The Bronx Zoo has just unveiled what is sure to be a major-miniature attraction and an essential piece of conservation to boot – Kihansi Spray Toads! When Tanzania built a massive hydroelectric dam in the Kihansi Gorge, this tiny toad lost 90% of its habitat. True to their name, Kihansi Spray Toads required the mist generated by water crashing through the gorge to keep their skin moist. When the heavy water was reduced to a trickle, the spray dried up.
Luckily, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo were on hand to collect an "assurance colony" of 499 toads. Over the last nine years these researchers have figured out how to keep the little toads comfortable and, more importantly, how to encourage them to produce baby toads! The eensy-teensy-tiny results can be enjoyed below!
Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher / WCS
If you live anywhere near New York or were looking for an excuse to make the trip, the Kihasa Spray Toad exhibit is reason enough. Learn more by clicking "continue reading" below.