Kihansi Spray Toad
Encyclopedia
The Kihansi spray toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis, is a dwarf toad
, with adults reaching no more than three quarters of an inch long. It was discovered in 1996. It was found only in the spray zone around the Kihansi and Mhalala waterfall
s in the southern Udzungwa Mountains
in Tanzania
. It is now listed as an extinct species in the wild by the IUCN Red List
due to a restricted range, habitat loss and a declining population. This was due to the Kihansi Dam
being built in 1999, which reduced the amount of silt and water coming down from the waterfall into the gorge by 90 percent. This led to the spray toad's microhabitat being compromised, as it reduced the amount of water spray, which the toads were directly reliant on for oxygen. This also meant that the toad may have been more susceptible to a chytrid fungus, which was believed to have been transported by conservationists' boots. This chytridiomycosis, which in 2003 was confirmed to be in dead animals of the species, was possibly responsible for the sudden population crash after the world's largest sprinkler system was installed in that area in August 2003. This system was installed to try and conserve the toad species from becoming extinct in the wild, but did not succeed.
Some of the toads were taken from their native gorge and placed in captivity in the late 1990s as a possible hedge against extinction, because the species had such a limited habitat. For some time, the Toledo Zoo
in Ohio was the only place in the world where the Kihansi spray toad was on display to the public. But the Bronx Zoo in New York City also has several hundred Kihansi spray toads, and it opened a small exhibit in February 2010. Chattanooga Zoo also houses over 300 Kihansi spray toads and has created a small exhibit. At this time only three institutions house this species.
In August 2010, a group of 100 Kihansi Spray Toads were flown from the Bronx Zoo and Toledo Zoo to their native Tanzania. The toads remain in captivity but will be reintroduced back into the wild in the Fall of 2011.
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
, with adults reaching no more than three quarters of an inch long. It was discovered in 1996. It was found only in the spray zone around the Kihansi and Mhalala waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s in the southern Udzungwa Mountains
Udzungwa Mountains
The Udzungwa Mountains are a mountain range south east of Dodoma in Tanzania and are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. They are covered with tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland, steppe and are home to many large mammals, including the Udzungwa Red Colobus and Tana...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. It is now listed as an extinct species in the wild by the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
due to a restricted range, habitat loss and a declining population. This was due to the Kihansi Dam
Kihansi Dam
Kihansi Dam is a hydroelectric dam located on the Kihansi River at the end of the Kihansi Gorge before the convergence with the Ulanga River in Tanzania approximately 450 km southwest of the capital Dar Es Salaam.-Kihansi Dam:...
being built in 1999, which reduced the amount of silt and water coming down from the waterfall into the gorge by 90 percent. This led to the spray toad's microhabitat being compromised, as it reduced the amount of water spray, which the toads were directly reliant on for oxygen. This also meant that the toad may have been more susceptible to a chytrid fungus, which was believed to have been transported by conservationists' boots. This chytridiomycosis, which in 2003 was confirmed to be in dead animals of the species, was possibly responsible for the sudden population crash after the world's largest sprinkler system was installed in that area in August 2003. This system was installed to try and conserve the toad species from becoming extinct in the wild, but did not succeed.
Some of the toads were taken from their native gorge and placed in captivity in the late 1990s as a possible hedge against extinction, because the species had such a limited habitat. For some time, the Toledo Zoo
Toledo Zoo
Toledo Zoo is a zoo located in Toledo, Ohio. The zoo began in 1900 as Toledo Zoological Gardens and operated by the City of Toledo's Parks Board. In 1982 ownership was transferred from the city to Toledo Zoological Society, a private non-profit organization, and professionalized the zoo's management...
in Ohio was the only place in the world where the Kihansi spray toad was on display to the public. But the Bronx Zoo in New York City also has several hundred Kihansi spray toads, and it opened a small exhibit in February 2010. Chattanooga Zoo also houses over 300 Kihansi spray toads and has created a small exhibit. At this time only three institutions house this species.
In August 2010, a group of 100 Kihansi Spray Toads were flown from the Bronx Zoo and Toledo Zoo to their native Tanzania. The toads remain in captivity but will be reintroduced back into the wild in the Fall of 2011.