The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens is doing its part to help prevent a critically endangered amphibian from going extinct. The Puerto Rican crested toad is only found in Puerto Rico, where it’s the only native toad in the area. The Jacksonville Zoo bred and raised over 24,000 Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles this year. The team then carefully packed them in boxes and shipped the tiny creatures to Puerto Rico, where they will be released into ponds.
The Jacksonville Zoo shipped 24,485 Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles to Puerto Rico for release into their native habitat.
©Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens
What Is a Puerto Rican Crested Toad?
Puerto Rican crested toads (Peltophryne lemur), known locally as sapo concho, are native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Sadly, the amphibian is now extinct from the Virgin Islands and is only found in Puerto Rico. The crested toad can be identified by the bony crest on its head, its bumpy skin, upturned nose, and gold-colored eyes. The little toads are only about two to five inches long.
The crested toad likes to hide in cavities underground. It will use spider lairs, crab burrows, and other abandoned nests for its home. Because the toads are nocturnal and remain hidden in small crevices during the day, they can be hard to spot except during breeding season, when they become more active.
What Do Puerto Rican Crested Toads Eat?
The crested toads are carnivorous and feast on a varied diet of insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates. As tadpoles, they eat algae and will scavenge dead insects or other dead tadpoles.
The Puerto Rican Crested Toad Was Once Thought to Be Extinct
According to the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy, the crested toad was considered extinct in the 1960s. However, the species was spotted in northern Puerto Rico in 1967. In the 1980s, the conservancy developed partnerships with zoos and aquariums around the world to begin breeding the toads and releasing them back into their native environment.
Over 50,000 Tadpoles Released by the Jacksonville Zoo Since 2011
According to a press release from the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 24,485 Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles were shipped this year to Puerto Rico for release. The zoo began its partnership with the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy in 2011. Since then, the zoo has released 51,117 tadpoles into Puerto Rico’s wild ecosystems.
The Jacksonville Zoo began its Puerto Rican Crested Tadpole release program in 2011 to help the critically endangered toads re-populate their native ecosystems.
©Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Cayle Pearson, Assistant Curator of Herpetology at Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens, said in a press release, “The Puerto Rican crested toad holds a special place in our conservation mission. We’re proud to play an important role in the longest-running amphibian reintroduction program of its kind. To see our efforts reach new heights in 2025 is a reflection of our team’s dedication to protecting Puerto Rico’s only native toad as well as our commitment to conservation work worldwide.”
How Does the Jacksonville Zoo Breed and Ship Tadpoles?
According to the press release, “Each year, the Zoo’s herpetology team carefully prepares adult toads for breeding by mimicking environmental conditions such as temperature shifts, rainfall, and the sounds of toad calls to stimulate natural courtship behaviors.”
The Jacksonville Zoo replicates specific breeding conditions to help encourage its resident Puerto Rican crested toads to mate and lay eggs.
©Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Once the toads begin breeding, the females lay eggs that hatch into tadpoles. One female can lay up to 15,000 eggs. The zoo team hand-counts the tadpoles and then carefully places them into specialized coolers for the trip to Puerto Rico. Once there, officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Puerto Rican Department of Natural and Environmental Resources receive the boxes. The tadpoles are then released into reintroduction ponds.
Breeding Programs Are Critical to the Crested Toad
Once the tadpoles are shipped to Puerto Rico, they are introduced into native ecosystems to help the population of crested toads survive.
©Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens
It’s difficult for the crested toad to reestablish its population through natural breeding in the wild alone. For one thing, conditions have to be just right for the crested toad to breed. The crested toads are triggered to breed by rainfall, with heavier rains (7-13 inches) being most favorable. More rain brings more toads to the breeding ponds to mate. But insufficient rain could mean the toad does not breed at all that season. Even in years when rain is plentiful and the toads mate and lay thousands of eggs, challenges remain. The new hatchlings face many dangers on their way to adulthood.
What Are the Dangers Faced by Puerto Rican Crested Toads?
According to National Geographic, 99% of crested toad eggs will not make it to adulthood. There are many threats to the tadpoles, including predators such as feral dogs and cats, lizards, crabs, and birds. Another pressing issue is habitat destruction. Many of the toads’ breeding ponds have been drained and cleared for agriculture and urban development. And finally, the cane toad, a giant marine toad, was introduced to various countries, including Puerto Rico, in the early 1900s as a pest control measure. Unfortunately for the crested toad, the cane toad is a larger species and outcompetes the crested toad for resources.
The post Jacksonville Zoo Ships Thousands of Rare Toad Tadpoles to Puerto Rico appeared first on A-Z Animals.
