Academic Journal
Ex Situ Management and Reproduction of the Rediscovered Yellow-Spotted Bell Frog, Ranoidea castanea.
| Title: | Ex Situ Management and Reproduction of the Rediscovered Yellow-Spotted Bell Frog, Ranoidea castanea. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | McFadden, Michael S., Hush, Loz, Chaudhuri, Gemma, Leong, Delvena, Skidmore, Adam, Silla, Aimee J., Hunter, David A. |
| Source: | Animals (2076-2615); Dec2025, Vol. 15 Issue 23, p3404, 15p |
| Subject Terms: | Conservation of natural resources, Public health surveillance, Animal sexual behavior, Ontogeny, Biological extinction |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia, Sydney (N.S.W.) |
| Abstract: | Simple Summary: The need for amphibian conservation breeding programs has dramatically increased in recent decades with the rapid decline and loss of species. This study describes the establishment of the conservation breeding program for the critically endangered Yellow-spotted Bell Frog (Ranoidea castanea), detailing the breeding challenges and success, early life history parameters, and highlighting the importance of program considerations such as immediate intervention and disease surveillance. The Yellow-spotted Bell Frog, Ranoidea castanea is a critically endangered species, native to the tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It was rediscovered in 2009, after it had seemingly disappeared thirty years earlier. Upon rediscovery, a conservation breeding program was established at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, to secure an insurance population of the species. This paper describes the ex situ management and first successful captive breeding of this species, documents its life history data, and provides valuable learning that may benefit other conservation breeding programs. Although initial breeding attempts were unsuccessful whilst founding animals were housed indoors or in small outdoor enclosures, success was achieved between 2017 and 2019, once frogs were moved into a large outdoor enclosure (five clutches in three seasons). The attempted breeding of F1 individuals in an indoor dedicated facility in 2024 had greater success, with 60% of paired females laying eggs (six clutches in one season). Breeding behaviour occurred primarily between October and December, with clutches of unpigmented eggs laid amongst submergent vegetation from late October to mid-November. Overall, the program has resulted in the production of 2162 juvenile frogs for release, in addition to the retention of over 100 frogs for the insurance population. Herein, we provide important life history data for our study species and a framework for conservationists to propagate this species in an ex situ environment. We also highlight other key considerations, such as i) the importance of quickly establishing conservation breeding programs for threatened species and not assuming a targeted species will breed as readily as an analogue species, and ii) underscore the importance of undertaking baseline disease screening in the in situ environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Biomedical Index |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com/c/fiv2js/result?sid=EBSCO:edm&genre=article&issn=20762615&ISBN=&volume=15&issue=23&date=20251201&spage=3404&pages=3404-3418&title=Animals (2076-2615)&atitle=Ex%20Situ%20Management%20and%20Reproduction%20of%20the%20Rediscovered%20Yellow-Spotted%20Bell%20Frog%2C%20Ranoidea%20castanea.&aulast=McFadden%2C%20Michael%20S.&id=DOI:10.3390/ani15233404 Name: Full Text Finder (for New FTF UI) (ns324271) Category: fullText Text: Full Text Finder MouseOverText: Full Text Finder |
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| Header | DbId: edm DbLabel: Biomedical Index An: 190525632 RelevancyScore: 1023 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 1023.09606933594 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Ex Situ Management and Reproduction of the Rediscovered Yellow-Spotted Bell Frog, Ranoidea castanea. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22McFadden%2C+Michael+S%2E%22">McFadden, Michael S.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hush%2C+Loz%22">Hush, Loz</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chaudhuri%2C+Gemma%22">Chaudhuri, Gemma</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leong%2C+Delvena%22">Leong, Delvena</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Skidmore%2C+Adam%22">Skidmore, Adam</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Silla%2C+Aimee+J%2E%22">Silla, Aimee J.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hunter%2C+David+A%2E%22">Hunter, David A.</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: Animals (2076-2615); Dec2025, Vol. 15 Issue 23, p3404, 15p – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conservation+of+natural+resources%22">Conservation of natural resources</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+health+surveillance%22">Public health surveillance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Animal+sexual+behavior%22">Animal sexual behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ontogeny%22">Ontogeny</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biological+extinction%22">Biological extinction</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sydney+%28N%2ES%2EW%2E%29%22">Sydney (N.S.W.)</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Simple Summary: The need for amphibian conservation breeding programs has dramatically increased in recent decades with the rapid decline and loss of species. This study describes the establishment of the conservation breeding program for the critically endangered Yellow-spotted Bell Frog (Ranoidea castanea), detailing the breeding challenges and success, early life history parameters, and highlighting the importance of program considerations such as immediate intervention and disease surveillance. The Yellow-spotted Bell Frog, Ranoidea castanea is a critically endangered species, native to the tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It was rediscovered in 2009, after it had seemingly disappeared thirty years earlier. Upon rediscovery, a conservation breeding program was established at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, to secure an insurance population of the species. This paper describes the ex situ management and first successful captive breeding of this species, documents its life history data, and provides valuable learning that may benefit other conservation breeding programs. Although initial breeding attempts were unsuccessful whilst founding animals were housed indoors or in small outdoor enclosures, success was achieved between 2017 and 2019, once frogs were moved into a large outdoor enclosure (five clutches in three seasons). The attempted breeding of F1 individuals in an indoor dedicated facility in 2024 had greater success, with 60% of paired females laying eggs (six clutches in one season). Breeding behaviour occurred primarily between October and December, with clutches of unpigmented eggs laid amongst submergent vegetation from late October to mid-November. Overall, the program has resulted in the production of 2162 juvenile frogs for release, in addition to the retention of over 100 frogs for the insurance population. Herein, we provide important life history data for our study species and a framework for conservationists to propagate this species in an ex situ environment. We also highlight other key considerations, such as i) the importance of quickly establishing conservation breeding programs for threatened species and not assuming a targeted species will breed as readily as an analogue species, and ii) underscore the importance of undertaking baseline disease screening in the in situ environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: Abstract Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Animals (2076-2615) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.3390/ani15233404 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 3404 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Australia Type: general – SubjectFull: Sydney (N.S.W.) Type: general – SubjectFull: Conservation of natural resources Type: general – SubjectFull: Public health surveillance Type: general – SubjectFull: Animal sexual behavior Type: general – SubjectFull: Ontogeny Type: general – SubjectFull: Biological extinction Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Ex Situ Management and Reproduction of the Rediscovered Yellow-Spotted Bell Frog, Ranoidea castanea. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: McFadden, Michael S. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hush, Loz – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chaudhuri, Gemma – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Leong, Delvena – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Skidmore, Adam – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Silla, Aimee J. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hunter, David A. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 12 Text: Dec2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 20762615 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 15 – Type: issue Value: 23 Titles: – TitleFull: Animals (2076-2615) Type: main |
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