New frog center planned at the London Zoo

The Zoological Society of London reportedly will build a new center for the conservation of frogs, toads and other amphibians.

The $4 million project will include a public exhibit at the London Zoo, laboratories for disease research, and captive breeding facilities, the BBC reported. It will be designed to be the first integrated amphibian conservation center in the world.

Scientists told the BBC amphibians are possibly the most threatened animals on Earth, with a third of the species at risk of extinction. Amphibians, including frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians, are present on every continent except Antarctica.

Captive breeding is one part of ZSL's three-pronged plan; the other arms involve a laboratory to research interactions between amphibians and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, their fungal nemesis, as well as a public exhibit and information center tentatively entitled Frog World.

Frog World is expected to open in 2007.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International