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Refrigerated
Frogs?
Dr. Peter Harlow, Taronga Zoo (Herpetofauna Division), Australia
By Mary Stewart
Today,
the 12th of April, “marks the end of a process that has taken
several years,” says Peter. Although it may not be of much
excitement to us, Peter’s day was highlighted by the installation
of a refrigeration unit!
Creature Curiosity
Dr Peter Harlow has always been interested in nature and wildlife.
This interest led Peter into the field of herpetofauna (the
study of reptiles and amphibians), a field in which he has
always held great curiosity. After 25 years of working as
a reptile biologist in the field, Peter has now settled comfortably
into the role of herpetofauna manager at Sydney’s Taronga
Zoo.
Frogs in the Fridge?
The installation of the refrigeration unit marked the highlight
of Peter’s day because of what his colleagues and he will
be able to achieve in the future as a result of this installation.
Taronga Zoo will be keeping and raising hundreds of the highly
endangered Corroboree frogs in a refrigerated shipping container,
and it is Peter’s job as manager to ensure that the process
runs smoothly.
Inhabiting the Snowy Mountains, there are only about 100 individuals
of this species left in the wild and if nothing is done, these
unique creatures will disappear forever. Luckily, we have
Peter and his team to combat this! Peter explains that the
Corroboree frog’s main threat is a pathogenic (i.e., disease-causing)
fungus which strikes during metamorphosis, killing the tadpole
before it becomes a frog.
By taking eggs from the wild and growing the tadpoles up in
the newly completed refrigerated container, they will be able
to insure metamorphosis and return fully developed frogs back
into the wild. In the years to come Peter and his team will
be able to maintain more and more eggs and tadpoles, and hopefully
boost the highly threatened population.
Peter's Projects
Peter is involved in many other conservation projects similar
to that of the Corroboree Frog. The Fijian
Crested Iguana has been a personal interest of his for
over 7 years. This is a critically endangered lizard which
today is only secure on one small island in Fiji. Currently,
Peter is supervising a PhD student in Fiji working on the
iguana’s long term conservation, so this requires him to travel
to Fiji up to twice a year.
Apart from conservation projects, Peter’s job entails plenty
of administrative duties and a lot less on-on-one time with
the animals than you would expect. Being Taronga’s reptile
manager, Peter is in charge of seven full-time staff, casuals,
volunteers and the operation of the 'Bug House' which provides
insects and rodents for the animals in the zoo. There are
lots of administrative duties like ordering food and getting
in contact with maintenance that make up Peter’s day. “All
these have to be done,” says Peter, “or everything will grind
to a halt”.
Peter advises students interested in conservation to follow
their interests. Once you have identified the main area you
are interested in, educate yourself and find out how you can
help. “Volunteering is always the best place to start,” concludes
Peter.
Peter with the rare Fijian Crested Iguana
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