This artistic work houses 6 terrariums with the park's collection of urodeles and amphibians and in it we see everything from the gallipates and the Balearic midwife toad of our fauna, to several species of Madagascar frogs.
BIOPARC Valencia surprises us these days with an art mural hidden in the KITUM cave. With him, as with many of the amazing animals that house the park's enclosures, he impresses us with aspects of nature that, in many cases, were unknown to us. After contemplating the majesty of elephants or hippos in the only underwater vision in Spain, an impact of color catches our eye and as we get closer we discover a beautiful artistic painting.
The mural is a call from art to conservation of this animal group that is being especially affected by climate change and human activities, putting many of its species in serious danger. In a study Coordinated by the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) and published by Nature magazine, it warns that the areas that contain a greater biodiversity of amphibians coincide with the areas that are at higher risk: «With mMore than 30% of all amphibian species already classified as threatened by the IUCN and many rare species still being discovered each year, our results highlight the need to promote conservation research and action for this seriously threatened group. Furthermore, the high temperatures that have occurred in recent years have meant that the larvae cannot complete their metamorphosis, causing a considerable decrease in the amphibian population and the fact that these animals absorb toxic substances through their skin makes them especially vulnerable to environmental pollution.
The “Chameleon Wall” aims to impress with the exotic colors of nature.
The 18m work. wide by 3,5m high, painted with a brush with acrylic on metal, he made it the Rain Forest Art team and gets the name of Chameleon Wall, because "among so much jungle and so many frogs there is a hidden chameleon and only by going into the thickness of the mural and observing the details can you discover it." “It is not only about attracting attention but also about provoke interaction with the observer and inspire you to discover the 6 terrariums it houses, where urodeles (gallipato) and anurans (frogs and toads) live.” Its authors Fernando González Sitges, María Maldonado and Ana Díaz-Aguado. 17 species of amphibians are represented on it and 2 other species appear on the posters that encourage respect.
El gallipato also known as ofegabous Coming from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, it has a special terrarium and the other 5 house several species from Madagascar such as the tomato frog, the Golden Frog and rain frog; we can also see the poison arrow frog and the balearic midwife toad which until ten years ago, was the most endangered species of toad on the planet and which, after a conservation and reintroduction plan, has gone from being considered “critically endangered” to “vulnerable”.
All the terrariums have natural plants, LED screens with UV for the growth and well-being of both plants and animals and a device that simulates rain and is connected several times a day depending on the season since it is about reproducing dry and rainy seasons and the temperature of their place of origin.
The management of these frogs, carried out by the BIOPARC technical team, is almost like that of a laboratory since these species are very sensitive to environmental changes.
Aesthetic experience at the service of conservation continues to be the distinctive sign of BIOPARC, a project committed to the conservation of the planet's biodiversity.
