Simone End

This is international year of the frog and, as if in celebration, 13 Maud Island froglets hatched at the Karori Sanctuary earlier this year. The fingernail-sized froglets—they emerge from eggs almost fully formed with­out going through the tadpole stage—were then transferred to Victoria University, and into the care of Kerri Lukas, who is studying the population for her Master’s degree. Elev­en of the froglets survived (two had devel­opmental problems, for unknown reasons) and successfully returned to the sanctuary, hopefully to breed themselves.