Conservation & Science

Transcription

1 Conservation & Science IN THIS ISSUE January, 2011 The Phoenix Zoo provides experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world. The New Black-Footed Ferret Breeding Center

2 Other Updates Conservation & Science January, 2011 IN THIS ISSUE FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE... 2 The New Black-Footed Ferret Breeding Center... 2 Black-footed Ferret Transport Trip... 3 The History of Black-Footed Ferret Conservation... 4 FIELD REPORTS FEATURE GET INVOLVED The Phoenix Zoo provides experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world. The New Black-Footed Ferret Breeding Center Rediscovery by a Dog Named Shep... 4 The Formation of the Blackfooted Ferret Breeding Program... 5 The Early Years... 5 There and Back Again Releasing Black-footed Ferrets to the Wild... 5 Reintroduction Map... 5 Current Black-footed Ferret Conservation Challenges... 6 Reintroduction Sites... 7 FIELD REPORTS... 8 Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation Conservation and Science Center Species Updates... 8 Narrow-headed Gartersnakes... 8 Desert Pupfish... 8 Gila Topminnow... 8 Page Springsnail... 9 Chiricahua Leopard Frogs...10 Black-footed Ferrets FIELD REPORT UPDATES FROM OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTED ORGANIZATIONS Black-footed Ferret Spotlighting Report AZA Black-footed Ferret SSP Annual Meeting Contact Us SUPPORT CONSERVATION 1

3 FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE The New Black-Footed Ferret Breeding Center Stuart Wells Director of Conservation and Science There are only six black-footed ferret (BFF) breeding centers in the world: Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, CO; Louisville Zoological Garden, KY; Toronto Zoo, Ontario, Canada; the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Carr, Colorado; and the Phoenix Zoo s Ferret Breeding Center. Upon completion of our new Black-footed ferret Breeding Center in October 2010, we once again joined the dedicated group of organizations who work to produce black-footed ferrets for release to the wild. The new breeding center is located within the Zoo s Conservation and Science Center complex, and our Conservation and Science Center staff are responsible for the care of this species. Our first ferret facility was completed in early 1991, making the Zoo the fourth institution to enter the ferret-breeding program. We utilized the old facility for nearly twenty years, producing 399 ferrets, many of which were released to the wild in Arizona. In 2008 we had to demolish our old ferret breeding facility to make way for expansion and renovation of the Zoo s orangutan exhibit. At that time, we vowed to continue our involvement with the BFF recovery efforts and to construct a new breeding center as soon as possible. It took a little time, but with support from the Arizona Zoological Society Board of Trustees and a generous grant from the Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation, we were able to build the new facility. This new building has increased our holding capacity and contains many updated features that our old facility did not have. On November 18, we hosted a special dedication ceremony for the new facility, which was attended by members of US- FWS, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation trustees. The new breeding center now houses 29 ferrets. We are very hopeful that we will have a successful inaugural breeding season and that we will soon begin producing more ferrets for release to the wild. Although nearly 400 ferrets were born in the old ferret facility, it was small and cramped making work difficult. The new facility s 6200 square feet provides more space for breeding ferrets as well as more room for staff to work. With the help of a generous donation from the Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation we were able to complete the construction of the new Black-footed Ferret Breeding Center. On November 18, we were joined by officials from AZGF, USFWS, and the Johnson Foundation Trustees in the dedication of the new building 2

4 FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE Conservation behind the Scenes: Bio-Security and Reproductive Science Photo credit T. Sprankle Zoo guests may wonder why they are not able to visit the new ferret building. Ferret breeding centers must be bio-secure facilities due to the susceptibility of ferrets to disease. Black-footed ferrets can contract illnesses from humans such as rhinovirus (common cold) and influenza as well as canine distemper transmitted from staff or guests household pets. Therefore, none of the ferret breeding centers are open to the general public, and staff who work within the centers are required to follow strict policies and procedures. Our new facility is specially equipped to allow us to maintain all of these