Amphibians are used extensively in research, the pet trade, and food systems. Their welfare needs — often poorly understood — are increasingly recognized as these animals face global population declines.
Amphibian welfare sits at the intersection of conservation and individual welfare concerns. Their plight as the most threatened vertebrate class is well-documented; what receives less attention is the welfare of individual amphibians in the systems that threaten them. Frog leg harvesting from wild populations is largely unregulated and involves non-stunning collection and processing that causes suffering. Research use of Xenopus frogs has involved practices now recognized as inadequately humane; improved anesthesia and euthanasia protocols have been developed but adoption varies. In the pet trade, amphibians are frequently housed in inadequate conditions without the humidity, temperature gradient, and UV requirements their physiology demands. The conservation and welfare cases for addressing amphibian trade and use are inseparable.