Captive breeding programs for endangered amphibians serve critical conservation roles but require specialist welfare knowledge given amphibian sensitivity to environmental parameters.
Captive amphibian welfare is technically demanding because amphibians are highly sensitive to environmental parameters that mammals and birds can tolerate variable ranges of. Temperature deviations of a few degrees, incorrect humidity, inappropriate substrate, or inadequate UV exposure all cause welfare compromise and disease susceptibility. The conservation value of captive amphibian programs is high — they represent the last hope for species that would otherwise go extinct from chytrid fungus. Welfare must be maintained to achieve breeding success, creating positive alignment between welfare and conservation outcomes in this context.