important bio-security protocols. The breeding facility must be able to maintain a permanent quarantine status, and as such, all work with ferrets, including veterinary procedures and examinations, are ideally conducted within the bio-secure area of the complex. Our new facility includes a treatment room so that our veterinary staff can conduct examinations and treatment at the site. Since BFF have a low tolerance for high temperatures, the HVAC system in our new building is programmed to not exceed 72 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature alarm sounds on the Zoo s radio system if temperatures within the breeding compound reach a level outside the safe parameters for BFFs. Ferrets are seasonal breeders, with only a small window during the year where both the male and the female have the best chance for a successful pairing. Therefore, determining reproductive readiness is critical to the success of the breeding program. The reproductive assessment components of the BFF breeding protocol require examination of certain cells under a microscope to determine reproductive readiness, and to assess whether an observed breeding was successful. The breeding center is equipped with a lab station that includeds a microscope and fixing solutions for microscopic slide preparation. Since all of the utensils and cleaning materials used for servicing the compound must be washed and sanitized at the site, our new building includes a full laundry and food prep area. Each BFF breeding center is required to have shower in capability (ferret staff would shower before working with the animals in the bio-secure area) and dedicated clothing for use in the building in the event that a disease outbreak occurs, necessitating a higher level of bio-security. All of these control protocols require an extraordinary commitment from the hosting organization and from the breeding center staff. Phoenix Zoo s Conservation and Science Department is very pleased to be an active participant in the breeding and reintroduction of the black-footed ferret and we look forward to continuing our long-standing involvement in this important species recovery plan. Sharon Biggs, Conservation Technician, examines samples collected to determine reproductive readiness and to confirm breeding. The new facility is equipped with a lab in order to conduct these examinations. Photo credit T. Sprankle Black-footed Ferret Transport Trip Tara Sprankle Conservation Manager In anticipation of the completion of our new BFF breeding facility, Conservation Technician Luke McRoberts and I made a 3-day round trip to northern Colorado to pick up the ferrets designated to take up residence at the new facility. We set off in a cargo van early on the morning of Oct. 22 and deadheaded from Phoenix to Wellington, Colorado, arriving 925 miles and 15 hours later. After a good night s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we headed another 20 minutes up the road to Carr, where the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center is located. This is the recovery program s main ferret breeding facility and is staffed and maintained by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. We arrived at 8am, and after a quick tour assisted the Center staff with the capture and crating of the 21 animals that would make the trip with us back to Phoenix. Catching up ferrets for transport actually takes a bit longer than you might expect and it was approaching 1pm by the time we had caught up all the ferrets and securely arranged them into crates in the van. After leaving the Ferret Conservation Center, we traveled about 350 miles to Ted Turner s Vermejo Park Ranch just west of Raton, New Mexico. This ranch has been involved in black-footed ferret recovery for many years, first as a pen breeding facility and now as a release site. We were able to leave the ferrets in a quarantine building at the ranch overnight while we traveled back to Raton to spend the night. By leaving the ferrets at the ranch, we were spared driving 15 hours straight back to Phoenix, which would have been a long and unpleasant trip for all of us. Having driven this route with ferrets onboard in the past, I can attest to how uncooperative ferrets are when you stop at a rest area for a little nap. The minute the vehicle stops they 3 After three long days of travel the 21 new ferrets arrived at the Conservation Center. Photo credit T. Sprankle all start scratching, chittering and musking, creating sounds and smells that make sleep impossible. We started out before dawn on Sunday and headed back to the ranch to pick up the ferrets and get back on the road. They

