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REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
Conservation
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE ROUGE PARK - Critical Habitat Use of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)
The objective of this project is to continue a study that began in 1999 and to determine critical habitat use by snapping turtles. Surveys of snapping turtle habitat use and movement in the Rouge Park through use of radio telemetry are being conducted. Now in its fourth year, movement data demonstrates male territories spread linearly along the river and the importance of small wetlands and seepage areas as overwintering sites. Radio telemetry aids in the identification of nesting and hibernation sites. Increased public use of the Rouge Park and activities occurring outside of the park may have an impact on its overall environmental integrity. The presence or absence of turtles within the Rouge and Little Rouge rivers may serve as an indicator of ecosystem health. To increase awareness of turtle conservation issues, the Toronto Zoo participated in a Rouge Park Alliance event, which involved tours of the turtle overwintering and egglaying sites. This study will be expanded to include construction of turtle nesting beaches and experimental designs of these nesting areas will be tested in 2003.
AXOLOTL - Habitat Restoration and Conservation Education in Mexico
A salamander species native to Mexico is declining due to several factors including pollution, collection and the introduction of exotic fish species. This program is carried out in Mexico in collaboration with El Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas y Acuicolas de Cuemanco (CIBAC), Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana - Xochimilco (UAM), Chapultepec Zoo, the Canterbury University's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology and community based conservation groups on habitat restoration and conservation education. Toronto Zoo was awarded the Canadian Museum Association and Department of Canadian Heritage Young Canada Works Grant to support student involvement in GIS analysis of the Lake Xochimilco ecosystem and distribution patterns of axolotl.
EASTERN MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE - Conservation-Education Program
The aim of this program is to provide outreach resources about living with the threatened Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake and to contribute to educational objectives outlined in the Recovery Plan for this species. A new Snakes of Ontario poster, companion Snake Identifier and two new posters "Focus on Conservation" and "Born to be Wild" were printed and distributed to cottagers, police departments, marinas, hospitals and humane societies. A new Stewardship Guide provides information on living with rattlesnakes and stewardship activities that encourage Canadians to take voluntary actions to protect species at risk and their habitats. Public education materials include information on management and conservation strategies; a rattlesnake conservation booklet, and co-ordination of the rattlesnake school curriculum guide. The Zoo is assisting the National Recovery Team by providing veterinary diagnostic expertise, care for snakes used by other interpretative centres and disease screening of wild populations.
FROGWATCH-ONTARIO AMPHIBIAN MONITORING PROGRAM - Events and Initiatives 2002
Frogwatch-Ontario became part of the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network's (EMAN) national Frogwatching program, Frogwatch-Canada, in 2000.
A strong public education campaign promoting the program was conducted in Spring 2002. Workshops were conducted to train new Frogwatch observers at various venues, including the Cottage Life Show, Children's Water Festival and Ontario Parks Training Sessions. Educational materials including posters, amphibian identifiers and frog call tapes were distributed to workshop participants.
WETLAND RESTORATION
Experimental plots will be constructed to test the design and function of constructed vernal pools. A gray tree frog pond restoration project will include pond design and vegetation structure to provide habitat on the Zoo site. The wetland project will be the focus of graphics for Zoo visitors.
Collaborations
With our partners throughout Canada, the United States and the world, we collaborate on many projects to make a difference for generations to come.
Environmental Initiatives
Our proactive approach to saving the planet includes vital efforts to preserve the environment.
Breeding, Recovery and Re-introduction
PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOAD - Breeding Program and SSP
Each year tadpoles bred at numerous Zoos, including the Toronto Zoo, are returned to and released in Puerto Rico. The Zoo, in conjunction with the Puerto Rican Department of Natural Resources (PR DNR), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), 22 American Zoo and Aquarium Associations (AZA), and Zoos and Aquaria involved in the Puerto Rican Crested Toad SSPă, is constructing additional release ponds within the historic range of the toad. A student toad conservation activity book was reprinted in 2002 and distributed to schools and interpretative centres in Puerto Rico. We continue to provide support for student led, community-based conservation and education opportunities. In December 2001, a masterplan related to research on toad meeting was held in Puerto Rico to identify priority projects breeding ecology and habitat use, habitat restoration, and education and outreach programmes to meet recovery plan objectives. Current priorities include fundraising for ecology research, the design and completion of signage identifying the importance of the only remaining breeding pond and reasons for road closures in the area during the breeding season. The SSP has been organized to include two field conservation co-ordinators and a habitat restoration co-ordinator. New pond construction will include collaborations with the Society for Ecological Restoration and their experience with wetland restoration projects. The Juan Rivero Zoo is also collaborating with the Toronto Zoo on projects such as toad exhibition and interpretative graphics on island conservation.
PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOAD - Management Program
A management program for the care and breeding of the Puerto Rican Crested Toad was developed at the Toronto Zoo. It has been updated as an AZA Husbandry Manual and translated into Spanish. This captive management protocol covers various aspect of care for this threatened species. The sections include such areas as reproduction, breeding, husbandry, sexing, and others. This update is based on the breeding success at the Toronto, St. Louis, Sedgewick County, Toledo and Cincinnati Zoos. The husbandry manual along with the studbook was published this year.
PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOAD - Puerto Rican Crested Toad Habitat Protection
Habitat conservation signs will be installed at Guanica Forest, the Mayaguez Zoo, at the release ponds constructed by the SSPă, and at the Toronto Zoo. These signs will highlight the Zoo's role in captive breeding and release. These signs will also explain the life history of toad breeding, to demonstrate the importance of the last natural breeding pond for toad survival, as well as explain the reasons for road closures during reproductive events. Signs will be installed to encourage Guanica Forest users to visit the Mayaguez Zoo to see toads and zoo visitors to visit the Guanica Forest to see the toads' natural habitat. Signs will also focus on the role of zoos in education and the importance of constructing release ponds. At the request of the Guanica Forest manager, signs will be designed and printed in Canada and shipped to Puerto Rico for installation. Two large release ponds, 4000 and 10,000 square feet in size, have been constructed to receive the captive bred tadpoles.
AMERICAN TOAD - Critical Habitat Use and Toad Festival
Research continues on the use of habitat by American toads in the Rouge tablelands. During the study year, results indicated that the method of internal radio transmitter implantation was ineffective due to a reduced range in transmission and in shifting frequencies of the implanted transmitters. Two different methods of transmitter attachment will be examined. The first method is to fit an external backpack on a toad, with the transmitter inserted into the backpack's holding case; the second method is a plastic loop attachment, in which the transmitter is affixed to the animal around the waist with a small plastic loop. The locations of the toads will be determined and mapped daily until the onset of hibernation. Gaining a better understanding of habitat use by amphibians will aid in protecting and/or restoring the habitats in which they reside. To educate the public about toad tracking, the Toronto Zoo's Spring Toad Festival features a "Meet the Toad Tracker" activity and a toad mascot who welcomes visitors to the Zoo wetlands.
BLANCHARD'S CRICKET FROG - Genetic Assessment of Historic and Extant Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi)
This study will examine DNA profiles of Blanchard's cricket frogs across the present and historic range of live and museum specimens. Museum specimens will represent the original Canadian range and frogs from the US will determine potential source animals for release on Pelee Island, Ontario (Recovery Plan Objective). Twenty frogs approved for acquisition for breeding purposes at the Toronto Zoo will also be sampled.
PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOAD - Captive Reproduction in the Male Puerto Rican Crested Toad.
The Puerto Rican crested toad is a threatened species found in southern Puerto Rico. In collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the AZA SSP, tadpoles hatched at the Toronto Zoo are released in Puerto Rico each year with the intent of sustaining and rebuilding the wild population. However, captive reproductive success remains erratic for unknown reasons. The objective of this study is to determine the optimum husbandry protocol to induce spermiation, and thus ensure consistent reproductive success of this species in captivity. Different environmental conditions and hormone treatments are being tested, and the male's responses in terms of sperm production will also be assessed.
