Ex situ reproduction of Bombina pachypus and repopulation in suitable sites

LIFE14 NAT/IT/000759

Ex-situ reproduction of Bombina pachypus within a specialised centre and reintroduction of the species in suitable sites

PROJECT REFERENT
Miozzo Marcello

WEBSITE

Reintroduce Bombina pachypus in areas where the species has conservation problems, through the collection of eggs in reproductive sites where the species is abundant and the ex-situ breeding of tadpoles in the aquarium.

The eggs of Bombina pachypus are collected from sites where the populations of this species are stable and abundant and then taken to a specialised centre, using aquariums. Here the eggs hatch and the tadpoles come out, which must be reared by feeding them correctly and maintaining a suitable aquatic environment. Once the metamorphosis has almost completely occurred, the small amphibians are reintroduced to the sites selected for the reintroduction of the species.

National Park of the Casentinesi Forests, Mount Falterona and Campigna. On the Adriatic side of the Park there are abundant and stable populations of Apennine yellow-bellied toad, while on the Tyrrhenian side the few populations present before the project’s implementation were scarce and had difficulty in reproducing. In Corniolo (FC) the Park, through the WetFlyAmphibia project, has been equipped with a room suitable for ex-situ breeding of the Apennine yellow-bellied toad.

An in-depth knowledge of the presence of the species is required, in order to be able to evaluate any conservation problems and identify the source sites where to take the eggs and the sites in which the species should be reintroduced.

It is necessary to have a suitable structure for the breeding of tadpoles and staff available during the spring-summer period.

From the LIFE GoProFor database, in the final part of the sheet, it is possible to download some material related to the project, including the protocol for the breeding of Bombina pachypus.