5 FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE all got what they probably considered a yummy breakfast of thawed rat, and were then repacked into the van. The rest of the drive back was uneventful although after 11 hours with 21 ferrets in a closed cargo van the air becomes quite fragrant. Luckily, it wasn t too cold outside, because there was no way we were keeping the windows closed the whole time! We arrived back at the Zoo s Conservation Center on Sunday afternoon and unloaded the new ferrets into their temporary holding while waiting for clearance to move them into the new breeding facility. Three days and just under 2,000 miles later, we had arrived, tired and smelly but excited at the prospect of breeding black-footed ferrets again at the Phoenix Zoo Conservation Center. The History of Black-Footed Ferret Conservation A small but formidable carnivore, the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) once ranged widely throughout grasslands in the United States and into Canada, wherever sufficient prairie dogs were present to provide shelter and serve as prey. Fossils provide evidence that black-footed ferrets also ranged into Mexico at one time. Black-footed ferrets are a member of the family Mustelidae, and are one of five members of the genus Mustela that occur in North America. The black-footed ferret is the only North American ferret. They are most closely related to the Siberian polecat (Mustela eversmannii). There is only one other ferret species in the world, the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo). Once widespread, black-footed ferret numbers began to decline in the early 1900 s with the expansion of ranching and farming into grasslands, prairie dog poisoning, and diseases such as canine distemper and human-introduced sylvatic plague. Prairie dogs are considered vermin by ranchers and land management agencies; it is believed that their burrowing and foraging activities are detrimental to the quality of the grasslands, and that livestock could Black-footed ferret reintroductions to the wild began in Photo credit USFWS be injured by stepping into the prairie dogs burrows. In reality, prairie dogs play a critical role in the vitality and survival of grasslands. Their burrowing activity turns over soil, aerating it and allowing for decomposition of materials such as animal feces, dead plants, etc. Since prairie dogs make up more than ninety percent of the ferrets diet and they depend entirely upon prairie dog burrows for shelter, the extermination of prairie dogs severely limited their survival. Rather than digging their own burrows, ferrets take over prairie dog burrows for protection and for rearing their kits. With no relief from the factors affecting the black-footed ferrets range and resources, the inevitable decline of the species continued until they were extirpated throughout most of their range. The black-footed ferret was given protection under the precursors to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1967 and the Endangered Species Conservation Act in Finally, the black-footed ferret was listed as Endangered throughout its former range under the Endangered Species Act of In 1974, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) established the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Team, which was tasked with developing a Recovery Plan for the species. A population of black-footed ferrets was discovered on a farm in South Dakota in Studies of this population of about 90 animals found a low density, highly dispersed population closely corresponding to the prairie dog distribution in the state. By 1971, it appeared that this wild population was failing. Subsequently, ten ferrets were removed from the wild and placed at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, however this population did not thrive and the last remaining ferret died in Searches for ferrets in the wild were fruitless and it was feared that they had gone extinct. In 1981 a cattle rancher s dog Shep (center) retrieved a black-footed ferret in the wild, leading to the discovery of the last remaining wild population of this species. Rediscovery by a Dog Named Shep In the fall of 1981, a Wyoming rancher s dog named Shep killed a small weasel-like mammal, which was later identified as a black-footed ferret. Confirmation of this finding led to the search and subsequent discovery of a population of black-footed ferrets near Meeteetse, Wyoming living among several white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) colonies. This population was monitored closely in the wild for several years, providing vital information about life history and sociality of the species. Tragically, in June of 1985, just one month after a decision was made to start a captive propagation program; canine distemper was discovered in the wild population. Today we guess that sylvatic plague also hit the population, weakening it further. Numbers decreased quickly and within three months, only a few animals were found in the wild. It was now critical to the survival of the species to get a captive breeding program underway. From 1985 to 1987, the remaining 18 black-footed ferrets were brought into captivity at Sybille, Wyoming, and in 1987, the official captive breeding program was formed and initiated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the USFWS. 4

