Reintroduction of the Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea to Pambula on the south coast of New South Wales
2008
Daly, Garry | Johnson, Peter | Malolakis, George | Hyatt, Alex | Pietsch, Rod
Captive bred Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea tadpoles were introduced to a coastal wetland near Pambula on the far south coast of New South Wales. The reintroduction involved the release of approximately 5000 captive-bred tadpoles and subsequent monitoring. Before the reintroduction could take place several requirements had to be satisfied. A re-introduction proposal was prepared for the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and independently reviewed by two referees, pre-release surveys of frogs were undertaken to determine if L. aurea existed on the site and to ascertain if the pathogen Bactrachochytrium dendrobatiodis (chytrid) was present within the endemic frog population. The captive bred tadpoles were tested for the presence of chytrid prior to release. The water quality was tested at the proposed release site and potential predators were removed. The project required maintenance and breeding of the captive population, and post release surveys. The project took 4.5 years from submission of the proposal to the first release of tadpoles and to date has cost approximately $190K, of which only $37K was funded. It is anticipated that ongoing costs will be in the order of $25K per year for the next four years (2007-11). Details of the project costs and chronology of actions are given in order to assist others who wish to undertake similar projects. So far two adults have been detected 13 months post-release.
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