Scientists scramble to save dying amphibians
Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.comApril 28, 2011
Hyloscirtus colymba tree frog being fed after being treated for Chytridiomycosis. Photo taken by Rhett A. Butler at Summit Park.
But the news gets worse. Chytridiomycosis — which is caused by a microscopic fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) that lives in water and soil — is spreading, metastasizing across Central and South America, Africa, and Australia. Amphibians are even experiencing rapid decline in habitats unmarred by the pathogen, pesticides, or direct human influence. Research in Costa Rica has recorded a 70 percent decline in amphibians over the past 35 years in pristine habitats, suggesting that climate shifts are taking a toll.
 Atelopus certus. Photo taken by Rhett A. Butler at Summit Park. |
In Panama, scientists are taking the threat to amphibians very seriously — chytrid recently "jumped" the Panama canal, moving West to East across the country toward Colombia. Conservationists have set up an an emergency conservation measure to capture wild frogs from infected areas and safeguard them in captivity until the disease is controlled or at least better understood. The frogs will be bred in captivity as an insurance policy against extinction.
 Panamanian golden frog or (Atelopus zetecki) harlequin toad at the Bronx Zoo. Photo taken by Rhett A. Butler  Unknown frog species being examined at the Summit Park facility of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. |
So far the project has established two facilities in Panama: one at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in western Panama and another at Summit Park near Gamboa in central Panama. Each has its own set of species targeted for rescue based on a prioritization system developed by the Amphibian Ark, a global initiative to reduce amphibian extinctions around the world.
The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is run by two biologists: Brian Gratwicke of Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington D.C. and Roberto Ibáñez of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Both believe saving amphibians is important beyond protecting them for their own right: amphibians play an essential ecological role in food webs, help control pest populations, and even offer pharmacological benefits — several drugs have been derived from frog secretions.
Ahead of Save The Frogs Day on April 29, 2011, Gratwicke and Ibáñez highlighted the importance of amphibians and detailed their efforts to save them.
AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN GRATWICKE AND ROBERTO IBÁÑEZ
mongabay.com: What is your background and how did you get interested in amphibians?
 Brian Gratwicke at Summit Municipal Park, in the Panama Amphibian Rescue And Conservation Project's Amphibian Rescue Pod. Photo courtesy of Brian Gratwicke |
 Dr. Ibanez swabbing Atelopus limosus for Bd at Sierra Llorona. Photo courtesy of Brian Gratwicke |
mongabay.com: What is your primary focus today?
Roberto Ibáñez: I am still interested in describing the diversity of Panamanian amphibians. However, I am also focused in the study of the effects of Bd on amphibian populations in Panama, and possible dispersal vectors and monitoring the spread of the Bd. In addition, I am taking actions for the conservation of the amphibians of Panama, being involved in the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.
mongabay.com: Could you briefly describe the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project?
 Red-eyed tree frogs seem to be less affected by the disease. Photo taken in Panama by Rhett A. Butler |
mongabay.com: Is Bd the most immediate threat to amphibians in Panama?
Roberto Ibáñez: Panama has a system of protected areas, where habitats are being preserved. In general terms, this system of parks and protected provides adequate habitat for many species of amphibians. The Bd does not recognize park boundaries, infecting and wiping out populations of a wide range of amphibian species. Therefore, I will consider the Bd to be the most immediate threat to amphibians in Panama.
mongabay.com: What are some of the other threats in Panama?
Roberto Ibáñez: Habitat destruction and stream pollution outside and, sometimes, inside protected areas.
mongabay.com: When you visit the field, how do you determine which species and individuals to collect?
 Angie Estrada and Jorge Guerrel at the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project  Blue form of the Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio). Photos taken in Panama by Rhett A. Butler |
mongabay.com: If you are in a Bd-infected site do you collect all the amphibians or just the ones that meet your criteria?
Brian Gratwicke: We only collect the priority species. Out of 200 species in Panama 50 are considered priority species. Our project has come up with a strategic plan that aims to rescue the 20 most vulnerable species that we can still find in sufficient numbers to create an assurance colony. These 20 species will be looked after in our amphibian rescue center in Gamboa and at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center that was started in 2005 by a team led by the Houston Zoo.
mongabay.com: What is the process for disinfecting a Bd-carrying frog?
Brian Gratwicke: Bd-infected frogs are treated in quarantine with an antifungal itraconazol bath for 10 minutes a day for 10 days.
mongabay.com: Where is the Bd-line currently in Panama?
Brian Gratwicke: It has spread beyond central Panama and is entering eastern Panama. We still believe that a few sites in the Darien region on the Colombian border are Bd-free, but the heavy rains this year have prevented several planned expeditions this year to verify this, so we can’t say for sure.
mongabay.com: Do scientists have any better idea of what is causing Bd to spread?
 Atelopus certus babies.  Baby Atelopus certus. Photos taken in Panama by Rhett A. Butler |
mongabay.com: Are there any efforts to educate tour operators and tourists about ways to reduce the risk of spreading Bd in forest areas?
Roberto Ibáñez: Most serious tour operators know about this amphibian crisis, as well as the Panamanian environmental authorities. Warnings have been posted in parks and private reserves. Some private reserve owners ask their visitors to disinfect their gear to reduce the risk of spreading the Bd. However, this is not a common practice.
mongabay.com: How many species are currently part of the project?
 Craugastor species  Atelopus certus. Photos taken in Panama by Rhett A. Butler |
mongabay.com: Has the project been able to breed all of the species collected to date?
Brian Gratwicke: We have managed to breed 2 harlequin frogs and the tree frog. This was no small feat because we knew virtually nothing about the basic life history of some of these species and we were only able to persuade them to breed through heroic efforts of our keepers who would spend countless hours observing animals, documenting their behavior and being attentive to their needs.
mongabay.com: Why is it important to save frogs?
 Atelopus limosus.  Hyloscirtus colymba. Photos taken in Panama by Rhett A. Butler |
Roberto Ibáñez: Amphibians are an key component of the food webs, they feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates, and the same time being prey for a suite of other animals such as insects, spiders, snakes, birds and mammals. Species that have a tadpole stage play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. In such cases, is considered that losing an amphibian species is ecological equivalent to losing two species, because of their ecological role in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
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