6 FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE The Formation of the Black-footed Ferret Breeding Program The 1974 recovery team completed the federal Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan in June of A recovery plan is a course of actions initiated by USFWS with the goal of restoring a species to the point that it can be delisted or removed from the endangered species list. Recovery plans will include all necessary actions that are required to recover the species. In the case of the black-footed ferret, because they had been completely extirpated from the wild, one of the actions required was to develop a captive breeding program that would eventually provide enough specimens for release to the wild. It took many years to initiate the breeding program that began with the last 18 wild-caught ferrets. This group produced two litters in 1987, marking the beginning of the journey to recovery for black-footed ferrets. In 1996, the USFWS established the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team, which was tasked with overseeing the full implementation of the Recovery Plan. Black-footed ferrets rely on prairie dog habitat for food and refuge. Photo credit USFWS The Early Years The years of studying the Meeteetse wild population in Wyoming, as well as captive breeding research recommended in the recovery plan proved to be beneficial in the development of a captive breeding program. Much had been learned about when breeding season occurred, how long it lasted, and what to look for when attempting to pair animals. All of this information went into developing the captive breeding management protocol for ferrets. The recovery plan also recommended that the breeding population be distributed throughout several institutions in order to protect the entire population from loss due to catastrophic disease or other disturbances. Some of the early facilities involved with this important program were the Smithsonian s National Zoo s Conservation Research Center (now known as Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute) and Omaha s Henry Doorly Zoo in 1988, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (1990), Phoenix Zoo and Louisville Zoo (both 1991), and the Toronto Zoo (1993). The Henry Doorly Zoo is no longer in the breeding program, but the remaining five zoos continue their active involvement, in collaboration with the National Ferret Conservation Center now located in Carr, Colorado. Participation in the black-footed ferret breeding program requires a substantial commitment of specialized facilities and staff and extensive resources, often without external support. These participating facilities represent the true spirit of collaboration in species conservation programs. Between 1987 and 1991, the breeding program produced over 400 ferret kits and was poised to begin reintroducing ferrets into the wild. There and Back Again Releasing Black-footed Ferrets to the Wild The first release of captive-born ferrets to the wild was conducted in 1991 at the Shirley Basin in Wyoming. Currently, there are 17 ferret release sites in the U.S., located in Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, and Arizona. Recently, the recovery program has become international, with one release site in Mexico and one in Canada. Since the start of the ferret breeding program, nearly 7000 ferrets have been born in at the breeding centers, over 2300 of which have been released to the wild. It is estimated that over 1000 now exist in the wild, thanks in part to the release of over 200 captive-bred ferrets each year. The captive population of ferrets is maintained at about 300 and each of these ferrets is carefully selected for pairing in order to ensure production of offspring that have the best potential for maintaining a genetically viable population in the wild and in our facilities. The establishment of a successful captive breeding program is but one vital step Reintroduction This year ninety-six ferrets were counted during the 2010 spotlighting events at the release site in Aubrey Valley, AZ. Photo credit S. Biggs 19 REINTRODUCTION SITES - Wyoming - Montana - South Dakota - Colorado - Mexico - Kansas - Mexico - Utah - Arizona - Canada Black-footed ferrets used to range across North America s midsection from Mexico to Canada. They have been reintroduced into 19 areas since the start of the recovery program. 5

