad-
the pressing need to build capacity in Madagascar to ditional organizations and institutions in Madagascar on
manage captive populations of amphibians (Andreone frog husbandry techniques. This will help build further
2006; Furrer 2008; Mendelson and Moore 2008). The capacity within Malagasy organizations to manage cap-
development and implementation ofthe Mitsinjo breed- tive populations ofamphibians. Additionally, Mitsinjo is
ing facility, which is the first project ofits kind in Mada- pursuing funding to develop an education and outreach
gascar, is a step in the right direction. However, when center, which will display live frogs and associated infor-
considering the large number of individual captive frogs mative graphics to help promote interest in and aware-
Figure 9. Pilot study and training exercise on the optimal larval diet forMantidactylus betsileanus.
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