An endangered species of frog is now on display at Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom in hopes of saving their population. These frogs are known as scrotum frogs (Telmatobius culeus), which earned their unfortunate nickname from their saggy folds of excess skin.
According to Daily Mail, the frogs' saggy skin absorbs the oxygen at the bottom of Lake Titicaca between the borders of Bolivia and Pero where it is commonly found.
Around 20 scrotum frogs will be displayed at Chester Zoo to let the public see them for the first time. Researchers said that they do not have an estimated number of scrotum frogs left in the world but suggest that their population has declined as much as 80% from 1994 to 2004.
Scrotum Frogs in Chester Zoo
Sky News reported that conservationists at the zoo are studying the behaviors of scrotum frogs in hopes of helping them from extinction. Chester Zoo is the first zoo in Europe to ever host the frogs which were listed as one of the endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
But now, it has established its population in Europe after wildlife conservationists sent 130 frogs to 13 other zoos across the continent. Chester Zoo officials have collaborated with researchers from Cayetano Heredia University in Peru and the Natural History Museum's Alcide d'Orbigny in Bolivia to form an organization that will aim to save the scrotum frogs and secure their future at Lake Titicaca.
"We're very happy that we can now share our efforts to protect these frogs with the wider public, who will most likely be seeing them for the very first time during their visit the zoo," Daily Mail quoted the zoo's curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates Dr. Gerardo Garcia.
He added that hosting scrotum frogs at Chester Zoo will help build their knowledge of the species and its biology. This in turn will give them insights on the life cycle, rating behaviors, and habitat of scrotum frogs. Additionally, it will also help them know how the frogs could tolerate or resist the deadly fungus chytrid, that has been killing other amphibians.
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Lake Titicaca's Endangered Scrotum Frogs
Sometimes, the success of the campaign to save an endangered species could depend on how appealing an animal looks. According to BGR, this includes pandas, dolphins, tigers, and other iconic animals. Sadly, less appealing animals like the scrotum frogs of Lake Titicaca are going to need a bit more help.
Scrotum frogs may have an unfortunate nickname due to their saggy skin, but it is also a critically endangered species that are in need of rescue. They are the largest fully aquatic frog that lives its entire life in water.
Unfortunately, no one knows their exact number as their population has significantly decreased over the past years. From 1994 to 2004, their population has decreased by about 80%; while in 2016, an unexplained event claimed the lives of over 10,000 scrotum frogs.
Putting some of them in Chester Zoo and other zoos in Europe is one of the conservation efforts that wildlife officials are implementing in hopes of saving their population and learning more about them.
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