7 FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE towards the recovery of a species brought to the brink of extinction. Ultimately these captive-born animals must be released, and be capable of surviving and reproducing in the wild. More importantly though, viable habitat needs to be present into which the species can be reintroduced. Reintroduction of extirpated (locally extinct) species to the wild is a complex process. The black-footed ferret reintroduction program was complicated because ferrets are carnivores that must be able to hunt and kill a very specific type of prey, as well as survive in a limited habitat (prairie dogs colonies) in order to thrive. Finding suitable disease-free habitat for them is also challenging due to human population growth and prairie dog extermination campaigns. It has been difficult to locate viable prairie dog towns large enough to sustain healthy BFF populations. Strong partnerships with state and provincial agencies, private landowners and others all come into play in establishing successful recovery planning efforts. At about 90 days of age, ferrets selected for release to the wild are sent to the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Carr, Colorado for pre-conditioning. Ferrets are placed in pre-conditioning pens where they live in prairie dog burrows and have the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to hunt and survive in a natural habitat without the pressure of predation. They are also vaccinated against diseases that might be present in the wild such as canine distemper and sylvatic plague. Ferrets that are unable to catch and kill prey in the preconditioning pens are not considered suitable for release. The implementation of prerelease protocols has greatly increased the survivorship of ferrets released to the wild. Current Black-footed Ferret Conservation Challenges The future success of the BFF recovery program still faces many challenges. Disease is still a critical factor in the ferrets ability to survive. There have been outbreaks of sylvatic plague amongst the prairie dogs at some release sites, and canine distemper is always a potentially devastating disease if an outbreak occurs. In addition, we may begin to see that the genetic bottleneck the species went through in the 1980 s is affecting the ferrets breeding success. Only eight of the original 18 wild ferrets brought into the breeding program contributed genes to the population, therefore the initial founder gene pool was very small. Through very careful population management techniques we have still maintained a ~87% retention of founder gene diversity after all these years. However, since it is nearly impossible to infuse new diversity into a captive population after it has USFWS ferret breeding program manager Paul Marinari loading black-footed ferrets for travel to Phoenix. Photo credit T. Sprankle One of our newly arrived black-footed ferrets being transferred to her new home in the breeding center. Photo credit T. Sprankle been through such a bottleneck, percentage of gene diversity will continue to decline, and ultimately may lead to lower reproduc- Black-footed ferret at the USFWS breeding center in Carr, Colorado. Photo credit T. Sprankle 6

8 FEATURED CONSERVATION & SCIENCE ARTICLE tive success in the captive population. There is hope in the case of black-footed ferrets, however. In 2008 and again in 2009 the Smithsonian National Zoo s breeding facility celebrated the birth of ferret kits resulting from artificial insemination using reproductive material collected from a black-footed ferret in Though the donor ferret was no longer alive, he was able to introduce new genetic diversity into the current population using this extraordinary procedure. While advances in reproductive technology may help solve some of the genetic and demographic challenges facing black-footed ferrets in the wild, suitable habitat for release sites will always be in demand. The ferret s specific diet of prairie dogs and the necessity for using prairie dog burrows for homes is an essential and limiting factor as the recovery implementation team evaluates new release sites. Additionally, conflict still exists about prairie dog management, at times placing ranchers and ferret recovery efforts at odds. The USFWS, state and local governments, non-governmental conservation organizations, and members of the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team, (BFF RIT) continue to work with landowners to increase their understanding of the importance of ferret conservation efforts, identify potential new release sites, and control disease in wild populations. As an organization, the Phoenix Zoo staff and volunteers are proud to have been an integral part of blackfooted ferret recovery almost from the start, and are pleased to be involved in the breeding program again. Black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced into 19 sites in the US, Canada and Mexico Ferret Reintroduction Sites Over 2300 ferrets have been released to the wild since the recovery program s inception. Photo credit USFWS 1. Shirley Basin, WY (1991) 2. Badlands NP, SD (1994) 3. UL Bend NWR, MT (1994) 4. Conata Basin, SD (1996) 5. Aubrey Valley, AZ (1996) 6. Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation, MT (1997) 7. Coyote Basin, UT (1999) 8. Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, MT (2000) 9. Wolf Creek, CO (2001) 10. BLM 40-complex, MT (2001) Janos, Mexico (2001) 12. Rosebud Indian Reservation, SD (2004) 13. Lower Brule Indian Reservation, SD (2006) 14. Wind Cave NP, SD (2007) 15. Espee Ranch, AZ (2007) 16. Logan County, KS (2007) 17. Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, MT (2008) 18. Vermejo Park Ranch, NM (2008) 19. Saskatchewan, Canada (2009)

