1. Confronting Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Kevin Zippel - CBSG/WAZA Amphibian Program Officer

2. What is an amphibian? Frogs & toads Newts & salamanders Caecilians

3. Why are amphibians important? source of human medicine indicators of environmental health control insects and insect-borne diseases vital role in ecosystems role in culture/religion aesthetics amphibians are declining

4. Are they really in trouble? 5,743 species of amphibians –43% in decline (2,469 spp.) –32% threatened (1,856 spp.) –120 presumably extinct (since 1980) –23% data deficient (1,294 spp.) probably endangered Worse than birds (12%) or mammals (23%)

5. numbers vs. rate Why? tropical forests cover 7% of the land home to 50-90% of world’s species 44% gone by our hands going at 4-5 football fields / second gone by 2020? 85% of US primary forests gone, 99% of tallgrass prairies

6. Amphibian chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis - Bd associated with amphibian dieoffs on every continent –genetically uniform unstoppable & untreatable in wild “the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates in terms of the number of species impacted, and its propensity to drive them to extinction.”

7. Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV, causes AIDS in 2004, –40 million people living with AIDS –5 million more infected –3 million died –20 million dead since ‘discovery’ in 1981 arose in Africa in the 1930s spread by human translocation around the world, every human-inhabited continent

8. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis amphibian chytrid fungus, causes chytridiomycosis statistics (other factors), –43% of species are declining –32% are globally threatened –more than 120 species are extinct –at least 1 family is gone arose in Africa in the 1930s spread by human translocation around the world, every human-inhabited continent

9. African clawed frog Xenopus laevis native to South Africa earliest record of chytridiomycosis (1938) used in human pregnancy tests (1930s-1970s) amphibian ‘lab rat’ (immunology, embryology) distributed around the world by 1000s-10,000s/year

10. 1987- 88 200 4 2002- 03 1996- 97 1993-94 ~28 km/yr

11. Mortality - stream transects

12. Continued mortality 4 Oct. 04 1 Feb. 05 (n = 347)

13. 347 dead individuals of 40 species: Bufonidae - *Atelopus zeteki (26), * Bufo coniferus, *B. haematiticus (12) Dendrobatidae - Colostethus inguinalis (24), C. nubicola (48), C. flotator (5), C. talamancae (6), Dendrobates vicente, D. auratus, Phyllobates lugubris Centrolendiae - *Centrolene prosoblepon (4), C. ilex (16), Cochranella albomaculata (9), C. euknemos (2), Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum (6) Leptodactylidae - *Eleuth. bufoniformis (7), E. bransfordii (2), E. caryophyllaceus, E. crassidigitus (10), E. cruentus (14), E. museosus (5), E. “podi-noblei” (28), *E. punctariolus (4), E. azueroensis, E. tabasarae (3), E. talamancae (21), E. fitzingeri, Leptodactylus pentadactylus (2), Physalaemus pustulosus Hylidae - *Hyla colymba (41), *H. palmeri (22), H. miliaria (2), Gastrotheca cornuta, Phyllomedusa lemur (2) Ranidae - Rana warszewitschii (6) Microhylidae - Nelsonophryne aterrima (7) Plethodontidae Bolitoglossa schizodactyla (2), Oedipina collaris (2), O. parvipes complex (*in mark-recapture program; arboreal; fossorial)

14. Monitoring Bd: Histology & PCR 53%245460 (swabs)31Nov 04 34%58127 (swabs)16Dec 04 41%5361,29448 POST -DIEOFF TOTAL 2.098 x 10 -7 0 (0%)1,48743 PRE-DIEOFF TOTAL 59%128217 (swabs)21Oct 04 0.0590 (0%)282 (swabs)32Mar 04 0.0180 (0%)400 (swabs)36Jan 04 98% 7% 0.084 0.028 0.366 0.285 0.904 Chance of 0 positives (if true p=0.01) 12168 (swabs) 223 Sep- 2 Oct 04 0 (0%)100 (toes) 7May-Jul 03 244249 (dead frogs)40Oct-Dec 04 0 (0%)311 (swabs)43May 04 0 (0%)248 (swabs)31Jul 04 0 (0%) 10 32000 0 (0%)1152002 0 (0%)125432003 #infected (%)#individuals#spp.

