PREVIEW

Two Critically Endangered Mountain chicken frogs have bred for the first time in five years. Metamorphosing just in time for Mother’s Day, the six froglets are offspring from a new pair, who recently moved into their brand-new custom-built home at London Zoo. The huge frogs, which tip the scales at 360g, immediately got to work prepping for parenthood, with the huge male quickly digging a ‘bowl’ in the underground clay-lined nesting chambers, showing off his skills to his new mate. Once enticed into the nest, the pair produce a foam nest to lay their eggs into. The tadpoles develop in the foam nest and the mother lays thousands of unfertilised eggs for her offspring to feed on every one to seven days. The mothers may feed the tadpoles in the nest 10-13 times during their development, meaning she may produce an estimated 10,000-25,000 eggs. The six-inch-long froglets have some growing to do to reach the size of the enormous adults, and will play a key role in bringing this species back from the brink of extinction.