Re: Site-specific frogs: is it possible?
I think what needs to happen is easy: No more purchasing frogs without specific locality information.
It's implementing it that will be tough. It means getting folks to do the right thing, and not the easy thing. Or the cheap thing.
Another question I would add to the thread is "what is the function of a site specific ID, in the absence of a conservation program to protect the sites?" I would argue it has none. INBICIO and Understory are actively conserving land and it's associated frogs. Breeding from protected wild stock and then flooding the market to reduce the value of poached frogs and produce revenue to add to preservation efforts. This certainly isn't going on in Panama with the pumilio. You can sub-group Bastimentos (for example) frogs into as many "morphs" or "populations" as you like, but it is only of value in the stamp collecting sense- and has done nothing to stop all the "Red Frog" Condos... Just look at the Escudo de Veraguas frogs.... a mad rush to buy wild caught frogs a few years back, and ZERO conservation attempts for the island.
The reality is that captive-bred hobby frogs will not be suitable for reintroduction efforts, should it come to that. The greatest impact froggers can have on the frogs is by supporting the companies that are trying to turn a profit in conservation based frog farming (Understory), the NGO's that actively work in the field (TWI etc.)...
and here is the hard part....
Not buying wildcaught frogs, frogs from lineages we know were smuggled, or dubious "farms" (that are probably just a cover for massive wild exploitation... gee not looking at all those Escudo or anything...).
If frogs aren't coming in from Conservation projects, then all the locality codes in the world don't matter.
Cheers,
Afemoralis
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(The Avatar is Dendrobates biolat photographed in Madre de Dios, Peru)
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