Nordic Frogday 2009
Time again for the Nordic Frogday 2009. It was held in The Agricultural and Veterinairian University in Copenhagen, just like the other years and it was arranged by Søren Werther and Dansk Amfibiecenter. As usual it was a very nice event in a great place that suites this event perfekt. The auditorium is among the best I've seen.
This year there wasn't much of workshops,which I think is OK because most people visiting the frogday from year to year is the same people. Here was some selling at and possibility for people to talk to eachother and it is a nice time with friends mixed with good and interesting hearings by people with alot of knowledge, either as a profession or as very dedicated hobbyists.
Andrew Gray
The first hearing was held by Andrew Gray - Curator of Herpetology at The Manchester Museum. He was showing photos of his work with education and conservation of frogs in their habitats. Also showing photos from the non public collections that is kept behind the walls in The Manchester Museum. His main interest was among treefrogs, mainly from Central America, but he was holding a very interesting hearing including education of pupils in UK, education of the people living at habitats where animals are threatened like eg. Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador. Deseases, Chytrid is impossible to not be mentioned below this topic, also that animals sometimes can remain in pockets that is off the main habitats that gets infected by some illness that kills a whole population. He gave some examples, where the most famous is about Atelopus varius where a population was found outside Quepos in much lower altitude than they normally where found. He also showed spectormeters of leaffrogs of special species that was exposed for alot of sun and more protected from some illnesses, for eg. chytrid.
In all, this was a very intesting hearing and I can imagine that Andrew Gray has alot more to say if we invite him for another hearing in future.
Andrew Gray - NFD2009
Andrew Gray's photos from The Nordic Frogday 2009
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After this is was time for Frokost with Smørrebrød which is nice as always. This is alot of diffrent kinds of sandwiches and it's great for the meat eater. I can guess it's less to choose among for the vegetarian, but everything tasted great.
Lungless Salamanders and Chinese firebelly salamanders
The next hearing comming up was by held Thomas Bille. He was talking about Lungless Salamanders. This seems to be a huge group of salamanders that seems to be very amazing. Many of the lives kind of like the small thumbnail species of poison dart frogs, breeding in bromelias and feeding on small arthropods and ants. Most of the species lives in Central America -down to mid Brazil, but there are also a few species living and Europe and a single one living in Korea. They can be found at the most diffrent Altitudes, but most species seemed to be found in lowland rainforests.
This was an amazing hearing and it seemed to be very interesting animals that isn't much known and that is extremely hard to be found in wild. Also very hard to even keep in captive since there isn't much known about them.
After a short break and some coffee it was time for the next hearing, also by Thomas Bille - Breeding and holdning of Chinese firebelly salamander (Cynops orientalis). This was a very detailed and informative hearing with photos of each step of the animals during the breeding.
Thomas Bille - Salamanders
Thomas Bille's photos from The Nordic Frogday 2009
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Firebellied Toad Project
Now it was time for Lene Rasmusen, Zoo in Copenhagen, to speak about a breeding project for the Firebellied Toad (Bombina bombina).
This was a detailed step by step hearing with alot of nice and detailed photos and information of how to breed Firebellied Toads in large numbers for placing out into the wild again. I think it's very important to not only talk about the tropical species when we have endangered species at home that need alot of attention also.
This was interesting since it's just one among many intetesting projects that is running in Denmark and that was going very well.
Lene Rasmusen - Firebellytoad
Lene Rasmusen's photos at The Nordic Frogday 2009
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Dendrobates tinctorius
After another short break it was time for Simon Bomholt to talk about Dendrobates tinctorius. Habitats, morphs, holding and also breeding. He had a very nice and informative photo show with alot of photos from wild, mostly taken by Marcus Bartelds (nl), and it was very informative. He also ended it all by showing some amazing photos from mixes (crossbreeds) from diffrent tinctorius variants that people have tried to sell as NEW morphs within the hobby. Some of the most amazing ones where the "Tinctorius x Leucomelas" which had been an amazing morph if it had been a natural animal, and the "Amopoto" which is a crossing between "Azureus x Tinctorius". There is also a widely spread crossbreed between morphs in the Fake locality "Agreja" that is a crossbreed between "Azureus and Tinctorius Greyleg (powderblue)". I find it hard to understand why you have to cross-breed the natural morphs since there are so many to choose among as it is.
Simon Bomholt - Tinctorius
Simon Bomholt's photos at Nordic Frogday 2009
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This was it. At the end we drove home to Sweden while some of the others had plans to end it all by eating at a nearby chinese restaurant.
I was tired and it had been a great day where I had met many of my friends with the same interest.
Looking forward for The Nordic Frogday 2010 already! Keep up the good work Søren!