9 FIELD REPORTS - Regional Conservation Programs FIELD REPORTS Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation Conservation and Science Center Species Updates: Narrow-headed Gartersnakes Thamnophis rufipunctatus This summer we had confirmed breeding of our two largest females and our two male gartersnakes. We have been closely monitoring the female from the first breeding using ultrasound and early indications were that she was in fact gravid (carrying eggs). It has been six months since the breeding and although we can no longer see egg-like structures on ultrasound, we are still seeing unusual structures so we are still hopeful that she is gravid. Narrow-headed gartersnakes produce live young, so the fact that we no longer see egg-like structures may mean that the eggs have hatched, but that she is not yet ready to give birth. Interestingly, the gestation for T. rufipunctatus is not known, so if she does produce young that will provide new and valuable information about their life history that we can share with other facilities working with this species now or in the future. As a precaution due to their presumed condition, we will not hibernate either of the females this winter. We will keep them active and will monitor them closely for the possibility of babies. Our two males and a sub-adult female have just entered hibernation after first undergoing a physical exam to evaluate their health before cooling them Our narrow-headed gartersnakes bred in July, but there has not been a birth yet. The gestation for NHGS is not known, but four months is what had been estimated from field data. Photo credit T. Sprankle down for a two to three month hibernation period. Desert Pupfish Cyprinodon macularius This summer, the AZ Game and Fish Department removed fish from the Zoo s Mandarin Pond near the Tiger exhibit to help establish a new population of desert pupfish at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center in Phoenix. During two different trapping events, 207 fish were captured and later released at the Center. In addition, 100 new pupfish were introduced to our two ponds at the Zoo, adding new genes to our breeding groups, which will strengthen our already prolific populations. With the onset of colder temperatures, most of the fish have gone into their winter dormancy. They will spend the winter burrowed into the mud in the bottom of the ponds and will re-emerge next spring once temperatures are warmer. A male desert pupfish. Photo credit T. Sprankle Gila Topminnow Poeciliopsis occidentalis This fall we drained the water from our Anuran Conservation Center so we could complete some desperately needed repairs. The Anuran Center, which is part of the original Hunt Fish Hatchery site from the 1930 s, was renovated in the 1990 s for use as a breeding facility for our Chiricahua leopard frogs. For the last few years, it has also housed endangered Gila topminnows as a refuge population in collaboration with Arizona Game and Fish and USFWS. The repairs will fix leaks and extend the life of this important breeding center. The repairs are almost complete and the pond will be ready The Gila topminnow refuge on the zoo grounds held over one thousand fish. this spring for restocking with a more genetically diverse population of Gila topminnow that can used to reintroduce new or augment existing wild populations in Arizona. 8 Game and Fish Biologist Nick Berndt trapped out Gila topminnow from our refugium, in order to make room for a new group of Gila topminnow that will produce offspring that can be released to the wild. Photo credit T. Sprankle

