What term describes raising toadlets in zoos before releasing them to recovery areas?
Answer
Head-starting
The practice employed by zoological institutions like the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which participate in assurance colony efforts, often involves a process specifically termed 'head-starting.' This technique involves raising the young toads, known as toadlets, through the most vulnerable early stages of their life cycle in a controlled captive environment. By the time they are released back into the designated Wyoming recovery areas, they are larger and more capable of evading immediate threats like predation and early-life mortality risks, giving them a significant head start.

Related Questions
Where was the Wyoming Toad (*Anaxyrus baxteri*) historically concentrated?Which three sites define the active reintroduction efforts for the toad?What is the primary function of the *assurance colonies* maintained by zoological institutions?What specific amphibian pathogen has devastated wild Wyoming Toad populations?What critical requirement must breeding water bodies meet for Wyoming Toads?What term describes raising toadlets in zoos before releasing them to recovery areas?Why is movement outside designated recovery boundaries risky for reintroduced toads?What specific soil type is required for Wyoming Toads during non-breeding periods?Which project engages volunteers in tracking reintroduction success at sites like Trout Creek?What does sustained recruitment at Lake LaPrele signal about management success?Which specific zoological institution is named as participating in assurance colony efforts?