A tiny, ugly scientific marvel: Olaf the IVF toad brings hope to at-risk species

Amphibians are at the forefront of a battle against extinction – but they’re not the only ones benefiting from ‘frozen zoos’Olaf grasps Diane Barber ’s gloved hands with his sticky, four-fingered legs. His skin is bumpy and moist, the colour of pebbles at the bottom of a river when dappled sun hits them. Olaf’s eyes are deep amber. His body lifts and falls with each breath. “The males get really pretty,” says Barber, ectotherms curator a t Fort Worth zoo in Texas. “Sometimes they’ll turn a solid yellow when they’re in breeding form.”In some ways, this toad shouldn ’t exist at all. He is the progeny of an egg from a captive mother and sperm from a wild father – a hybrid from parents who were both dead. Olaf is not the first amphibian to be born via IVF – that has been happening for years – but he is the first to be born from sperm that was frozen and t hawed.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Conservation Science Endangered species Animals Environment Wildlife World news Source Type: news