A Elegy For Toughie The Tree Frog

Caption

Toughie was the last known member of his frog species. He died in September at his home in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

You know, there have been big success stories when it comes to animal conservation. There were very few grizzly bears left in 1975. Now there are hundreds. The bald eagle was brought back from the brink of extinction and the green sea turtle has seen a huge increase in population in recent years.
 
But there's no such happy ending for Toughie, the last known member of his species. Toughie was a Rabb's fringe-limbed tree frog and he lived at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in what's called a frogPOD. These frogs have huge webbed hands and feet and if they spread out their toes, they can glide from branch to branch. They've got great big eyes and flat heads and they're pretty large, for a frog... they can grow to almost four inches long.
 
RIP, Toughie the tree frog.

Or at least, they could. Toughie was the only Rabbs' fringe-limbed tree frog in captivity and scientists think he may have been the last of his kind anywhere. He earned his name because he didn't like to be touched. If one of the employees picked him up, he would pinch them. The frog was found in Panama in 2005 and had lived at the Botanical Garden every since. 

 
Last week, Toughie was found dead in his enclosure, and his species may have died with him.