With over 40% of species at risk of extinction, amphibians are among the most imperiled groups on Earth. The biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar is not immune from this problem with nearly 47% of its endemic frog species at risk.
In 2010, Association Mitsinjo began working with IUCN and the government to develop an amphibian breeding facility. PhD Candidate Devin Edmonds has been working with the facility and their conservation programs. In addition to establishing captive assurance populations, this facility has provided important information on frog reproductive biology. The facility has successfully reared and released captive bred endangered Golden Mantella frogs into created habitat.
A paper, published today, reported on 1,272 captive breeding events from 11 additional frog species, including phenology, clutch sizes, oviposition, and larval development time. This information is often hard to obtain in the field, and these observations were the first described for many of these species.
Most of the species bred seasonally, but one, Mantella betsileanus, bred throughout the year and made up 86% of egg masses. Most species did not require environmental stimuli, aligning their behaviors with natural seasons, however Heterixalus betsileo only bred when placed in a modified rain chamber.
Researchers also learned that Gephyromantis mitsinjo lays eggs on land where tadpoles develop terrestrially within jelly, a behavior previously theorized but never observed.
The findings can help inform other captive breeding programs and increase success of conservation efforts for other imperiled species.
Read the complete paper in Zoobiology: Rakotoarisoa, Justin Claude, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Solonirina Rasoanantenaina, Eric Robsomanitrandrasana, Samina Sidonie Sam Edmonds, Jeanne Soamiarimampionona, Edupsie Tsimialomanana, Sebastian Wolf, Devin Edmonds. 2024. Captive breeding reveals insights into the ecology and reproductive biology of 11 little-known Malagasy frog species. Zoobiology: https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21876