Paignton, UK - Paignton Zoo is to become a temporary home for a large collection of reptiles and amphibians from a breeding centre dedicated to helping Madagascan fauna.
The arrival of the collection - 17 species including over 120 frogs as well as snakes, geckos and chameleons - means Paignton Zoo will have the largest collection of Malagasy species in the UK.
The collection - destined for Endangered Madagascar, a wildlife conservation centre that is being built in Bath – will be housed in the Zoo’s new Amphibian Ark species rescue and reintroduction centre.
Mike Bungard, Paignton Zoo’s Curator of Lower Vertebrates and Invertebrates, said: “This is an outstanding collection. We are helping out Endangered Madagascar by housing them temporarily and Endangered Madagascar are helping us by sharing expertise and providing us with the chance to work with some of the World's rarest frogs. We can learn husbandry techniques and perhaps even breed some of them.”
Adrian Fowler, BVSc MRCVS, Veterinary Director of Endangered Madagascar, said: “It’s a great chance to propagate some rare amphibians using Paignton Zoo’s new state of the art centre – this is a real collaborative effort.”
There are over 120 frogs, including the Critically Endangered golden mantella Mantella aurantiaca; the green mantella Mantella viridis, the yellow mantella Mantella crocea and the blue-legged mantella Mantella expectata, which are all classed as Endangered. Mantellas are small, brightly-coloured frogs only found on Madagascar. The iridescent colours reflect their poisonous nature.The splendid mantella Mantella pulchra, the Madagascan mantella - Mantella madagascariensis – and the green burrowing frog Scaphiophryne marmorata are all classed as Vulnerable.
There are also 3 reptile species in the collection, including the Madagascan tree boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis), Standing’s day gecko (Phelsuma standingi) and the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis). Paignton Zoo is also taking charge of four common tenrecs, Madagascar's answer to mini-pigs. They will be the only examples of their kind on public display in the country.
Madagascar is a target region for EAZA and the regional collection plans identify Malagasy species as highly important. Mike: “They have been living in specially-converted outbuildings, but time constraints mean that Adrian wanted to find someone who could care for the complete collection. We have agreed to look after it for two years.“There are some very significant species here. The blue-legged mantella is as rare in zoos as hen’s teeth. As far as I am aware, hardly any collections in the world feature either the red-backed tree frog Boophis rappiodes or the reed frog heterixalus betsileo.”
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is a registered charity. For more information go to www.paigntonzoo.org.uk or ring (01803) 697500.
To view Paignton Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-783-Paignton_Zoo_Environmental_Park
