facebook
twitter
youtube
email
  • About Amphibian Ark
    • AArk Organization
    • AArk Activities
      • Raising Awareness
      • Species Management
      • Conservation Grants
      • AArk Conservation Grant Winners
      • George and Mary Rabb Fellowship
      • Fellowship Winners
    • Workshops
      • Conservation Needs Assessment workshops
      • Husbandry Training
      • Ex Situ Conservation Training Workshop Topics
      • Veterinary Program
    • Biobanking Activities
    • AArk Staff
    • AArk Associates
    • Amphibian Advocates
    • Amphibian Ambassadors
    • Contact Us
  • The Crisis
    • Chytrid Fungus
    • Indicators
    • Calls for Action
    • Amphibian Decline Statistics
  • Education
    • World Frog Day
    • What are Amphibians?
    • Amphibians as Pets
    • Curriculum Materials
    • AArk Documents
    • Other Amphibian Documents
    • Assisted Reproductive Technologies videos
    • Amphibian Translocation Symposium Videos
    • Ex situ amphibian nutrition and feeding webinars
    • Grant Writing Webinar Videos
    • Husbandry Nanotraining Videos
    • Presentations
    • Amphibians on the Web
    • Species Fact Sheets
    • Vídeos
    • Amazing Amphibians
  • Conservation
    • Conservation Needs Assessment workshops
    • Conservation Assessment Results
    • Rescue Species
    • Species for Ex Situ Husbandry Research
    • Captive Programs
      • Amphibian Husbandry
      • Establishing Programs
      • Species Knowledge
      • Adequate Resources for Amphibian Programs
      • Program Implementation Tool
      • Species Management
      • Founder Animals
      • Husbandry Skills
      • Husbandry Standards
      • Amphibian Pods
      • Model Programs
      • Useful Amphibian Husbandry Resources
    • Monitoring Progress
      • Progress of Programs
    • Science and Research
    • Conservation Grants
    • George and Mary Rabb Fellowship
    • Commercial Activities
    • Helping Salamanders
  • Husbandry Documents
    • Amphibian Husbandry Discussion Forum
  • Support Us
    • Join the AArk
    • Donate to the AArk
    • Monthly Donation Form
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Our Funders
    • Our Donors
    • Fundraising for Kids
    • How You Can Help
    • How Others Help
    • Supporting AArk Activities
  • News
    • 2022 Conservation Grant winners
    • George and Mary Rabb Fellowship
    • Conservation Grant winners
    • AArk Newsletter
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • English
    • Español

Founder Animals

One of the most important aspects of establishing a new ex situ population is obtaining sufficient founder animals (unrelated individuals who help establish a population), but unfortunately, this is often over-looked when new programs are established.

Lemur juvis on leaf, Ron Gagliardo - founder animalsAmphibian Ark recommends that at least twenty pairs of animals (or groups of individuals) are collected as founder animals. Ideally these would be unrelated and will successfully reproduce, but of course that cannot be guaranteed. Realize that many more than this number may have to be captured to ensure that twenty pairs actually survive and successfully reproduce.

Collection of founders should be targeted towards obtaining as many unique lineages as possible (e.g., collect from different locations and, if possible, different sites at each location to reduce the probability of collecting related animals). This assumes that a phylogenetic study has been done among these different populations to verify that they are in fact the same species.

Amphibian Ark has developed a tool to help calculate the number of founders that should be collected, based on the reproductive biology of the species being considered. The tool uses data from our Amphibian Population Management Guidelines (en Español – Lineamientos para el Manejo de Poblaciones de Anfibios).

Please use our online founder calculation tool (or en Español). Data should be entered for each species that is being considered for an ex situ conservation program.

Enter the species name in the tool, and then select the appropriate biological values and management type from the options listed. Then click the Show results button to display the number of founders that should be collected, and target population sizes for that type of reproductive model.

For additional population management advice for amphibians, please contact Kristine Schad (Kristine.Schad@eaza.net) or Kristin Leus (kristin@cbsgeurope.eu).

See the Establishing Ex Situ Amphibian Programs page for additional information on implementing amphibian conservation programs.

amphibian ark name, 197pxis grateful for the generous support of these organizations that sponsor and/or host our staff

AArk sponsors


AArk merchandiseCheck our range of shirts, hoodies, caps and mugs!


Global Amphibian Bioblitz


Support AArk


WAZA ASG CPSG
IUCN Species Survival Commission Copyright © 2022 amphibianark.org