corroboree frog?

[timmy_crabb]

well if their habitat is basically gone, and due to global warming probably wont come back, will we be able to obtain them for private collections. ash said something about not getting them for under $700, i thought they were endangered, hence illegal in private collections. and if you have the money you can practically replacate any climate you want to so???

 

[JasonL]

Sure, if you were a millionaire with a amphibian degree, I'm sure you could convice authorities to let you have some if you were willing to spend a few mil on a breeding facility. Go for it! :wink:

 

[timmy_crabb]

ok, cause it costs millions to heat a tank filled with water, air or both. it would cost plenty, but closer to nothing than a few mil! come on, try to be a little practical. were talking thousands for a breeding set up. not millions, not hundreds of thousands, not even tens of thousands. i dont know hoe to do it but here is an example. i have a fridge and a freezer ($1000 total). thats very low temp for minimal cash. before someone jumps me im not saying chuck them in either, its an examle of cold temp. there is got to be something cheaper than a few mil im positive!

 

[Hickson]

i thought they were endangered, hence illegal in private collections.

That's not a correct statement.

Gouldian Finches are endangered, Princess Parrots are threratened - you can keep them.

In the rest of the world, Golden hamster's are a very common pet, yet they are extinct in the wild.

Spix's Macaw is extinct in the wild, but most of the captive birds are in private hands.

Endangered in the wild doesn't necessarily mean private individuals can't keep them.



Hix

 

[JasonL]

ok, cause it costs millions to heat a tank filled with water, air or both. it would cost plenty, but closer to nothing than a few mil! come on, try to be a little practical. were talking thousands for a breeding set up. not millions, not hundreds of thousands, not even tens of thousands

yes, but the powers to be would only be interested in giving you any if you could mass breed them to try and replenish wild stocks, so we are not talking about a couple of tanks here but a warehouse full of them all in a climate controlled building. They may seem doomed in the wild but it would be stupid to give up.

 

[Ozboy]

The Tidbinbilla nature reserve has quite a number of froglets (around 300). They are grown in individual enclosures in an effort to rehabilitate some of them. They can be kept successfully if their conditions are met. But, as the majority have said - who is willing to spend so much money in refrigeration costs for one species

 

[timmy_crabb]

JasonL, you said yourself "that they are also dying out due to global warming" (btw, i agree) and " the way it is looking, they will be extinct in the wild and only captive animals will be in existance with NO SUITABLE HABITAT for them to be realesed into". sounds to me like you agree with me that nothing can be done to save or create a wild habitat for these wonderful frogs in which to live. barring some miraculous reversal of global warming!

 

[JasonL]

JasonL, you said yourself "that they are also dying out due to global warming" (by the way, i agree) and " the way it is looking, they will be extinct in the wild and only captive animals will be in existance with NO SUITABLE HABITAT for them to be realesed into". sounds to me like you agree with me that nothing can be done to save or create a wild habitat for these wonderful frogs in which to live. barring some miraculous reversal of global warming!

I totally agree, and if they could breed enough of them, I'd be fine with people being able to keep them, but the fact is they are extremely hard to look after and as yet there arn't enough being bred to supply private keepers and continue the fight to keep a wild population, but in the future who knows.

 

[timmy_crabb]

how do animals react to being reintrodeced to an area? with the strick (and extremely long) breeding requirments of this species how do we go about replenishing the population? as ozboy posted The Tidbinbilla nature reserve is breeding them as im sure a few others are, but releasing adults isnt enough. i believe (and many also would) that the habitat will not get any better so where does that leave australias most endangered species? personally i think in captivity. is it better for an entire species to be eliminated or to exist only in private collections?

 

[meshe1969]

http://frogs.org.au/arc/calendar.php


Help frogs (it's our major fundraiser),
help yourself (there're major giveaways)


By donating to our fundraiser you are helping the Southern Corroboree Frog release program as all proceeds will be used to raise and care for the thousands of young frogs that are being raised at the ARC for release to their habitat in Kosciuzsko National Park. By the time you are enjoying your year with frogs over 1000 of these young frogs will be released and enjoying their habitat thanks to you. To reward you for helping, we are giving away our calendars as a free gift with each donation of $12.

