Toad discovery brings together Syrian, Illinois scientists

Syrian Spadefoot toad.
Adult Syrian Spadefoot Toad discovered in a greenhouse in Burj Arab, Tartous Governorate, Syria, March 18, 2022. This was the second confirmed sighting of the species in the region. Photo by Naeil Khosam.

The Syrian Spadefoot Toad has been rediscovered in the war-torn country with the help of Syrian community scientists and Illinois researchers.

“Community Science Rediscovers the Syrian Spadefoot Toad, Pelobates syriacus, in War-Torn Regions of Syria” was published in the journal Herpetological Conservation and Biology Dec. 16, 2024, just days after a major shift in the 13-year-long civil war resulted in the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Read the full story here: https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7447/548136227