The CC participants’ aquariums and terrariums are inventoried twice a year. On March 1 and September 1, we count how many animals are in the tanks and which offspring have grown up. That sounds easier than it is.

From the general to the specific: At the beginning of 2023, when we formally established the #Fish and #Reptiles specialist groups, we also decided to include four and five additional species in these animal classes respectively, which are now gradually moving in with our participants. This will take some time because many of the animals are not readily available. In addition, husbandry requirements have to be researched and put down on paper at the same time. In order to be able to work through everything we have planned and what CC can process with its limited personnel capacities, no new species are initially planned for 2024. Consolidation is the keyword. But most of the “newcomers” from 2023 are now actually on board. Welcome to San Francisco Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia), Nguru Spiny Pygmy Chameleon (Rhampholeon acuminatus) und Mauritius Lowland Foerst Day Gecko (Phelsuma guimbeaui). The only reptile missing now is the Huu Lien Tiger Gecko (Goniurusaurus huuliensis), whose lively young are already sitting in Cologne Zoo and will soon be moving to their new CC caretakers. Among the fish, the african perch Limbochromis robertsi will soon follow. Among the amphibians, the Lesser rock skipper (Staurois parvus) has been added since the last stock report, and Arndt’s Toothed Frog (Odontobatrachus arndti), which is awaiting its planned relocation at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, is due to follow shortly. Then we will be complete for the time being. Then we will be complete for the time being. But of course we still hope that the projects on the Nimba toad and Goliath frog, which have been planned for years, can also be realized one day – it would certainly be necessary in view of the threat situation.
We will be publishing the corresponding species pages, including recommendations for keeping them, bit by bit over the next few months – we have just made a start with the Lesser rock skipper (Staurois parvus) as part of the recent relaunch of the CC page.

All in all, CC has made pleasing progress in the last six months. Our participants are now looking after 5,099 animals from 29 taxa in 281 holdings. In comparison: six months previously, there were 3,900 animals from 25 taxa in 230 holdings. So things are moving forward!
A look at the population table naturally shows that the programs are at very different stages. While we have already reached the stage of long-term population management for three species – the Vietnamese crocodile newt, the Mallorcan midwife toad and the Mangarahara cichlid – we are still at the very beginning for others. We are particularly pleased that the Almanzor fire salamander has had its first successful offspring this year. The little ones are still in the early larval stage and therefore not yet recorded as offspring in the table, but we hope that they will continue to grow healthy and strong. Our keepers were also particularly successful with the Rio Pescado stub-foot toad. The founder animals, which were only imported from Ecuador in the summer of 2023, have already successfully reproduced in three of our enclosures. A spectacular success for a species that was already thought to be extinct.
In terms of fish, our participants were able to achieve their first breeding successes with the Tiger Limia (Limai islai) and the Bintan Gourami (Parasphromenus bintan). Congratulations! Congratulations!
And of course we are particularly excited about the results of the 2024 breeding season – we will be asking our conservationists again on September 1 and presenting the results here at the end of November. And perhaps one of the breeding figures will also reveal an aquarium or terrarium in your home?