CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will airlift nearly 5,000 crested-toad tadpoles to Puerto Rico for release into the wild.
The venture begins Monday in an effort to bolster an endangered species in Puerto Rico.
Hatched last week, the tadpoles are narrower than a pencil eraser.
Within two to three weeks their tails will drop away and they will morph into the familiar frog-toad conformation.
The tadpoles are small enough to fit on a dime.
Zoo conservation and science curator Kristen Lukas tells The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer (bit.ly/SPzvdU) the program is a partnership of more than 20 zoos and is one of the few producing animals for introduction into the wild.
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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com
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