Veterinary Research
EASTERN MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE - Diagnosis of Disease
Currently very little is known about the health status of wild populations of Massasauga rattlesnakes. Recognizing the presence of disease is the necessary first step toward understanding the role of diseases in any wild population, and the potential effect of diseases in translocation and reintroduction projects. Ophidian paramyxovirus (OPMV) is a serious viral infection of captive snakes, particularly viperids, but it has not been reported in Massasauga rattlesnakes. The Eastern Massasauga recovery plan has strongly recommended that the status of Massasaugas in the wild and in captivity be evaluated, and any snakes considered for release from captivity should be tested. 24 Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes, will be tested for antibodies to OPMV. Blood was collected for normal haematology and biochemistry values. Fecal samples will be examined for the presence of pathogens and parasites.
EASTERN MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE - An Investigation into Blood Parasites of Snakes
The objective of this study is to determine the identity and prevalence of parasites and other abnormal findings in the blood of Toronto Zoo snakes and snakes in other local collections. Also, researchers will investigate the identity and prevalence of blood parasites in the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake in Ontario. A further study will estimate the nature and dynamics of morphological changes in blood parasites over a period of time.
SNAKES - The Evolutionary and Developmental Basis of Limb Loss and Body Elongation in Vertebrates
The purpose of this project is to examine Hox gene expression and its effect on development in a range of snake and lizard species, examining fully limbed, limb reduced and limb-less animals. Currently, the majority of our knowledge regarding the genetics of vertebrate development stems from studies using only two species, one bird and one mammal. The study of more primitive vertebrates is essential for a proper understanding of key trends in vertebrate development and evolution. Limb reduction is a common phenomenon in vertebrates, and it is always accompanied by an elongation of the body. It seems likely that as the domains of Hox gene expression begin to overlap during evolution, the body not only elongates, but the boundaries between body regions become blurred and limb development is either delayed or cut short as a result. As the overlap continues, a point is reached where limb development is no longer triggered and the limb is lost. By examining various lizards with a range of limb development, this project aims to better understand the role of Hox genes in vertebrate development.
LIZARDS - Evaluation of Anaesthetic Agents for Reptiles
Anaesthesia, particularly for exotic species, is used not only for surgeries or clinical examinations, but also to minimize stress, discomfort, and pain during handling. However, anaesthesia of reptiles can be unpredictable, and safe, smooth, and rapid anaesthetic regimens do not yet exist. In this experiment, lizards will be anaesthetized multiple times using different combinations of isoflurane, sevoflurane and nitrous oxide. The minimum dose, as well as the speed and quality of the drugs, will be assessed. During a second trial, the animals will be anaesthetized again, and vital statistics will be compared between the drugs for light, surgical and deep anaesthesia. These studies aim to allow researchers to propose recommendations for and 'ideal' anaesthetic protocol.
Nutrition Research
PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOAD - Effect on diet on growth and development of tadpoles and toadlets
Diet is critical in the normal development and metamorphosis of tadpoles. Skeletal and/or developmental abnormalities are not uncommon. We have seen a number of conditions such as spindly leg syndrome, which could be diet-related. Even those diets that have proven successful with some batches of tadpoles have led to poor growth and abnormalities in others. Growth and development of groups of tadpoles on different diets will be measured and compared, and the results linked to diet.
Currently, different supplements for the domestic cricket (Acheta domestica) are being assessed. The nutritional values of the domestic versus the two-spotted African cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) are being compared for their effects on growth parameters in the toadlets. The aim of the study is to reduce and eventually eliminate developmental abnormalities in the Puerto Rican crested toad.
AMERICAN AND PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOADS - Nutrition and Development of the American Toad (Bufo americanus) and the Puerto Rican Crested Toad (Peltophryne lemur)
Skeletal and other developmental abnormalities are not uncommon in amphibian tadpoles in captivity. At the Toronto Zoo, a number of conditions that may be diet-related, such as spindly leg syndrome, have been observed in multiple species of frogs and toads. The Zoo's collection of frogs and toads are fed the same or very similar diets, which may or may not provide all of the nutrients found in their wild diet. This possible lack of nutrients in the adult may affect larval development through the egg, causing developmental abnormalities. This study will compare the development of wild American toad tadpoles fed two diets, one that was previously fed to a group of tadpoles that developed spindly leg syndrome, and one previously fed to a group of tadpoles free of spindly leg syndrome. The data gathered from this experiment will then be applied to the Puerto Rican crested toad, to ensure the highest successful reproduction rate possible for that species. |
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