10 FIELD REPORTS - Regional Conservation Programs Page Springsnail Pyrgulopsis morrisoni research update Drew Pearson ASU School of Life Science Undergraduate Research Program Since May of 2010, the Conservation Center has housed a population of 187 Page springsnails (Pyrgulopsis morrisoni) from Page Springs in Yavapai County, Arizona. We are developing a propagation and husbandry protocol for springsnails in conjunction with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to maintain a refugium population at the Conservation Center that could augment wild populations in case of catastrophic loss. In July, after much work refining husbandry protocols i.e., diet procedures, temperature ranges, and water quality control, we discovered a single juvenile springsnail in one of our holding tanks. Within a few days of this discovery, we began to find other newly hatched springsnails. This is the first recorded reproduction of Page springsnails outside of their natural habitat making the springsnail reproduction at the Conservation Center a very important achievement and one that will provide valuable information about this genus of snails. Two adult Page springsnails. Photo S. Wells Since July 19, when we discovered the first juvenile springsnail in one of our tanks, we have seen an explosion of reproduction with over 60 springsnails born, and probably more that we cannot observe directly. This unprecedented increase in reproduction has provided an opportunity to learn many things that were unknown about Page springsnails. The newly hatched springsnails are incredibly small, measuring only one-tenth of a millimeter, compared to the adult size of 2-3 mm. According to our observations, juvenile Page springsnails develop to the adult size after about six weeks. However, since there has been very little research done on the species life history we have isolated two populations of these juvenile springsnails in an enclosed tub and will monitor them over the course of a year to record the development rate, age of reproduction, and longevity. One curious observation about this species is that they seem to avoid the lighted areas of the tank, and there are more snails observed in the morning just after the timed lights turn on. In the field we had noted that these snails were often found on the underside of plants or under rocks, but we had not attributed that to a day or night preference. To follow up on what we have been observing in the lab, we recorded 30 one-hour videos of snail activity during day and night to determine if there is a difference in their activity patterns. Preliminarily there does appear to be a marked increase in activity during nighttime versus daytime, but we have not completed data analysis. Once we have finished reviewing the video data we will complete a report to share with our partners and others who work with this tiny invertebrate species. We are very pleased with our success maintaining and reproducing Page springsnails and look forward to learning more about their life history as we work with our partners towards conservation of the species. Arizona State University SOLUR Apprentice Drew Pearson taking dissolved oxygen reading from the Page springsnail tanks. Springsnails are very sensitive to minuscule changes in water chemistry. Photo credit S. Wells 1 week Only.10 mm The first record of Springsnail hatched outside its natural habitat. Photo D.Pearson 3 weeks 1 mm Photo D.Pearson 4 weeks Photo D.Pearson 6 weeks Photo D.Pearson Conservation Center Page springsnail hatchings are the first ever recorded outside of their natural habitat. Photo credit S. Wells 9

11 FIELD REPORTS - Regional Conservation Programs Chiricahua Leopard Frogs Lithobates chiricahuensis After another successful rearing and release season, our population of Chiricahua leopard frogs is hibernating for the winter at the Ranarium adjacent to the Conservation and Science Center. This spring, they will move back into the recently renovated Anuran Conservation Center once the repair work on that facility is completed. In addition, we are housing 32 tadpoles that hatched this spring but did not metamorph before winter and nine froglets that developed too late to be released in They will be released to the wild next spring or early summer once they complete their development. Two Chiricahua leopard frogs remain at the Conservation Center. These two frogs each had an abnormal eye that impaired their vision, but otherwise were perfectly healthy. Because of these vision problems, they would not likely have survived long in the wild. After conferring with the USFWS, we decided to keep them at the Conservation Center where they serve as ambassadors for their Conservation Tech Luke McRoberts prepares to feed the newly relocated Chiricahua leopard frogs. We moved the CLF to the ranaria area in order to renovate the Lower Anuran Center. species so our guests are able to see what a Chiricahua leopard frog looks like. Black-footed Ferrets Mustela nigripes With the completion of the Zoo s new Black-footed Ferret Breeding Center, we received 15 breeding animals and 6 more ferrets retired from the breeding program. With these additional animals, the new facility houses a total of 29 BFF. All of the ferrets are settling in well. We will begin checking for reproductive readiness in January and anticipate that we will start pairing animals for breeding in April or May. We plan to start pairing ferrets for breeding in