Due to ethical concerns, it is becoming more and more difficult to use wild animals, including wild amphibians, for scientific experiments. This situation encouraged me to develop a reliable method for captive breeding of the salamander Hynobius dunni, a method which enables the study of individuals from aquarium origin only. This novel technique may be applied also to the breeding of closely related Urodela species. Since the designation of my high school as a Super Science High school (SSH) in 2006, all Life Science Course students compulsorily came to work on salamanders under my supervision.
We eventually succeeded in performing both artificial insemination and natural breeding in water tanks. Through the process of breeding and rearing salamanders and through becoming familiar with amphibians, students have gradually come to see the protection of rare species as well as ecosystems as important goals.
ISBN978-4-9910535-0-4 C0040
2019年12月28日 日本両生類研究会20周年記念誌「『両生類に魅せられて』カエルとサンショウウオの長期研究と最新の研究」共著(日本両生類研究会).日常的な有尾類の飼育を学校教育に取り入れることで見えてきたもの(秋山繁治)p144-148.