Manchester frogs go to USA!

Thanks to Ron Gagliardo (AmphibianArk) and Atlanta Zoo, this weekend I will be taking several Splendid Leaf Frogs, Cruziohyla calcarifer, with me to America. They are part of an international conservation initiative that was started many years ago.  The breeding programme was first started in Manchester in 2000 with the aim of establishing an ‘Ark’ for the species. Over the [...]

Bank Holiday Talk!

Apart from giving talks for under 12’s in the Museum, over the forthcoming months I am also very pleased to be giving several other presentations. Its always a pleasure for me to talk on my favourite subject - but be warned that its hard to stop me once I start! During some of the talks I will be highlighting the plight of [...]

Newsflash!

The adult male Fat-tailed gecko who is the star of our education talks has just become a father!  Here is a pic of the tiny hatchling that emerged just 3 hours ago! Mother and baby are doing fine! 
More photos at http://is.gd/BZpT  and to keep up to date with all our other museum news see http://twitter.com/McrMuseum

Green-eyed frog update!

The year before last I joined forces with my friend Mark Wainwright to try and help secure the future of a Critically Endangered Costa Rican frog, Lithobates vibicarius.  This beautiful green-eyed frog, which was once abundant in Costa Rica and Panama, is now restricted to just one pond in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.  Following a guelling 2 day hike to the [...]

Collecting Frog DNA

Research using DNA helps us to understand frog populations better so in many cases we can help conserve them more effectively. Together with my colleague Dr Cathy Walton, I have been developing  DNA techniques for evaluating the genetic status of several species so that different populations or separate ’species’ can be identified for individual conservation. The year before last we went to the north of Thailand [...]