An Ally for Amphibians

Dr. Brian Gratwicke to receive Spirit of Defenders Award for Science

By Dennis Kelly, Director of the Smithsonian National Zoo

Around the world, there is a group of species disappearing at a truly alarming rate. Unfortunately for them, these animals aren’t ones traditionally thought of as cute or charismatic. They don’t have the charm of a gray wolf, or the majesty of a bald eagle. But Earth’s amphibians – its frogs, newts, salamanders, and more – are just as vital to our planet. And they have a powerful ally in Dr. Brian Gratwicke, who has spent years working to save these creatures from extinction, and to help people understand how truly important they are.

Brian with a Cane toad

Like many species today, amphibians face a variety of threats, from habitat loss, to pesticides, to being harvested for use as food or medicine. But no threat has been as devastating as chytridiomycosis, a disease which is literally wiping entire populations, and even species, from the globe, particularly in Central and South America. Experts believe it is at least partially responsible for the extinction of more than 90 species of amphibians around the world in recent years. No cure currently exists for this disease – but Brian Gratwicke and his team are focused on finding one.

As the lead scientist with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s amphibian conservation program, Gratwicke is dedicated to stopping the global decline in amphibians. His work has taken him to three different continents, but the emphasis in the past several years has been in Panama, where the stakes for amphibians are particularly high. Chytridiomycosis swept through Central and South America, a region with a wide variety of unique animals, but eastern Panama was spared, at least for a time. In 2008, the disease was documented there, and Gratwicke soon began a race against time to keep the disease from forever claiming more species from this area of the world.

He built the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project (PARC) from the ground up, bringing together the resources of several organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, to confront the global threat to amphibians. PARC aims to rescue up to 20 different amphibian species in danger of extinction, capturing enough healthy individuals to keep the species alive as the disease continues its march through the region. And at the same time, PARC’s scientists are actively searching for any way to fight, slow or cure the disease.

Already, this work has led to protected breeding populations of La Loma treefrogs, Limosa harlequin frogs, and more, providing insurance against extinction. Preserving the last of a species by bringing it safely into captivity is a sobering task, and one that we wish was never necessary. But by doing this, Gratwicke and his team are buying time for an entire species, preserving their line until a cure can be found, and these frogs can safely resume their place back in the wild.

More than 120 species of amphibians have gone extinct in just the past 35 years. More are on their way right now. As animals that act as both predator and prey, losing these animals could a domino effect with chilling consequences. Without the tireless work of Brian Gratwicke and those like him, we stand to lose more than we realize.

Read more about PARC in Defenders magazine