Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrate groups globally, and captive assurance colonies are increasingly important for conservation — raising welfare questions about species kept primarily as insurance populations.
Amphibians in conservation breeding programmes often live in conditions designed primarily for survival and breeding success rather than behavioural welfare. These are animals held as insurance populations whose individual welfare has sometimes been secondary to survival goals. As welfare standards evolve, the case for enriching captive amphibian environments — providing appropriate substrates, humidity variation, and social conditions — is strengthening. Welfare and conservation goals are not in conflict: healthy, behaviourally normal amphibians breed better and survive reintroduction more successfully than stressed individuals.