Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate class, with over 40% of species at risk. Zoos play a growing role in conservation breeding, making welfare in these programmes critical.
Amphibian welfare in zoo conservation programmes is a developing field. While amphibians lack the obvious cognitive and social complexity of mammals, they are still sentient animals capable of experiencing pain and stress. Welfare-conscious husbandry requires appropriate temperature gradients, humidity, substrate, hiding opportunities, and diet that meets species-specific needs. Chytrid treatment — while lifesaving — involves handling and antifungal baths that cause acute stress. Developing validated welfare indicators for amphibians is a research priority, since current assessments rely heavily on physiological measures rather than behavioural indicators. Conservation breeding success depends on animals being healthy enough to reproduce, which is itself a proxy for adequate welfare.