15. Captures: streams Bd

16. Captures: trails (NS)

17. Case study: Colostethus spp.

18. Case study (II): Focal species

19. Summary of decline: December 1997 - July 2004: –No dead frogs; no tadpole mouthpart defects –No Bd; P(false negative) = 0.025% May 2004: Stream captures begin to decline 23 Sep - 2 Oct 2004: first Bd+ frog; ~7% prevalence 4 October 2004: first dead frogs & tadpoles missing mouthparts January 2005: –347 dead frogs (98% examined Bd+) –No other cause of death –48 species & 8 families infected (71% of fauna) –Abundance reduced by ~90%; species missing

20. Conclusions Bd arrives or emerges at a site Many frogs die Populations decline Evidence of directional movement –Frog-frog contact, wind, rain, etc. –vectors not necessary Pattern NOT consistent with: –Climate change, UV-B –agrochemicals, habitat alteration, exotic species, pet trade.

21. Paradigm Shift Declining population phenomenon –Are amphibians declining and, if so, why? Species extinction crisis –Given global amphibian extinctions, how can we implement new research and conservation action to prevent further population declines and extinctions?

22. Next for chytrid Continued expansion into eastern Panama, southern Andes (Peru) Invasion into tropical montane and temperate Africa & Asia Identical extent of losses? –High endemism, all frogs susceptible, perpetual conditions for Bd Global Amphibian Extinctions

23. Long-term Prognosis Bd does not cause immune response Bd can survive in habitat or on other organisms new lab tests show anurans from affected populations die more slowly than naïve reports of a small minority of populations recovering inhibition of Bd by members of 8 genera of bacteria isolated from the skin of 2 amphibian species that exhibit parental care behavior

24. What is being done? “... it is morally irresponsible to document amphibian declines and extinctions without also designing and promoting a response to this global crisis.” Amphibian Conservation Summit –Declaration ACAP ASA more from Joe, later

25. Conservation in situ top priority fails to protect against some threats ex situ when in situ is too slow or ineffective stopgap to buy time for species that would otherwise become extinct coupled with an obligation to deliver in situ threat mitigation success = end of captive program politics, expense, biosecurity, inbreeding/artificial selection the only hope for 100s of species (more from Bob, later)

26. The Mandates 2002 IUCN Technical Guidelines on the Management of Ex-situ populations for Conservation: –“All Critically Endangered and Extinct in the Wild taxa should be subject to ex situ management to ensure recovery of wild populations.” 2005 IUCN ACAP White Papers: –“ Survival assurance colonies are mandatory for amphibian species that will not persist in the wild long enough to recover naturally once environments are restored; these species need to be saved now through ex-situ measures so that more complete restoration of ecosystems is possible in the future ” 2005 IUCN ACS Declaration: –“The ACAP recommends prioritized... captive survival assurance programs... to buy time for species that would otherwise become extinct...” 2006 IUCN ACAP Draft: –“The only hope for populations and species at immediate risk of extinction is immediate rescue for the establishment and management of captive survival- assurance colonies”

27. Are zoos and aquariums ready to respond? Currently very limited capacity to hold and breed amphibians in the world’s zoos (10/60, 10%) Most collections are cosmopolitan mixes with inadequate attention to hygiene and biosecurity Limited numbers of staff with amphibian skills

28. Do we have the resources? If each visitor to a WAZA zoo contributes just 2 cents (US$ 0.02) for amphibian conservation, then we will have all the funds that we need. If zoos got rid of one particular high profile mammal species program, (there are 2) then we will have all the resources that we need. –As much a problem of resource allocation as availability

