Tastes like chicken.
That’s not only how the mountain chicken frog got its name, but it’s also one of the big reasons why the creatures have been nearly wiped out in the Caribbean, where the amphibians are native.
Besides islanders hunting them for food, the rare species also decreased in population because of habitat loss and disease.
The Detroit Zoo is one of only five U.S. zoos that has mountain chicken frogs, and is trying to preserve the species designated as “critically endangered” from extinction through breeding, Marcy Sieggreen, the curator of amphibians, said.
On Wednesday, zoo officials announced that three more frogs were born on Oct. 21. It is the zoo’s second successful breeding, bringing the total number of the species there to eight. The baby frogs are 2 weeks old on Thursday.
“It is very exciting and significant that we have bred these unusual frogs, as they are extremely difficult to breed,” Sieggreen said.
Mountain chicken frogs grow up to 8 inches long and can weigh up to 2 pounds, making it one of the largest frog species.
The babies are in the mountain chicken frog habitat in the National Amphibian Conservation Center at the zoo. The public can see them, but they blend in with their exhibit surroundings well, so they can be difficult to spot.