Re: [vernalpool] Re: Amphibian Residents for Classroom

This has been a great discussion.

I work with a bunch of schools, some of whom headstart Blanding's turtles
and eastern spadefoot toads, under my guidance, as part of permitted
conservation programs for those species. I also work with some classes
that raise wood frog tadpoles and hatchling painted and snapping turtles
solely for the educational benefit. I have come to believe that, if done
well and if the teacher is interested and supportive, this type of program
has enormous potential benefits for all parties involved (even the animals).

I have become a strong advocate of using thoughtfully selected, legally
permitted, and intelligently cared for native species as temporary
classroom animals that can then be released back to their points of capture
if the classes have adopted basic quarantine protocols (*making SURE that
the native animals in the class are kept absolutely isolated from any
remotely related exotic species which could serve as a vector for some
novel and destructive pathogen or parasite. In general, we require that
any classrooms with native amphibians or reptiles have no exotic
amphibians, reptiles, or fish in the same room and that everyone is
diligent about washing their hands and keeping all equipment restricted to
only the native animals*).

As Leo pointed out with his brick analogy, the lessons conferred by getting
exotic animals for the classroom are very disturbing: the choices at the
end of each year (assuming that the classroom pets have survived the year)
are to either kill the pets (great message about stewardship and compassion
there!), release them to likely die in a novel environment and also perhaps
cause some sort of disease transfer catastrophe to native wildlife, or give
them to someone to care for (probably poorly) for the remainder of the
pets' lives. I know of a class that has purchased wood frog tadpoles
instead of finding them locally and then killed the froglets at the end of
the year. What a waste!

Young native fish, amphibians, and reptiles (turtle hatchlings at least) of
a number of species can be raised fairly easily and then released back to
where they were captured likely doing those individuals a favor and, if
done with proper quarantine, conferring no reasonable risk to the native
habitat. Unfortunately, our permitting process is difficult and can make
this task a challenge. Native fish species (even introduced species like
largemouth bass, and bluegill sunfish) require a Mass. permit to take and
keep in the classroom and the permitting people are lothe to grant such
permits (for some bizarre reason as it is easy to get a license to kill a
bunch of such species). Of course, it requires no permit to keep exotic
fish in the classroom. It is fortunately easier in Mass. to take the
permitted 2 individuals per person of many common amphibian and reptile
species.

Anyway, best wishes and happy spring.
Bryan

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