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The Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy (PRCTC) manages the longest continuous-running reintroduction program for any amphibian species.

Lansing, MI – Within 24 hours of leaving Lansing, tadpoles raised at Potter Park Zoo are swimming in Puerto Rico.

These tiny travelers are Puerto Rican crested toads (Peltophryne lemur), the island’s only native toad species and one that is considered endangered in the wild. Through a conservation effort led by the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy (PRCTC), zoos like Potter Park are working to give this species a fighting chance. Each shipment of tadpoles represents years of planning, collaboration, and care—and a big step forward for amphibian conservation.

Over 300 Puerto Rican Crested Toad (PRCT) tadpoles, which hatched five to seven days earlier, were sent to Puerto Rico for release Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025.

Zookeepers at Potter Park Zoo packed the tadpoles in bags similar to how you bring home fish for an aquarium: in a plastic bag with water and oxygen, along with a special filter for the trip. The bag is then placed in a Styrofoam case and shipped via FedEx to Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rican crested toad is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. They are listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and endangered by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER). Primary threats to the wild population include habitat alteration, fragmentation, the introduction of invasive species (such as marine toads/Cuban tree frogs), and rising sea levels.

Currently, 17 institutions participate in reintroduction efforts and have collectively released over 889,000 tadpoles to Puerto Rico. The breeding toads at each institution are kept in isolation from general zoo populations to prevent the spread of disease to the wild. While the toads have bred naturally under human care, hormones are generally used to coordinate breeding and subsequent hatching of tadpoles. This allows the tadpoles to be the same size and age for the shipment and release in Puerto Rico.

Typically, three to four institutions breed per release. Once tadpoles are sent to Puerto Rico, they are acclimated in man-made ponds where they are monitored by the PRDNER, USFWS, and private non-governmental organizations until they metamorphose and disperse.

Currently, there are four reintroduction sites in Puerto Rico – three in the north (El Tallonal, Arecibo; Río Encantado, Ciales; and La Esperanza, Mana) and one in the south (Los Conventos, Guayanilla) – that are in historical habitats and separated from the last remaining natural population. Remaining known wild populations are part of a single metapopulation that include Guánica Commonwealth Forest; Punta Ventana, Guayanilla; and Cienaga, Yauco.

In 1984, the Puerto Rican crested toad became the first amphibian Species Survival Plan (SSP) program under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The PRCT program was renamed the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy (PRCTC), a nonprofit organization, in 2021. The PRCTC is a consortium of zoos, individuals, and organizations collaborating for the long-term conservation of the Puerto Rican crested toad (PRCT) in the wild.

Partnering with the USFWS and PRDNER, the PRCTC manages the longest continuous-running reintroduction program for any amphibian species. The PRCTC is currently building a new conservation research center in Puerto Rico. The new center will serve as a hub for focused research efforts in Puerto Rico and will bolster the production of offspring, establishing new populations in a shorter timeframe.

Potter Park Zoo is proud to be part of this long-running effort to save the Puerto Rican crested toad. Every tadpole raised here and sent to Puerto Rico brings this species one step closer to recovery. When you visit the zoo, become a member, or support our programs, you’re helping make conservation work like this possible—not just here in Lansing, but around the world. Together, we can ensure a future for these remarkable toads and the many other species that depend on our care.

🐸 Puerto Rican Crested Toad at a Glance

• Scientific name: Peltophryne lemur
• Common name: Puerto Rican crested toad (PRCT)
• Status: Endangered (IUCN), Threatened (USFWS), Endangered (PRDNER)
• Threats: Habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species (marine toads, Cuban tree frogs), rising sea levels
• Conservation firsts: First amphibian Species Survival Plan (SSP), 1984
• Tadpoles released: Over 889,000 reintroduced to Puerto Rico since the program began
• Fun fact: Tadpoles are shipped via FedEx to Puerto Rico for release into monitored ponds