imitator arrived Europe, recently we had the opportunity to return the area the frogs were from and see the impact. Similar numbers have been observed within Peruvian seizures sadly, one must be reminded that many more died before they could even be packed for transport. Customs officials have quoted mortality to be as high as 90%. For every smuggled frog that arrives alive, there are many, many more that die.

The frogs face death as a result of the deplorable shipping conditions, or as the result of injuries received during the stress of such conditions, or from bacterial, fungal or viral infections which take over a weakened, stressed immune system. lamasi, often literally packed solid with frogs. Seizure of illegal frogs in Iquitos revealed several film canisters packed with D. These frogs, whether concealed in luggage or hidden with fish, are horribly and inhumanely packed, often resulting in the death of 100% of these illegal shipments. Not only is this damaging to the frog populations, it instills in these farmers the idea that the forest and its inhabitants are just another resource to be carelessly exploited rather than conserved or managed sustainably. Furthermore, impoverished Peruvian farmers are often paid ridiculously low sums of money ($1-2) to collect every poison frog they can find. Many times large quantities of frogs are harvested from often very restricted populations, in most cases severely damaging these populations. In Peru, smugglers either carry the frogs out of the country personally, usually several hundred at a time, hidden amongst luggage, or export the frogs illegally, hidden within shipments of tropical fish leaving through Iquitos or Lima. Smugglers exploit the often under-funded governing bodies and enforcement agencies in the countries in which these frogs are native. The list is extensive, and continues to grow. lamasi (most recently the orange/red form), and D. Some species of particular note are Dendrobates mysteriosus, D. The last several years have witnessed recent waves of large volumes of smuggled frogs appearing at frog shows or expos, particularly in Europe, however N. However, poison frogs face a threat that has largely been overlooked вЂ“ illegal smuggling for the pet trade. With many amphibian species disappearing worldwide due to disease, global climate change, and deforestation, many conservation efforts have been spawned lately to investigate and combat such threats. The desire for new and rare species has directly fueled the exploitation of these frogs in the wild through a destructive practice known as smuggling. How these wish lists are filled can speak volumes about the integrity of the hobby and the individual hobbyists. Every hobbyist has his or her own wish list, some of which are easily obtainable, others far more elusive. Acquisition of a new species is one of the most exciting parts of this hobby. It seems to be an inherently human characteristic to desire that which we do not have.

Poison dart frog for sale