Alaskan Christmas trees showing up with live ornaments

Kill that tree frog Examiner.com Officials in Anchorage Alaska are asking Christmas tree purchasers to kill Pacific Chorus Frogs about one or two inches long that have hitchhiked to Alaska hiding in Christmas trees from Washington State. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is worried that these cute frogs will infest Alaska and believe that the frogs may carry "ugly viruses and funguses" like Chytrid Fungus. Christmas trees showing up with live 'ornaments' The Associated Press State's advice on Christmas tree frogs has one woman hopping mad KTUU Invasive frogs found in imported Christmas trees KTNA Anchorage Daily News - Treehugger - UPI.com all 332 news articles »

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Pre-Christmas Frog Hunting trip

Two Devon conservationists are taking a pre-Christmas trip to Africa in an attempt to help save rare frogs
While most of us are getting ready for the festive season, Mike Bungard, Curator of Lower Vertebrates and Invertebrates at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, will be in Tanzania.
He will be accompanied on the trip by the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust overseas conservation officer Andy Bowkett, who has been to Tanzania many times to track rare antelope and collect data.
Mike said: “We are going to the Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania to look at setting up conservation projects and partnerships to help East African amphibians. Andy’s experience in the country will be really useful. One of the hardest things is building trust with local communities and establishing a network – it makes life much easier when you can inherit one.
“We are particularly interested in the Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve – a small, poorly protected forest with at least four endangered frog species found nowhere else in the world. However, we know so little about life cycles or biology for these species that we are effectively starting at the beginning. The Udzungwa Mountains are a biodiversity hotspot - mountains and islands tend to have high rates of endemism due to their isolation.”
Paignton Zoo’s Amphibian Ark species rescue and reintroduction centre, which opened in August 2009, was built to help save species in Madagascar, Tanzania and Trinidad.
While in the country they aim to meet key staff of the University of Dar es Salaam who were central in saving the Kihansi spray toad from total extinction - it is now extinct in the wild as of the beginning of November. Mike also hopes to talk to staff at the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre and representatives from the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society.
“This is a reconnaissance trip, a fact-finding mission. I hope it will lead to practical work, but first we have to learn what needs to be done.”
In addition, senior reptile keeper Rod Keen is to visit Jersey Zoo to learn about specialist amphibian husbandry, while reptile keeper Sam Lomax will spend two weeks at Melbourne Zoo in Australia, which has one of the most advanced amphibian facilities in the world.
Mike and Andy return in mid December. Research trips to Trinidad and Madagascar could also be on the cards during 2010. Out of the world’s 6,000 known amphibian species, 50% are threatened or endangered, compared to 10% of mammal species.

Frog-friendly Christmas ideas...

ARC Christmas cards:
Those looking for novel ideas for Christmas presents and cards need look no further than Amphibian and Reptile Conservation...

ARC Christmas cards

Designed by ARC's resident artist Sam Taylor, these exclusive Christmas cards portray winter scenes, alongside added hints and tips for looking after amphibians and reptiles in the colder months. These eye-catching cards form part of our Dragons in your Garden campaign, and all proceeds support our charitable aims.
Eight cards; four designs buy now

Britain's Reptiles and Amphibians by Howard Inns

This field-guide (released earlier this year) would make a perfect gift for any budding naturalist. This guide covers all species of reptiles and amphibians of Britain, Ireland and the Channel Islands and has been produced to inspire interest in these exciting and fascinating animals.

Proceeds from sales of the book support Amphibian and Reptile Conservation's charitable work.
Exclusive offer price of £15 has been extended until Christmas ---> buy now