Donate and get your calendars in the ARCade
Each calendar includes:

13 months of dates and pictures (Dec 05 - Dec 06)
all of Australia's public holidays and school term and holiday dates by state
free postage and handling
password for downloadable free screensaver and wallpapers

 

[meshe1969]

http://frogs.org.au/corroboree/
In 2001, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed the Southern Corroboree Frog to be Australia's most endangered frog. Our own Government lists its status as Critically Endangered - the highest rating of endangerment available. To be the most endangered species of what is unquestionably the world's most troubled group of animals, frogs, is no honor. To allow the sound of the last corroboree on Kosciuzsko to fade to extinction is unacceptable. We must act, and can only act NOW.

The Scientific Advisory Panel to the Recovery Team for the Southern Corroboree Frog is adamant: our last hope is a captive-breeding program the likes of which has not been seen in the captive conservation of frogs and comparable to the most ambitious breeding program for any non-commercial animal species. Unanimous support for this action has also been offered by the New South Wales Government's Scientific Advisory Group, the WWF's Science Advisory Council and the Frogs! Programs Scientific Panel, a team comprising Australia's foremost frog experts.

Corroboree aims in the short term to prevent the extinction of the Southern Corroboree Frog via a captive-breeding program. Beyond this we aim to ensure its recovery to a point where it no longer needs assistance.

The magnitude of the project that we are proposing is daunting even from just a science and conservation perspective. Its scope however must be much broader. We must invest substantial efforts in making our work accessible to the broader community. The current favour afforded frogs generally, coupled with the iconic nature of this frog in particular, makes this program the ideal candidate for this activity. We are calling on the Australian community and most particularly on the schools of Victoria for assistance.

 

[timmy_crabb]

ya, and you want to breed them, raise them to adults (breeding age, 4 years) then release them into a habitat that is roughly only 400sqkm in size. this habitat is is slowly dissapearing is it not? my point,- is a breed and release only program suitable? if some private breeders (and if i had the money on hand i would be) could afford to and was willing to help bring this species back from "critically endangered" even if it was in a private collection, is this such a bad thing? btw i still am not sure if by law (Q.L.D) is it illeagal to have this species in a private collection?

 

[Nephrurus]

A bit of misinformation has been posted. Tidbinbilla's Northern Corroboree "breeding program" is NOT a breeding program at all. It's a captive hatching program. Eggs are removed from the wild, hatched in a controlled environment, and when the young are the right age (three years) they are released. Last year when i saw them none had been released. I'm unsure whether any had been released to date.
Not having any habitat to release into also poses a problem.
As a side note, suitable release habitat is currently being destroyed by "wild brumbies" or feral horses in much of the corroboree range. Control of these animals (culling) has strong opposition in the surrounding community.

-H

 

[timmy_crabb]

sorry, i'll find answers elsewhere. people in the know havent answered my questions, just raised others. thanks anyway.

 

[MrBredli]

Timmy, the answer to your question is: there are not enough Corroboree Frogs left to supply hobbyists. Perhaps if the current breeding programs are highly successful, and there ends up being nowhere to release the offspring, then consideration may be given to releasing them to the public. JMO..

 

[timmy_crabb]

spose thats case closed then. can i put my name down now!

 

[MrBredli]

Sure, 50% deposit required though

 

[timmy_crabb]

as long as it comes with all the expensive pain in the but gear. on second thought i dont wanna know what 50% is just yet! lol. seriously, very informative thanks guys!

 

[jessop]

I think this thread is getting away from everyone. A species could be on the verge of extinction... Survival IMO is of the utmost importance! If having the technology and knowledge (environmental) back when the 'Tassie Tiger' or 'Dodo Bird' were on the verge of extinction, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Let an important part of the earths ecosystem/habitat/environment/life, DIE OUT?

The moral dilema in this is...

Does the evolution of mankind conflict with that of the environment it was spawned from? If so, what is left for the environment? Are humans destined to destroy the environment they evolved in?

anoher one...

Are we PLAYING GOD by keeping alive a species that "should" have died (due to HUMAN evolution (lol))?

IMO any endangered species should be a priority for humankind! Whether keeping a spcies alive through captive breeding or cloning, whatever! Imagine if in years to come... You could only 'desribe' what an 'elephant' looked like, or a blue whale, or a thousand other species? I know we have visual data these days, but nothing compares to seeing it yourself, in real life!

 

[MrBredli]

Yep, the environment is screwed.. good news for manufacturers of fake plants