29. The summation of the 1999 space survey is that there is only enough space existing in AZA institutions to accommodate 10 taxa of amphibians at the management level of PMP or SSP. In these same institutions there is enough space allocated for mammals to accommodate at least 57 SSPs and the majority of these mammals have a body mass of more than 10 kg and significant space requirements. If each AZA institution allocated an additional 400 square foot building to amphibian management and provided keeper support for the facility, the number of taxa that could be managed at a PMP or SSP level would easily exceed 100 taxa. If AZA is to "Keep all the Pieces", the theme of its 1996 annual conferences, then a wave of dedicated amphibian facilities must be built. Amphibians need dedicated space and should not be simply incorporated into Reptile Houses or included as a small part of biome or zoogeographically-themed facilities. If this dedicated space is lacking, zoos will never play a major role in maintaining amphibian biodiversity. - Dr. Kevin Wright, ATAG 2000 Regional Collection Plan

30. Making the Mandate Tangible To save from immediate extinction every species that needs ex situ conservation,... … each WAZA zoo must commit the resources to secure the future for one amphibian species. ~500 = ~500

31. WAZA and CBSG are together taking responsibility for helping to coordinate the global amphibian ex situ conservation response

32. May 2005 – ARAZPA/SEAZA/CBSG August – CBSG convenes planning meeting September – Amphibian Conservation Summit October – WAZA/CBSG annual February 2006 – Panama meeting May – PAAZAB June – ASA structure meeting August - WAZA/CBSG annual September - AZA Annual October - Costa Rica Other progress meetings

33. WAZA/CBSG Amphibian Ex situ Conservation Workshop 13-15 February, 2006, El Valle Panama CBSG facilitated 50 participants from 14 countries 4 Working Groups

34. KEY RESULT AREAS Organization Best Practices Species Selection Rapid Response

35. Organisation Working Group

36. Best Practices Working Group

37. Promote research on small population management issues - #s Capacity – more isolated space (Allan), prioritise range-country facilities Expertise – husbandry training programs, internships Private sector - mirror TSA (academia) Form ART committee – cryo Compile husbandry manuals, TMAs, expert database (in & ex) Develop recovery plans (with in situ) Environmental education and community involvement – IZE/education committee, develop database of case studies

38. Quarantine Standards Highest Standards: Animals or progeny out of range country destined for return to the wild (entrance and exit of pathogens) Intermediate Standards: Animals or progeny in range country destined for return to the wild (entrance of pathogens) Lowest Standards: Ex-situ or in-situ with no possibility of return to the wild. Animals not required for conservation or release. (exit of pathogens).

40. Species Selection Working Group

41. Rapid Response Working Group Establish a response program to rapidly implement capacity in range countries in response o amphibian crises, or relocate to out-of-range facilities Protocols flexible enough to apply to disparate threats in disparate regions Temporary measures until permanent capacity established in range –Train nationals in husbandry, vet, management, fundraising, education

42. What else is happening? a brief taste... more to come in the symposium

43. Building expertise AZA Amphibian Biology & Management - April –3 years, >60 students –6 Latin American students ABM Mexico - May DWCT Amphibian Biodiversity Conservation - June –18 students, 15 countries ABM/ABC Colombia - October ABM Tanzania - ??

44. Building (up) facilities at home Atlantans, Auckland, Bristol, Cologne, Detroit, Houston, London, Melbourne, Omaha, Perth, San Antonio, Toledo who’s next?

45. Building (up) facilities offsite Houston Zoo - El Nispero Zoo (Panama) Zoo Zurich - Cali Zoo (Colombia) St. Louis Zoo - Catolica University (Ecuador) Omaha Zoo - Johannesburg Zoo London/Chester/Jersey Zoos - Dominica Chester - standardized mobile biosecure facilities who’s next?

46. Some low-hanging fruit regional surveys reassign/create space websites, zoo graphics engage local public/media World Frog Week - 1st week of October sponsor a keeper at ABM/ABC, PM

47. Additional fundraising Need: 400 million ASG GEF Pipeline CBSG/WAZA –training –rescues –strategy workshops –new facilities –old facilities

48. Where do we go next? come to the amphibian working group session TOMORROW