Puerto Rican crested toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puerto Rican crested toad |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Bufonidae |
| Genus: | Peltophryne |
| Species: |
P. lemur
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| Binomial name | |
| Peltophryne lemur Cope, 1869
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| Synonyms | |
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The Puerto Rican crested toad (Peltophryne lemur) is a special kind of toad. You can only find it in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It's the only toad species that naturally lives there.
This toad used to live in more places, like Virgin Gorda. But now, its numbers are much smaller. The US Fish and Wildlife Service says it's a threatened species. This is because its home is being destroyed. Also, new animals brought to the islands cause problems for it. For a while, people thought this toad was gone forever. But it was found again in 1966! The IUCN now lists it as an endangered animal. This means it's at high risk of disappearing.
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Saving the Puerto Rican Crested Toad
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Many groups are working hard to help the Puerto Rican crested toad. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums are all involved. They have created a special program to help these toads have babies in zoos. This is called a captive breeding program.
How Are Toads Being Helped?
In 2013, these groups released many young toads and tadpoles. They let go of 71,000 tadpoles and 520 toadlets. These young toads were released in three different places. Over the last twenty years, more than 260,000 tadpoles have been released.
In 2019, the Detroit Zoological Society sent 8,000 more tadpoles to Puerto Rico. This helps add to the toad population there.
New Ways to Help Reproduction
Scientists are also trying new methods to help the toads reproduce. In November 2019, the first Puerto Rican crested toad was born using In vitro fertilization. This is a special way to help animals have babies in a lab. It's a big step for saving this endangered toad.
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See also
In Spanish: Sapo puertorriqueño para niños
 | Jewel Prestage |
 | Ella Baker |
 | Fannie Lou Hamer |
