Rare frogs found in the forests of South East Asia have bred for the first time at Chester Zoo. The 43 Cinnamon Frogs are the only amphibians of their kind to hatch in any zoo in the world in nearly two years. 

Photo Credits: Steve Rawlins/Chester Zoo

Team manager of lower vertebrates and invertebrates for Chester Zoo, Ben Baker, said, “It’s really exciting that we have bred these unusual and very sensitive frogs, especially as we’re the first zoo in Europe to ever do so. 

“Cinnamon Frogs are a secretive species and live in a very, very specialized environment. Their ideal habitat is incredibly limited and so, as with many frog species around the world, they are extremely fragile. Currently they are listed as near threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but with population sizes decreasing due to widespread habitat loss; the species is likely to become threatened in the near future. 

“Relatively little is actually known about the Cinnamon Frog, and so we now hope to learn a lot from our new arrivals. The delicate work the team has put in to getting these beautiful but complex animals to breed and all of the intensive care we’re now giving them will help us to build up our knowledge base. This kind of information can be invaluable for the long-term protection of the species.”