Zoo creates steamy conditions to breed rare frog

The lemur leaf frog has the ability to change its colour Credit: Paignton Zoo

Keepers at Paignton Zoo have bred a critically endangered frog by replicating the steamy conditions of a rainforest.

A specialist team helped set the mood for the lemur leaf frog with artificial rainstorms, mirroring the wet season when they normally breed.

The amphibian is mainly found in the rainforests of Costa Rica and Panama, and is the first time it has been successfully bred at the zoo.

Zookeeper Andy Meek, revealed they had a total of 18 tadpoles from the breeding programme:

The lemur leaf frog was once considered to be reasonably common in Costa Rica but most populations have now disappeared. These declines are probably due to chytrid fungus, which causes death in amphibians around the world.