Amphibians face the highest extinction rates of any vertebrate class, making zoo ex-situ conservation critical - but amphibian welfare in captivity has specific challenges requiring expertise.
Amphibian welfare in zoo collections combines conservation urgency with genuine husbandry complexity. These are animals for whom appropriate conditions are poorly understood for many species, making welfare assessment challenging. The conservation case for zoo amphibian programmes is genuinely strong - for functionally extinct species like the Rabbs fringe-limbed treefrog, captive collections represent the species' only survival. Welfare investment must match conservation ambition: appropriate species-specific environmental conditions, biosecurity protecting both collection and wild populations, pain assessment improvements and positive welfare opportunities within the constraints of small animal husbandry. The goal is animals that are not just alive but thriving in conditions that approximate their needs.