Head Starting

The dictionary definition of "head staring" is to provide a favorable or promising beginning. The concept of head starting is simple.  Eggs are protected and hatchlings are reared to the point where they are no longer as vulnerable to predators. In the wild, the vast majority of tadpoles do not ever leave the water, they become the prey of insects, turtles, birds, and other frogs. Not uncommonly, a water source can dry up or even freeze if the toads don't time their egg laying well. Once they complete metamorphosis, mortality is related to the size of the toad, the larger the toad is, the higher the chances of its survival.
 
However, the larger the toad is, the longer the toad has been in captivity, and is more likely to have acclimated to its comfortable captive conditions. Therefore, we try to create as big a toad as we can and release then quickly before they get too used to the zoo.
 
Head starting projects have proved very successful in the recovery of other endangered species who suffer high juvenile mortality. American Alligators, Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, and Red-bellied Turtles have all benefited from head starting programs.
 
We collect Houston toad eggs from ponds during the breeding season, let them hatch and grow in protected tanks at the zoo. We then put big tadpoles in, or small toads back near the ponds we collected the eggs. Using this method, we can increase the number of toads that survive their first year from less than 1% in the wild to 50% at the zoo.
 

Take a look at some pictures of the Houston toad head starting process below.