The Kihansi Spray Toad:
This visit was done at kihansi spray toad in 2013, Kihansi gorge is located in Udzungwa mountains which is part of Estern Arc Forests in Tanzania, by a group of students from University of Dar es Salaam as we will see from some of the pictures taken from there.
Kihansi gorge Research station: is located in Udzungwa mountains
The Kihansi spray toad,Nectophrynoides asperginis, is a yellowish dwarf toad, with females reaching up to 2.9 cm (1.1 in) long and males up to 1.9 cm (0.75 in). This ovoviviparous species was scientifically described in 1999.It was found only in the spray zone around the Kihansi waterfalls in the southern Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania.
The Kihansi spray toad,Nectophrynoides asperginis on a leaf of the plant
The serious decline and extinction of this species appears related to the Lower Kihansi Hydropower Project, involving the construction of a dam in 2000 upstream on the Kihansi River, which cut off 90% of the original water flow to the gorge,thereby hugely reducing the volume of spray, particularly in the dry season, as well as altering the vegetational composition.
Kihansi Waterfall, photo 2013
Kihansi Dam , photo 2013: the dam was constructed in order to supply water needed by TANESCO ( Tanzania Electric Supply Company) to maintain the Electricity in the country
Kihansi Hydropower photo 2013
The artificial In August 2010, a group of 100 Kihansi Spray Toads were flown from the Bronx Zoo and Toledo Zoo to their native Tanzania,as part of an effort to reintroduce the species into the wild, using a propagation center at the University of Dar es Salaam.
Some of effort done in order to reintroduce the species in the wild, is opening some research station using University of Dar es Salaam
Some scientific studies are being carried out every year in order to protect the Kihansi spray Toad
In 2012,scientists from the center returned a test population of 48 toads to the Kihansi gorge,having found means to co-inhabit the toads with the chytrid fungus. They plan to release a total population of about 1,800 toads after monitoring the initial release for several months.
Some of the chemicals you need to step on in order to avoid fungus which can be introduced in the Kihansi gorge: some of Wildlife science and conservation students were doing there field training at Kihansi gorge
The revitalized Kihansi gorge: a bridge inside the gorge which facilitates to reach the Kihansi research station
The view expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily of the herpetologist scientific
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