The Swamp Stomp

Volume 15, Issue 48

The Denver Zoo announced that Lake Titicaca frogs arrived at the zoo on November 18. Lake Titicaca frogs are classified as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and currently reside nowhere else in the northern hemisphere.

The move is part of an attempt to save the species, reported CBS Denver. By studying the frogs’ behavior, the zoo hopes to find a way to increase the population of these frogs in the world.

Lake Titicaca frogs are the largest aquatic frog in the world, measuring up to 20 inches long and sometimes weighing more than 2 pounds. The frogs only live in Lake Titicaca, which lies across the Peruvian-Bolivian border.

One of the most interesting features if the species is the ability to remain underwater for an indefinite period of time. The frogs have a large amount of saggy skin that they absorb oxygen and breathe through while underwater.

“Denver Zoo has been working with our Peruvian and Bolivia partners to conserve the Lake Titicaca frogs since 2007 and is excited to bring these individuals to Denver,” Brian Aucone,  Senior Vice President for Animal Care and Conservation at the Denver Zoo, said.

Lake Titicaca frogs have not been in the United States for more than 40 years, according to officials at the zoo. The 20 frogs that the Denver Zoo received hatched in March at the Huachipa Zoo in Lima, Peru.  According to CBS Denver, the tadpoles came from wild frogs that were confiscated by authorities while going to a food market.

Although it is illegal to harvest the frog due to its endangered status, some local Peruvians and Bolivians make the frogs into shake-like drinks. These drinks are supposed to stimulate virility.

The IUCN said the population of Lake Titicaca frogs has declined by 80 percent over the last three generations. The Denver Post said that this conservation effort is the latest of many for the frogs.

“We hope to raise awareness of the plight of these amphibians while also gaining important insight into the care of this species,” Aucone said.

Before going to public view, the frogs will spend three months in a required quarantine, reported CBS Denver. After that, those visiting the zoo will be able to see the frogs in the Tropical Discovery exhibit.

Sources:

Critically Endangered Frogs Found Only In Lake Titicaca Arrive At Denver Zoo

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29166476/endangered-lake-titicaca-frogs-land-at-denver-zoo