April or May. FIELD REPORTS FROM OUR PARTNERS FIELD CONSERVATION UPDATES FROM OUR PARTNERS AND FROM SUPPORTED ORGANIZATIONS Black-footed Ferret Spotlighting Report Jennifer Cordova Arizona Game and Fish Department Fourteen years after they were first reintroduced to the state, black-footed ferret surveys conducted this fall show a record 96 animals in the Aubrey Valley population located outside of Seligman, Arizona. Not only is the number of ferrets identified a record high for Arizona s population, but it also exceeds the state s draft conservation goal that needs to be met in order for the species to be downlisted from endangered to threatened on the Endangered Species List. Downlisting means that the species has recovered to a point where its classification on the Endangered Species List has improved. All states with black-footed ferret populations are given state-specific recovery goals that lead to a larger national recovery effort. It s a tremendous milestone for Arizona to surpass one of the draft recovery goals for getting blackfooted ferrets removed from the Endangered Species List and do its part to contribute to the larger national conservation effort, says Larry Voyles, director of the Arizona Game 10 Jeff Corcoran, AZGFD Wildlife Specialist, conducting wild BFF examination during the fall spotlighting at the Aubrey Valley release site. and Fish Department. We would not be making such significant progress on bringing this species back from the brink of extinction if it weren t for support from the Heritage Fund and help from our partners at the Phoenix Zoo. We will continue to work towards a full recovery for the species. During the March spotlighting event, 54 BFF were caught with 29 of those being brand new, never before processed. There were 13 recaptures from previous events (12 from 2009 and 1 from 2007) making 42 total individual BFF for the event. 106 spotlighters (97 volunteers, three Department, and three Region III) spotlighted a total of 856 hours. Trapping success was 48%. For the fall event held in October 66 BFF were caught with 50 being brand new BFF. Eight recaptures (seven from 2009 and one from the March event) added four BFF to the population since four of those recaptures were counted in the spring event. There were 84 spotlighters (82 volunteers, 1 Department, and 1 Region III) who spotlighted a total of 686 hours. Trapping success was 50%. The total number of individual BFF for the year was 96, the highest count to date. Seventy-nine of the BFF were brand new, and 17 were recaptures from previous events. Several records were set this year including the total number of volunteers (106), the number of BFF trapped in one event (66), the number of BFF trapped in one night (19), and the number of BFF caught in one night by a single group (6).

12 GET INVOLVED RECENT EVENTS AZA Black-footed Ferret SSP Annual Meeting The annual Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) BFF Species Survival Plan meeting was held in San Diego, California at the San Diego Zoo s Institute for Conservation Research. Phoenix Zoo Conservation staff members Ruth Allard, Stuart Wells, Tara Sprankle, Sharon Biggs and Staff Veterinarian Julie Swenson attended along with BFF SSP education liaison Jeremy Barlow of the Phoenix Zoo s Special Events department. The meeting included reports from all of the breeding facilities as well as updates on the current status of release sites and education and research projects. Breakout sessions covering husbandry issues, medical care and planning for the upcoming 30-year anniversary celebration allowed all in attendance to collaborate with staff from other facilities and organizations. We look forward to hosting the meeting in 2012, which is the 30-year anniversary of the recovery program and a milestone in BFF history. Community Conservation Get Involved Links to conservation org sites that seek volunteers. TogetherGreen If you are interested in internships at the Phoenix Zoo s Conservation Center send an to conservation@thephxzoo.com Please stay informed about Conservation Center activities at our Facebook page Phoenix Zoo Conservation Center on Facebook The Phoenix Zoo Conservation and Science Newsletter 455 N. Galvin Parkway Phoenix, AZ Phone: President/CEO of Phoenix Zoo NORBERTO J. BERT CASTRO Produced by: STUART WELLS Director of Conservation and Science Production Support JEFF WILLIAMSON President, Arizona Zoological Society RUTH ALLARD Executive Vice President Conservation and Experiences TARA SPRANKLE Conservation Manager SHARON BIGGS Conservation Technician LUKE MCROBERTS Conservation Technician Contact Us We value your feedback about this publication and about our conservation programs. Please submit comments to conservation@thephxzoo.com To subscribe to this newsletter go to Join us on Facebook! Conservation Center Designed by MikeRDzign Graphic Design