PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOAD CONSERVANCY
The first organized captive breeding and reintroduction efforts for the Puerto Rican Crested Toad (PRCT) began in 1984 under the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Species Survival Program© and has been the longest continuous reintroduction program for an amphibian species in the world. In 2021, this successful conservation program metamorphosed into the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy (PRCTC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which is a broad consortium of zoos, individuals, and organizations working together for the long-term survival of the Puerto Rican Crested Toad. This program operates holistically to bridge the gap between in situ and ex situ efforts, providing resources, expertise, and genetically managed captive-bred offspring for recovery of the species.
MISSION
To establish self-sustainable populations of Puerto Rican Crested Toads for their recovery and implement conservation actions that will mutually benefit humans and other native species.
GOALS
- Expand breeding program capacity to bolster number of genetically diverse offspring for education, research, and reintroduction.
- Build effective partnerships and promote educational programs within Puerto Rico for the stewardship of PRCT and other endemics.
- Provide partners with technical assistance and expertise for priority in situ and ex situ research.
- Monitor health and disease risk of in situ and ex situ PRCT populations.
- Participate in development of threat mitigation strategies for sustainability of wild PRCT populations.
PRCTC Board
Diane Barber, President and Conservation Program Coordinator, Fort Worth Zoo
Dustin Smith, Vice President, Vice Conservation Program Coordinator/Studbook Keeper, North Carolina Zoo
Jessi Krebs, Secretary, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Advisors
Husbandry
Derek Benson, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Jessi Krebs, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Genetics/Population Management
Dr. Dean Williams, Texas Christian University
Dr. Robert Barber, University of North Texas Health and Science Center
Dr. Robert Lacy, Chicago Zoological Society
Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Dr. Andy Kouba, Mississippi State University
Dr. Carrie Vance, Mississippi State University
Dr. Allison Julien, Fort Worth Zoo
Veterinary/Pathology
Dr. Ryan De Voe, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema, Sacramento Zoo/University of California, Davis
Dr. Shannon Ferrell, University of Montreal
Captive Breeding Member Institutions
Buffalo Zoological Gardens, Brookfield Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Detroit Zoo, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Fort Worth Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, Miller Park Zoo, Nashville Zoo, North Carolina Zoo, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Potter Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, Sunset Zoo, Zoo Miami and Zoo Tampa.
2022 Contributing Member Institutions
Buffalo Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Milwaukee Zoo, North Carolina Zoo, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Field Program Partners
Puerto Rican Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
United States Fish and Wildlife Service Caribbean Field Office
Inciativa Herpetologica, Inc.
University of Puerto Rico
Ciudadanos del Karso
Para la Naturaleza
Protectores de Cuencas
