Captive breeding and release

SAVING SPECIES

Captive Breeding and Release Programmes

Why captive breeding?

In an ideal world there would be no need for captive breeding programmes - there would be plenty of suitable habitat for animals to live in and colonise naturally. Sadly, this is not the case. Many existing populations of amphibians and reptiles are under threat and even those that are healthy are cut off from spreading out naturally.

So, as well as improving and recreating habitats, we have to consider alternative means of ensuring animals are surviving - in order to populate new areas (or re-populate restored ones). By increasing populations and restoring habitats we can help secure the future of amphibians and reptiles.

The best of these alternative means is captive breeding. Healthy animals can be produced, in good numbers, to start new populations without imposing significant pressures on existing ones.

Successful breeding programmes have been carried out with the natterjack toad, the smooth snake and the sand lizard. During 2009 there was media coverage of both smooth snake releases (in Devon) and sand lizard releases (in Surrey and North Wales).

More information:

Sand lizard captive breeding programme. >>>