R. K. Browne¹, P. Janzen², M. F. Bagaturov³, D. K. van Houte⁴

¹ Sustainability America. Belize, Corozal District, Sarteneja.

²Zoodirektoren. Germany, 47119 Duisburg, Landwehrstr, 32.

³IUCN/SSC/ Athens Institute for Education and Research/ Zoological Institute RAS, St.Petersburg.

Russia, 199034 St. Petersburg, Universitetskaja emb., 1.

⁴Umea University. Sweden, 90736 Umeå, SE-901 87.

*Corresponding Author: R. K. Browne,  Sustainability America. Belize, Corozal District,  Sarteneja. robert.browne@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Nearly 200 amphibian species are in immediate need of conservation breeding programs (CBPs) to prevent their extinction, with up to another 950 species in need in the foreseeable future. In general official amphibian CBPs exclude private keepers from participating with their collections because an assumed inability for keepers to provide sufficient quarantine. Official amphibian CBPs must also have an exit strategy of eventual release thus neglecting the many species that suffer from irretrievable habitat loss. Because of their high cost and other restraints, official amphibian CBPs are mainly supported by zoos, aquaria, and other conservation institutions, and can only currently provide for about 50 species. Private KCBPs could fill the widening gap between the number of currently official CBPs and the number of species critically in need. To elucidate the potential of KCBPs we conducted a global internet survey with responses compared between nations, regions, and these pooled between western and other polities. Keepers showed the expertise and commitment needed to conduct CBPs and overwhelmingly supported KCBPs responsibly managed through their societies. Respondents overall wanted official recognition of KCBPs, and their inclusion in policy development, with a particularly strong feeling of dis-empowerment in other polities. There were also demographic differences in the age of first interest in amphibians, social interactions, information sources, and academic activities. A canvassing of keepers collections in western polities showed that they currently keep and breed a wide range of exotic species. We could find no conclusive evidence that keepers CBPs were more a quarantine security risk than many official CBPs. Therefore, KCBPs can provide a haven for the many species that are neglected by official CBPs, and where official CBPs could focus on their regional species, or in range institutional facilities for exotic species. All CBPs should provide high levels of public engagement.

Keywords: amphibian, threatened species, conservation breeding programs, policy, polities

Introduction

The search for solutions to the amphibian
conservation crisis is far from over with 30% of
species threatened. More than ~200 species are
in immediate need of conservation breeding
programs (CBPs) to prevent their extinction and
to provide for potential translocation,

supplementation, head-starting and re-habitation projects (Johnson, 2016). Besides species in immediate need of CBPs there more than 750 species that may requiring CBPs in the foreseeable future (Ark, 2017a; IUCN, 2017; Zippel et al., 2011). Thirty percent of anurans (frogs and toads), 50% of caudata (salamanders and newts), and 3% of caecilians are listed as threatened (IUCN, 2017). However, the conservation status of many amphibian species, and particularly caecilians (Gower et al., 2013),

cannot be ascertained due to a lack of data (IUCN, 2017). Hundreds of described species, and never described species may already be extinct ().

The Amphibian Ark (AArk, 2017b) was formed
to implement official amphibian CBPs as
defined by the Amphibian Conservation Action
Plan (ACAP; Gascon et al., 2007) and detailed
in Mendelson et al. (2007), and then presented
as a revised web based document (Wren, 2015).
Unfortunately, official CBPs only serve a few
species in need (Bishop et al., 2012; Stuart et
al., 2012). In 2017 there were only 122 species
in official CBPs (AArk, 2017c). Few of these
satisfied AArk mandates regarding founder
numbers, studbook management, captive

population size, reliable reproduction, or an exit strategy    (AArk,    2017d).     Between    2007    and

Journal of Zoological Research V2 • I1 • 2018

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