AMATEUR conservationists are threatening the survival of the frogs they are
trying to help, says an Australian herpetologist.
Since the early 1990s, environmentally conscious Australians have been
reintroducing tadpoles into ponds and streams in an attempt to bolster flagging
populations. But the practice could drive some species of frog to
extinction.
“There are many risks: gene flow into new areas, the introduction of new
species, and obviously the spread of diseases,” says Gerry Marantelli, manager
of the Amphibian Research Centre in Melbourne which specialises in frog
conservation.
Frog numbers have plummeted worldwide in recent years, largely due to the
spread…
