Baby frogs on show at aquarium

Published on 12/07/2012 12:00

An “army” of critically endangered baby frogs has gone on display at Deep Sea World.

The frogs, which were born at the aquarium at the end of last year, are part of a pioneering captive breeding programme for the amphibians.

The golden mantella frog is only found in the high forests of eastern Madagascar. They are confined to a fragment of forest which is surrounded by farmland and is threatened by logging.

A total of ten of the yellow babies have gone on display alongside the aquarium’s poisonous frogs, with a further 15 being kept in separate tanks in the quarantine area.

Chris Smith, Deep Sea World’s zoological manager, said: “We have had seven adult frogs here for the past four years and this is the first time they have bred. We have been following their development as they have changed from tadpoles into tiny froglets.”

Deep Sea World also has green poison frogs, red-eye tree frogs, blue poison dart frogs, golden 
poison frogs and mudskippers.