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Mountain chickens


May 14, 2009 | permalink |



The answer to today's Geo Quiz is the island of Montserrat. It's part of the chain islands called the Leeward Islands located in the Caribbean Ocean.
Montserrat is home to an endangered species of frog known locally as the mountain chicken (Leptodactylus fallax). It's one of the world's largest species of frog, but its numbers elsewhere in the Caribbean have been decimated by a fungus.

Scientist (herpetologist) Andrew Cunningham of the Zoology Society of London has been leading recent extraordinary efforts to save these frogs by airlifting them to zoos in Britain and Sweden where they can be bred in captivity.


Students from Odyssey Day Elementary School in Wakefield, MA sent us these questions:

How will the demise of these mountain chicken frogs, if they are wiped out, affect the ecological food chain? Dr. Cunningham answers:


What advice do you have for conservation minded diners -- is it okay to order frogs legs at the restaurant? Here's Dr. Cunningham's advice:




Zoology Society of London
Durrell Wildlife Trust

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