Archive for the ‘amphibians’ Category

Jul
06

Adventurous Families Wanted!

Posted by in amphibians,community-based conservation,Conservation,Field Research,Texas,What You Can Do

Sign up now for a unique Wild Winks opportunity to spend the night at the Zoo and assist Conservation Biologist staff from the Zoo in studying a population of wild amphibians!

Use Calipers to Measure Live Toads!

Imagine you and your kids equipped with head lamps and field equipment, something right out of your own National Geographic show! You will capture, measure and weigh live toads and assist an amphibian biologist to tag the animals for future tracking.

Round out the evening with a hearty field dinner of hot pizza and curl into your sleeping bag after a full night’s work in the wilds of the Houston Zoo.

The Toad Trackers program is quite the unforgettable experience. Whether you had childhood dreams of being a wildlife biologist or you have children with a budding interest in wildlife biology and conservation now, this program is for you. Connect with your family through experiencing nature and work as your very own scientist team!

Moms, Dads, photographic opportunity of a lifetime! You and Toads, oh my!

Sign up now for limited summer opportunities!

To learn even more about Toad Trackers visit here.

Toad Tracker Shows Off Her Toad Handeling Technique- Learn this skill and more in Toad Trackers!!!

Jun
07

Fun at the Texas Amphibian Watch Workshop at the Houston Zoo

Posted by in amphibians,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Texas

Texas Toad

 Amphibians are small but mighty.  They have been called the birds of night, which anyone that has been outside by a pond at night can understand.  Their vocalizations often fill the night air.  Frogs and toads work diligantly to keep insects in check and are vital to the survival of many other species. But besides that these little creatures are full of character, they come in many shapes, colors and sizes.  Their distinct calls allow us to connect with them without even seeing them.

Coastal Plains Toad

Last Friday,  the Houston zoo hosted a Texas Amphibian Watch family workshop.  It was designed to help familiarize  participants with local amphibians.   Fun was had by all!  During a lesson on frog calls the Zoo’s auditorium was filled with beautiful froggy singing voices as all of the participants mimiced frog vocalizations in an effort to thouroughly learn them. Everyone got to hike through the wilds of Herman park to listen and watch for our slippery little friends.

Woodhouse Toad

 

This program offered everyone the opportunity to help conserve amphibians in Texas by learning how to collect information about local frogs and toads for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.   Participants were very excited to become scientists in their own back yard!

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Apr
20

Calling all families and Texas wildlife enthusiasts! Sign up for our annual Texas Amphibian Watch Workshop!

Posted by in amphibians,community-based conservation,Conservation,Texas,What You Can Do

Family Frogging is Fun!

 

 It’s not easy being green…

Amphibians are disappearing worldwide due to pollution, disease,  habitat loss, over-consumption, and a variety of other reasons. These animals are small but help keep insects in check and are vital to the survival of colorful herons, raccoons and other species. They are also just fun to have around because of their colors, fascinating behaviors, and amazing nighttime calls!

 You can help!

 By becoming a volunteer with Texas Amphibian Watch you can make a difference. Volunteers are trained to collect information about frogs and toads at local wetlands – maybe even in your own backyard! This data is used by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Family frogging can be an enjoyable way to get kids and young adults excited about science and taking care of the environment. At this training you’ll learn the calls of local amphibians, participate in interactive frog activities, and take a hike into the wilds of Hermann Park !

 What: Texas Amphibian Watch Volunteer Training Session

When: Friday, May 27, 2011

Where: Houston Zoo

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Cost: $5 per participant or $10 per family (includes cost of calls of Frogs and Toads of Texas CD and donation to the Houston Zoo Houston toad conservation program). Pay at the door.

Audience: Families and individuals seeking a rewarding and fun conservation experience.

Registration: Registration is required, and space is limited. Please contact  rrommel@houstonzoo.org to reserve your space.

Apr
01

Houston Toad surveys have begun

Posted by in amphibians,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Texas

Houston Toads

Conservation staff spring surveys have begun for the detection of calling Houston toads (endangered endemic) in Austin and Colorado county.  We currently have 3,000 Houston toads in the quarantine facility at the Zoo. That is more than the entire known population in the wild. We have released close to 30,000 toads, toadlets and late stage tadpoles in the last 3 years of head starting.  To learn more about Houston toads go here .

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Feb
17

Houston Zoo Wildlife Conservation is on Facebook!

Posted by in Africa,amphibians,Attwater's Prairie Chicken,Black bears,Borneo,Carnivores,Chimpanzee,community-based conservation,Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,Field Research,Galapagos,Going Green,Gorilla,orangutan,Painted Dog,Panama,Rhino,Travel

 

Booming chickens on prairies and adventures to find bear hair in the Big Thicket. Leech infested forests? Monsoons? Leg swallowing mud and Sea Gull poo? Wild Orangutans that use bridges and toads with implants.  Confused? Don’t be. Join us and interact with local and global conservation on our new Houston Zoo Conservation Facebook page. Keep up with the conservation department and our partners in the field, and don’t forget to comment along the way!

Link here and follow along: http://www.facebook.com/#!/houstonzooconservation

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Jan
29

How to Capture an Amphibian Call

Posted by in amphibians,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Texas,What You Can Do

Last Friday, Houston Zoo Conservation Staff accompanied an enthusiastic HZI volunteer and Rice graduate student, Cassidy Johnson, and her father, J. Johnson, to their families amazing 2,500 acre property to set up recording devices to capture the calls of amphibians, and hopefully, the elusive and rare Houston toad!

