A frog species that is in a “perilous state” due to an infectious disease has been successfully bred at a wildlife park in Oxfordshire, according to The Guardian.
Keepers at the Cotswold wildlife park in Burford have again bred the near-threatened cinnamon frog, four years after it became only the second zoological collection in Europe to breed the species.
Reptile keepers have paid homage to the name and called the froglets after different colored spices including paprika, cayenne, saffron, chipotle and chilly, and they are being looked after in a specialist amphibian breeding room.
Jamie Craig, general manager of Cotswold wildlife park, said the species is in a “perilous state” due to the chytrid fungus, an infectious disease in frogs.
“Our dedicated reptile team have been working hard to perfect breeding techniques in our Amphibian Room,” he said.
“Many frog species have incredibly specific requirements, and it is a testament to their hard work that they have now managed to replicate our previous success with the cinnamon frogs,” he added.
“With the perilous state of many amphibian species in the world due to the Chytrid fungus, any expertise garnered from the captive populations may well be important tools for the future of these fascinating creatures,” Craig explained.
Only five other zoos in Europe keep the species with one other successfully breeding the frogs in the last 12 months, according to the wildlife park.
