The Mucuchíes frog, a small amphibian that lives in a small region of the Venezuelan Andes, hopes to save itself from extinction with a laboratory breeding project.

Few specimens of Aromobates zippeli, an endemic species of montane dry forest in the Mérida state (western) Mucuchíes region, remain, are declining as its habitat is destroyed, herpetologist Enrique La Marca of the Species Rescue Center told AFP. Amphibians of Venezuela (REVA).

La Marca, together with Reinhold Martínez and Janina Puente, chairs a program that began with the creation of REVA in 2018 and includes field research, captive breeding and re-entry into nature.

Discovered by La Marca in 1985, the name of this frog is a tribute to Kevin Zippel, an American scientist of the conservation organization Amphibian AArk.

“A major issue affecting the remaining frog populations in the region is the misuse of water from the paramo lagoons, which is causing aquifers to decline,” says La Marca.

“We have found that there are dried creeks and springs whose water supply has decreased significantly. All of this has a negative impact on organisms directly associated with water,” he adds.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN, for English abbreviation) red list places this frog in the “critically endangered” category.

La Marca, who is part of the IUCN group of amphibian experts, emphasizes that this category is “the step before the extinction of the species.”

It is estimated that there are about 200 specimens in the wild and “there are about 20 in captivity,” although he states it is “practically impossible” to know the exact number.

captive breeding

Little is known about the habits of this frog, which is just under two centimeters in length and is distinguished by brown and copper hues as well as small white spots on its flanks.

Considering it a milestone in amphibian conservation, La Marca emphasizes, “We didn’t know what it was fed, how it reproduced, we improvised and learned as we progressed.”

“Thanks to these advances, we have been successful in reproducing this endangered species in captivity and sustaining this repopulation program,” said the 10 couples who produced about 100 specimens.

Juveniles are released where populations of this species are seen, often hiding under stones on the riverbank.

The specimens are released about a year after they have completed their transformation from a tadpole to a four-legged frog.

“When we managed to get the Mucuchíes frog to breed, it was very exciting because it was the first time a cloud forest species had produced offspring in a breeding center,” La Marca says.

Reproduction is carried out in disinfected containers, where the habitat of this frog, which lays its eggs on dry leaves, is reconstructed.

“The participation of both sexes is required to fertilize the eggs. The male climbs onto the female’s back and hugs her, responsible for fertilizing the eggs laid by the female through the release of sperm that will fertilize them».

The care of the eggs falls on the males.

pest control

The expert notes that the Mucuchíes frog is “a component of a very complex ecological fabric that existed when there was dry forest.”

“They are predators of insects and invertebrates that are harmful to humans, such as mosquitoes and other vectors that transmit disease. They are also food sources for other species,” he adds.

Its decline is a sign that “the dry forest has ceased to function because of all the interventions we have made in it,” La Marca complains, worried about deforestation.

But that’s not all bad news, because with the birth of the first Mucuchíes frogs in captivity, this amphibian’s chances of survival are renewed.

Due to the “high risk of extinction of the species in its natural environment”, it is aimed to continue assisted reproduction as long as possible, since “most populations in the whole region disappeared between fifteen and twenty-five years ago.” .

After being released, “the biggest challenge for them is to survive in the new natural conditions they will face,” he says.

Therefore, “the greatest joy comes spontaneously on subsequent viewing, when we notice that there are more songs on the floor, an indication that it is being reproduced.”