Study finds ethical and illicit sources of poison frogs in the U.S. pet trade

Red-backed Poison Dart Frog. Photo credit: Devin Edmonds

With their vibrant colors and small size, poison frogs are popular among amphibian pet owners in the U.S. Most poison frogs come from legitimate frog breeding operations here and abroad, but some are still snatched from the wild illegally in their native countries, according to Devin Edmonds, doctoral student at the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Given that one-third of amphibian species are threatened with extinction, Edmonds wanted to explore the trade dynamics of the widely kept poison frogs over the past 30 years to better understand potential threats.

Read the full story: https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7447/606579188