Local News

• Dec 4, 2007 7:39 pm US/Eastern
• Digg | Facebook | E-mail

  Close WindowE-mail This Page

  Miami Tadpoles Heading To New Home In Puerto Rico

  Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

  ---

  • Recipient E-mail:* 
  • • Your Name:* 
    • Your E-mail:* 
  • Add a Message:
  •   Send me a copy of this e-mail.

  • Type the characters in this picture:* Click here to refresh with new letters

  ---

  The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

  Send E-mail

  | Print

Miami Tadpoles Heading To New Home In Puerto Rico

MIAMI (CBS4) ― Several hundred tadpoles will be flying economy Tuesday as they head to a swampy new home in Puerto Rico.

The baby frogs, hatched at Miami Metrozoo, are part of a breeding program intended to help replenish the population of the Puerto Rican crested toad; the only toad native to Puerto Rico. 

"We get them a little excited her in captivity, with the male and female," said Ron Magill. "We inject them with some hormones; it's like a frog toad Viagra."

The frogs are essential to Puerto Rico's ecosystem, but only about 100 adults exist in the wild. Biologists are trying to save the species.

During the flight, the tiny crested toad tadpoles will be kept in plastic bags filled with water and pumped with oxygen. They'll also get an in-flight meal of romaine lettuce.

Once they arrive at their destination, scientists will release the tadpoles in a man-made pond in the Guanica National Forest.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)