The Johnsons and Amphibian Conservation Manager, Paul Crump, look over maps of the property to decide the best ponds to install the frog recording devices

Cassidy’s father came up with this impressive contraption himself. When an animal makes a noise (in this case, hopefully a frog) the recording device turns on and records the sound.

Cassidy and her father hike a “froglogger” up into a tree near a pond.

He can later download the files and hear what is hopping around his ponds! Bravo to the Johnsons for caring about amphibians on their property!

With a 2,500 acre property ATV’s are a must to get around from site to site. Did I mention it was 40 something degrees? It was freezing!

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Jan
22

Houston Toads on KPRC

Posted by in amphibians,Animal Origins & Fun Facts,What You Can Do

Saturday morning, KPRC’s Courtney Zavala invited us to come say a few words about the Houston Toad. The short piece aired at 7:22am, which is a bit early for toads and staff alike on a cold Saturday morning. The clip can be viewed here:

http://www.click2houston.com/video/26581095/index.html

We brought to the station a representative Houston Toad from our head-starting and recovery program we hope to release in the summer. We also brought a local Gulf Coast Toad (named William) so people can see the difference.

Houston Toad (Currently, there are no Houston Toads in Houston, except at the zoo)

Houston Toads have not been seen in Harris County since the late 1960′s or early 1970′s and are now  found only in small numbers in counties such as Bastrop, Austin, Colorado, Leon and a few others.

Gulf Coast Toads are found all over the Greater Houston region in large numbers. We will post a photo soon so you can compare the differences. If you are walking one night between March and October/November, and there is a toad in the road, you can be fairly confident it is one our friend ”William’s” Gulf Coast Toads relatives.

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Dec
29

Cheetah Conservation Botswana

Posted by in Africa,amphibians,Carnivores,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research

In November, Cheetah Conservation Botswana (CCB) completed its livestock guarding dog demonstration area at our base in the Ghanzi farmlands. Kraals, herder accommodation and shelters for the goats and dogs have been built and with the arrival of a small herd of goats the set up is complete. This will act as a demonstration livestock guarding dog (LSGD) project for farmers’ workshops and visitors to the camp. With this initiative, CCB will showcase the predator-friendly farming techniques that we promote in an attempt to minimize livestock losses to predators and in turn mitigate human-predator conflicts.

When farming in a wild landscape like Botswana, which is rich with a diversity of predator species, it is essential to keep your livestock safe.
Certain farm management techniques can reduce the susceptibility of livestock to predators. Such as using LSGD’s along with kraaling livestock at night, reinforcing kraals with thorn bushes, keeping young livestock kraaled, reducing breeding to once or twice a year and synchronizing breeding seasons to those of wildlife.

CCB is excited to have this new demonstration farm and looks forward to teaching this and other predator friendly farming techniques to those in and around the Ghanzi region.

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Dec
07

Vote for Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project and Help them Win $25,000

Posted by in amphibians,Conservation,Endangered Species,Panama

Panamanian golden frog

In Panama, the Houston Zoo has constructed the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) – a last ditch effort to rescue wild populations located in the path of the advancing fungus.  Many other North American zoos and aquariums have joined in this initiative, as have academic institutions and conservation organizations from around the world.  As a result, we now house several dozen amphibian species in this special facility and are beginning to breed them. Sadly, several of these species can no longer be found in the wild. If scientists can figure out how to give immunity to these animals for the deadly fungus in the future, we can hopefully reintroduce their offspring back into the streams and cloud forests of Panama.

We have great news, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!! Heska Corporation has selected the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project as one of four finalists in its 2010 national Inspiration In Action Contest. If we can generate the most votes for this project by Dec. 15, they will win $25,000 to continue their work to avert a worldwide crisis that threatens nearly half of the amphibian species on our planet.  With just a click of the mouse, you can help them win! Please vote by visiting http://www.heska.com/action

Click on Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. Animal lovers throughout the U.S. can vote so please support their cause by passing this on.

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Oct
27

Houston Toad Cover Feature

Posted by in amphibians,community-based conservation,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research

The Houston Toad has made the cover and feature article in the November issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. The Houston Zoo and partners are involved in a “head starting” project which could save the endangered Houston Toad.

Texas Parks and Wildlife has a short video up on their website highlighting the work to protect this species which can be found at http://www.tpwmagazine.com/

The Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) was the first amphibian granted protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Critical habitat was designated in Bastrop and Burleson counties in 1978, in areas supporting the largest populations known at that time. Historically, the Houston toad ranged across the state’s central coastal region, but disappeared from Harris and Fort Bend counties in the 1960s following an extended drought and Houston’s urban expansion. Although this species has been found in nine additional counties (Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and Robertson) as recently as the 1990s, several of these populations have not been detected since their discovery.

Headstarting consists of collecting eggstrands from native ponds and rearing them at the zoo to assure the highest number of individuals survive. They are then released back into the same ponds they were collected from throughout the year. For more on the Houston Zoo’s efforts with the Houston Toad – link here

The Houston Zoo recieved financial support in 2010 from US Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to assist the zoo and our partners in helping to recover the wild Houston Toad population.

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