Global News - March 2008
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Endangered frogs hatch in New Zealand
Fri 14 March 2008 14:00 UK — Australasia,Reptiles
Ecologists from New Zealand are celebrating after the hatching of a group of rare frogs in the country.
Researchers from the Victoria University of Wellington revealed that these were the first Maud Island frogs to hatch on mainland New Zealand for many years.
The 13 fingernail-sized baby froglets will be incubated at the university until they are released back into the wild as young frogs.
Maud Island frogs are unlike most frog species as they hatch from the egg as fully-formed froglets without going through the usual tadpole stage.
Victoria Master's student Kerri Lukis explained that the frogs had been hatched as a result of a long-running effort to introduce rare amphibians back into the country.
She said: "Sixty frogs were released into the special mouse-proof enclosure in 2006 in an effort to re-establish this highly-endangered species on the mainland.
"This is extra special because Maud Island frogs have never been found breeding in their natural habitat before, and certainly not on the mainland."
The frogs are currently considered "nationally threatened" and are endemic to New Zealand.
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