Thousands of endangered frog eggs released at Kosciuszko
A massive conservation effort is underway to revitalise Southern Corroboree frog populations at Kosciuszko National Park. Find out what is being done to save our most endangered amphibians
READING LEVEL: GREEN
A massive egg drop has swept across Kosciuszko National Park in the fight to preserve one of Australia’s most endangered amphibians*.
Taronga Conservation Society Australia has released its largest-ever cohort* of southern corroboree frog eggs into the park as part of its 20-year recovery program.
Bred at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo in refrigerated quarantine* breeding facilities, 1450 critically endangered* southern corroboree frog eggs have been released into carefully selected subalpine* sites across the national park.
High-altitude sphagnum bogs* near Australia’s highest peak – Mount Kosciuszko in NSW’s Snowy Mountains – were chosen for the egg drop.
The release occurred alongside the zoo’s 20-year anniversary of southern corroboree frog conservation, marking an important milestone for a species at risk of extinction.
The striking black and yellow frogs were once widespread across subalpine regions of NSW, but their numbers crashed dramatically after chytrid fungus* was introduced to Australia in the 1970s. Today, they are considered one of Australia’s most threatened vertebrate* species, with fewer than 50 individuals believed to remain in the wild outside of managed containment areas.
The southern corroboree frog conservation effort is led by the NSW Government’s Saving Our Species program, and in partnership with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Zoos Victoria.
Taronga’s wildlife conservation officer and herpetofauna* expert Michael McFadden said the egg release represents both hope and urgency for the species’ future. He has been a key member of the conservation program right from its beginning.
“Twenty years ago, the future for this frog looked incredibly bleak,” he said. “Today, with thanks to science, collaboration and persistence, we are returning record numbers of eggs to the wild to give this species the best possible chance of recovery.”
Taronga said it was committed to continuing its role in corroboree frog conservation, combining conservation breeding, field science, biobanking*, disease research and community engagement to help prevent the extinction of the iconic Australia amphibian.
“This species is a symbol of what’s at stake for Australia’s wildlife if we do not act,” Mr McFadden said.
“Reaching 20 years of conservation effort is something to celebrate, but it’s also a reminder that our work is far from finished.”
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GLOSSARY
- amphibians: cold blooded, four limbed vertebrates that live in the water and on land
- cohort: a group that share common characteristics
- quarantine: protected from the outside world, especially from pathogens like bacteria, fungus and viral infections
- critically endangered: facing an extremely high risk of extinction
- subalpine: the geographical region on the mountains just below the tree line
- sphagnum bogs: wetlands where there is a lot of sphagnum moss
- chytrid fungus: a deadly pathogen that infects the skin of amphibians like frogs that has led to the extinction or decline of hundreds of amphibian species across the world
- vertebrate: animals with a backbone
- herpetofauna: reptiles and amphibians
- biobanking: the collecting and storing of biological samples
EXTRA READING
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Tiny frog species found in NSW
Famished frog feasts on snake
QUICK QUIZ
1. What has led to the decline of southern corroboree frogs?
2. How many are thought to be left in the wild outside managed containment areas?
3. Based on the spot chosen for egg drop, what type of habitat do you think southern corroboree frogs prefer?
4. Why do you think egg drops provide hope for conservationists who are working to prevent against the extinction of the species?
5. In what way could the southern corroboree frog be “a symbol of what’s at stake for Australia’s wildlife if we do not act,” as Mr McFadden pointed out?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Corroboree frog life cycle
Research to find out about the life cycle of the southern corroboree frog. Draw and label a diagram to show the life cycle. Add additional facts to your work that will help your audience learn more about these amphibians.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Science
2. Extension
Let’s do some calculations to find out the impact that the egg drop could have on the southern corroboree frog population. We will make our calculations based on a great outcome and a poor outcome to see the difference. Read carefully, think through each step of the calculations and show your working.
Calculators allowed!
Scenario 1 – Great Outcome
Assume that all 1450 eggs hatch and survive to maturity, and that half of them are female. If every female reproduces a clutch of 38 eggs (the upper end of average clutch size) and these all survive, how many new frogs are there?
Scenario 2 – Poor Outcome
Assume that only 25 per cent of the 1450 eggs hatch and survive to maturity, and that half of them are female. If every female reproduces a clutch of 16 eggs (the lower end of average clutch size) and only 25 per cent of these survive, how many new frogs are there?
Optional super challenge
What are the outcomes if the same scenario repeats again? How many frogs will be produced in that generation?
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: Mathematics; English; Science
VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.