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 Kevin C. Zippel, Ph.D
Program Director
Kevin graduated with honors
as BSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell
University (1994) and got his Ph.D in Zoology from the University of
Florida in 2000.
Currently he coordinates all aspects of the Amphibian Ark initiative, and supervises
the four AArk officers to: address the amphibian extinction crisis, establish
international communication networks and build partnerships, facilitate
species prioritization, acquisition, and management, run management/husbandry
training workshops and lead global publicity and capital campaigns.
Kevin has been Project
Coordinator of Proyecto Rana Dorada (Project Golden Frog) since 1999. This
is a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary, international conservation
program to prevent the extinction of one of the world’s most culturally
significant amphibians, the Panamanian golden frog, the project includes
field studies, captive breeding, and range-country education initiatives (www.ranadorada.org).
Kevin is also working as Affiliate
Professor at New Century College, George Mason University, teaching AZA (Association
of Zoos and Aquariums) Conservation Academy courses to students seeking
college credit. From 2001 - to 2004, Kevin worked as Adjunct Associate
Professor, at the Department of Zoology, Michigan State University
supervising undergraduates conducting internships in Zoo & Aquarium Science
program.
During four years (January 2000 - October 2004) worked as Zoological Curator
of the National Amphibian Conservation Center, Detroit Zoo, where he managed
12,000-sq.-ft. facility dedicated to amphibian conservation where he oversaw
a collection of rare and endangered amphibians averaging 50 species and 1000
specimens, including population management, in situ studies, and release
programs; Kevin also supervised a staff of 7; trained interpretive
volunteers; designed exhibits and graphics and departmental (and ATAG)
website; he also oversaw the zoo Green Team.
His AZA involvement included: member of Reintroduction SAG (2002-4), Green
Practices SAG (2002-2004, secretary 2002-4), Amphibian TAG (1999-2004, vice
chair 2003-4), Puerto Rican Crested Toad SSP (committee member 2003-4).
In 1998 - 1999 Kevin worked as Curatorial Intern at the Department of
Herpetology, at the Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society. He oversaw the amphibian
collection and keepers, conducted water quality monitoring/maintenance,
rewrote reptile and amphibian collection plan, designed exhibits and
graphics, and directed the design of the departmental web page.
Select Publications:
Browne,
R.K., R.A. Odum, T. Herman, and K.C. Zippel. 2007. Facility design and
associated services for the study of amphibians. ILAR Journal 48:188-202.
Browne,
R.K. and K.C. Zippel. 2007. Reproduction and larval rearing of amphibians.
ILAR Journal 48:214-234.
Zippel, K.C., R. Ibáñez
D., E.D. Lindquist, C.L. Richards, C.A. Jaramillo A., and E.J. Griffith.
2007 (“2006”). Implicaciones en la conservación de las ranas doradas de
Panamá, asociadas con su revisión taxonómica. Herpetotropicos 3:29-39.
Lee,
S., K. Zippel, L. Ramos, and J. Searle.
2006. Captive-breeding
programme for the Kihansi spray toad Nectophrynoides asperginis at
the Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York. International Zoo
Yearbook 40:241-253.
Mendelson,
J.R. III, and 49 other authors. 2006. Confronting amphibian declines and
extinctions. Science 313:48.
Zippel,
K.C. 2006. Further observations of oviposition in the Surinam toad (Pipa
pipa), with comments on biology, misconceptions, and husbandry.
Herpetological Review 37:60-68.
Zippel,
K., R. Lacy, and O. Byers (eds.) 2006. CBSG/WAZA Amphibian Ex Situ
Conservation Planning Workshop Final Report. IUCN/SSC Conservation
Breeding Specialist Group, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA.
Rickard,
A., E. Sonntag and K. Zippel. 2004. Amphibian conservation strategies:
Translocating an entire population of Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris
crepitans blanchardi) in southeast Michigan. The Endangered Species
UPDATE 21:128-131.
Zippel,
K.C. 2004. Zoos play a vital role in amphibian conservation. AmphibiaWeb
online
www.amphibiaweb.org/aw/declines/zoo/index.html
Zippel,
K.C. 2002. Conserving the Panamanian Golden Frog: Proyecto Rana Dorada.
Herpetological Review 33:11-12.
Snider,
A. and K. Zippel 2000. Amphibian
conservation at the Detroit Zoological Institute. Declining Amphibian
Populations Task Force (DAPTF) FROGLOG online, August 2000 No. 40.
http://www.open.ac.uk/daptf/froglog/FROGLOG-40-4.html
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