Natural Tanks: Conservation Through Captive Breeding in Panama

From left: Natural Tanks biologist Ángel Sosa-Bartuano and founder Samuel Sucre

We believe that by breeding exotic pets and selling them at competitive prices, we can reduce the demand for their wild-caught counterparts. That's one of the great benefits of Conservation Through Captive Breeding. One place that could seriously benefit from this principle is Panama, where many endangered amphibians are seriously threatened by poaching for the illicit pet trade.

Amphibian researcher, conservationist and Panama native Samuel Sucre agrees with us. In 2018 he founded Natural Tanks, a business that aims to protect threatened wild amphibians from rampant poaching by offering ethically captive-bred alternatives. One of his first breeding projects was the iconic Red-Eyed Tree Frog, Agalychnis callidryas. The Panamanian variety that we now offer is descended from Sam's frogs. He's also one of the world's few breeders of the rare Sylvia's Fringe Leaf Frog, Cruziohyla sylviae, which we import directly from his breeding facility for sale on our website.

Sylvia's Fringe Leaf Frogs in amplexus

Disrupting demand for wild amphibians through captive breeding: that alone is a big win for Panama's wildlife, but Sam doesn't stop there. He uses the proceeds from captive-bred amphibian sales to fund his own conservation work. To date, Sam and Natural Tanks have published or contributed to six scientific articles—and counting. His work has led to new scientific discoveries and expanded our understanding on a wide range of subjects, from Panama’s biodiversity and natural history to biosecurity and captive husbandry techniques. The better we understand the natural world, the better we can protect it. Sam’s model of sustainable research through ethical pet industry shows the true power of captive breeding, not just to support conservation but to drive it.

Since 2021 we've partnered with Sam and Natural Tanks to import his captive-bred frogs for hobbyists here in the States. This partnership combats poaching, provides a greater variety of sustainably-bred frogs to hobbyists in both countries, and supports Sam's vital conservation work in Panama. Like us, Sam envisions a future where ethical pet industry directly benefits nature, and amphibians are truly thriving on both sides of the glass, in our homes and in the wild.

You can support Sam's efforts by following him on Instagram and TikTok (@thefrogbreeder), subscribing to his YouTube channel (@thefrogbreeder113), giving to his Patreon, and of course, by purchasing his happy, healthy, captive-bred frogs on our website!

Amphibians available with help from Natural Tanks

Scientific publications to which Natural Tanks has contributed

Jan. 2025 - "Rhinella alata (Anura: Bufonidae), Tityus jaimei and Tityus festae (Scorpiones: Buthidae) as new carriers of phoretic mites Archegozetes magnus (Oribatida: Trhypochthoniidae) in Panama" Read full text
Dec. 2024 - "First report of thanatosis in Bothrops asper (Garman, 1883) (Serpentes: Viperidae) in Panama" Read full text
Aug. 2024 - "Apparent Strongyloidiasis in Captive Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) Elevates Biosecurity Procedures: Case Report in Panama" Read full text
Jul. 2024 - "Sylvia's Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla sylviae) Gray 2018: Husbandry captive breeding, and natural history" Read full text
Apr. 2024 - "Notes on the Natural History of Two Species of Snakes from Panama: Defensive Behavior in an Ecuador Sipo, Chironius grandisquamis (Peters 1869), and Fluorescence in Hoffmann’s Earthsnake, Geophis hoffmanni (Peters 1859)" Read full text
Apr. 2022 - "Predation of a Mouse-eared bat, Myotis sp. (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) by a Mangrove Treeboa, Corallus ruschenbergerii (Cope 1875) (Serpentes: Boidae) in Darién, Panama" Read full text

The Natural Tanks facility in Panama City

Josh's Frogs