In conjunction with our partners ZSL, we're happy to announce that the BHS is funding an important research project focused on the Botsford's leaf-litter frog (Leptobrachella botsfordi)
"Leptobrachella botsfordi is a Critically Endangered species that is endemic to the Hoang Lien Range in northwest Vietnam. The habitat of this species has been severely degraded in Hoang Lien National Park by large scale infrastructural developments for tourism. Evidence of population decline may halt further developments within the protected area."
Key project objectives are:
- Estimate population size of Leptobrachella botsfordi at three sites
- Infer population structure (i.e. differentiation and migration between fragments of the population)
- Understand if the recently discovered population of Leptobrachella botsfordi should be treated as a separate species for conservation management
Project methodology is centred on DNA analysis of previously collected tissue samples.
The Society is contributing £1.7k in project funding after Trustees voted to support the project in December 2025
Photos of intact habitat and Leptobrachella botsfordi copyright Benjamin Tapley, ZSL
