PARENT SESSION
Oral Session 13: Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species I: Management I.
Presiding: H Balbach
Monday, August 2, 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Meeting Room D 135.
The recovery program for the Wyoming toad (Bufo baxteri): A status report.
Beiswenger, Ronald1, 1 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
ABSTRACT- The Wyoming toad, once common in Albany County west of Laramie, Wyoming, has been listed as endangered since 1984. The toad's current distribution is limited to Mortensen Lake National Wildlife Refuge and several breeding facilities that maintain captive populations. In 1996 the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) approved a Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the toad and the AZA works closely with the Wyoming Toad Recovery Team. Reintroduction of captively bred toads is an important part of the recovery program. The recovery plan has been revised to incorporate new research and priorities established in 2001 during a Population and Habitat Viability Analysis. Published research on the Wyoming toad is limited and causes of the population decline remain obscure, although possible causes have been posited. Information regarding habitat use has come from two field studies, one involving reintroduced toads equiped with radio transmitters. Chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease implicated in the decline of amphibian populations worldwide, is a common cause of death in Wyoming toad populations. Other potential causes include environmental contaminants, climate change, predation and changes in water diversion practices. Low genetic diversity is likely to be another factor contributing to declines. The presence of chytrid fungus has diminished the value of Mortensen Lake NWR as a reintroduction site. Consequently, safe harbor negotiations with landowners are underway to acquire suitable reintroduction sites on private land. Ecological characteristics of suitable reintroduction sites have been identified and protocols to monitor reintroduced populations have been developed.
Key words: Bufo baxteri, captive propagation of amphibians, amphibian declines, endangered species recovery programs