Spike captures unique Durrell lifecycle
Friday 12 October 2007, 06:56am
As part of Spike’s continuing support of Durrell, Jersey’s world famous Wildlife Conservation Trust, the team has filmed and edited a project focusing on the rare Montserrat Mountain Chicken.
The Montserrat Mountain Chicken is actually a frog that takes its name from its habitat in Montserrat and the fact that locals put it on the menu due to it’s chicken like taste.
This species of frog once thrived on six different islands, now only Montserrat and Dominica are home to the Mountain Chicken.
In Dominica the frog population is at threat from the tenacious chytrid fungus. Experts in the field believe Montserrat now holds the only viable wild population.
It is for this reason that Durrell got involved with the species after the 1995 volcano eruption on Montserrat.
In 1998 herpetologists from Durrell collected a group of 13 frogs and set up a captive colony in Jersey. There was not much information available and staff had no idea how to breed them.
Recently Durrell’s Mountain Chicken’s succesfully bred with fantastic results.
To watch this special film click here.