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Breeding species in captivity can be tough. For many animals, conditions must be perfect. When endangered animals reproduce, scientists cross their fingers and hope for the gender that will have the largest effect on species conservation. However, for some animals in the San Diego Zoo’s Herpetology Department, the keepers have it easy.

Certain reptiles, including crocodiles, exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination. This means the gender of the unhatched baby depends on the temperature at which the egg is incubated. Often it’s a matter of only a few degrees. This can make preserving a captive species easier, but as reptile keeper Todd Schmidt pointed out on our tour of the Reptile House, this is one reason why global warming is “astronomically bad for some species.”

Habitat changes are affecting amphibians as well. Schmidt explains that all frogs are indicator species, meaning that if something changes in the environment, amphibians are the first to respond and show signs of decline. Multiple lines of evidence show that populations of wild frogs are in trouble. One example is the Panamanian golden frog, which is classified as extinct in the wild. However, these frogs are part of the San Diego Zoo’s collection. Hopefully the offspring of these frogs will one day be reintroduced back into their natural habitat.

Breeding healthy endangered animals is just one piece of the conservation puzzle. Oftentimes social circumstances must be changed, working relationships with foreign countries must be made, and human impact on habitat must be reduced. Even so, captive animals and their contributions, both to education and the preservation of their species, are crucial.

Jane - Conservation Team

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