10-25-2007, 10:47 PM
The Amphibian Steward Network and TreeWalkers International have posted the first (of hopefully many) Taxon Management Proposals (TMPs): D. variabilis.
It can be found here: Variabilis TMP
For those of you not familiar with ASN, it is one of the programs TWI has initiated for promoting amphibian conservation in the face of unprecedented environmental challenges, including habitat destruction and chytrid. ASN has two important goals:
1) Eliminate the unsustainable harvest of amphibians from the wild.
2) Support the protection and restoration of critically threatened amphibian populations in the wild through captive management and propagation.
To achieve these goals, amphibian species will be managed by Taxon Management Groups (TMGs). The TMG will maintain studbooks and a database of captive holdings, facilitate breeder stock exchanges, and ensure the long-term maintenance of captive populations with maximal genetic variability.
As I mentioned before D. variabilis will serve as the first operating TMG and will hopefully serve as functional model that will make the formation of other TMGs smoother. But to do this, we need your help. If you are working with D. variabilis (and even if you aren't), we need you to register your frogs with ASN.
To do this, you need to:
1) Join TreeWalkers (but as dedicated froggers, you have probably already done this): http://www.treewalkers.org/membership/
2) Submit an application to become a steward: Become an Amphibian Steward
3) Register your frogs by completing an accession form (towards the bottom of the page) Accession form
Only with your help can this project be successful. So please - join TWI and register your frogs.
Finally - we are looking for volunteers to be TMG point people. Ideally, volunteers would have a good understanding of the husbandry and populations of the species for which they are TMG coordinator. It is also possible (and beneficial) for multiple individuals to head a TMG. Just make note of your interest in being a TMG coordinator on your ASN application.
Oz
It can be found here: Variabilis TMP
For those of you not familiar with ASN, it is one of the programs TWI has initiated for promoting amphibian conservation in the face of unprecedented environmental challenges, including habitat destruction and chytrid. ASN has two important goals:
1) Eliminate the unsustainable harvest of amphibians from the wild.
2) Support the protection and restoration of critically threatened amphibian populations in the wild through captive management and propagation.
To achieve these goals, amphibian species will be managed by Taxon Management Groups (TMGs). The TMG will maintain studbooks and a database of captive holdings, facilitate breeder stock exchanges, and ensure the long-term maintenance of captive populations with maximal genetic variability.
As I mentioned before D. variabilis will serve as the first operating TMG and will hopefully serve as functional model that will make the formation of other TMGs smoother. But to do this, we need your help. If you are working with D. variabilis (and even if you aren't), we need you to register your frogs with ASN.
To do this, you need to:
1) Join TreeWalkers (but as dedicated froggers, you have probably already done this): http://www.treewalkers.org/membership/
2) Submit an application to become a steward: Become an Amphibian Steward
3) Register your frogs by completing an accession form (towards the bottom of the page) Accession form
Only with your help can this project be successful. So please - join TWI and register your frogs.
Finally - we are looking for volunteers to be TMG point people. Ideally, volunteers would have a good understanding of the husbandry and populations of the species for which they are TMG coordinator. It is also possible (and beneficial) for multiple individuals to head a TMG. Just make note of your interest in being a TMG coordinator on your ASN application.
Oz