Amphibians are threatened with extinction worldwide

Amphibians Are Threatened With Extinction Worldwide...

Frogs and their relatives are in deep trouble. According to a new study published in the journal Science, one-third of the world's amphibians are declining due to disease, climate change, and habitat loss. Of the 5,743 known species, 1,856 are considered globally threatened in the wild. Up to 168 may be extinct.

Warming temperatures may be heating many cooler species out of house and home. Development, such as that facing the red-legged frog in California, is destroying the ponds and other wetlands amphibians depend on. Meanwhile, the fungal disease chitridiomycosis, which attacks skin, appears to be responsible for many additional declines.

Thin-skinned amphibians readily absorb moisture, air, and pollutants from both land and water. For this reason, they are considered barometers of environmental health, the proverbial canaries in the global coal mine. Scientists say their precipitous decline, tracked by more than 500 scientists participating in the Global Amphibian Assessment project, bodes ill for the future of the planet

Acknowledgements: California Academy of Sciences

Endangered mountain chicken frog

Endangered Fijian ground frog being saved by NZ conservation...

Endangered Fijian ground frog being saved by NZ conservation...

The endangered Fijian ground frog is being saved from extinction on the island of Viwa thanks to the efforts of New Zealand conservation knowledge.

The eradication of cats,dogs,and rats from Viwa, the smallest of the five islands that are home to the Fijian ground frog, is the first stage of a project to remove introduced pests to stop the extinction of the protected amphibian.

Residents have been regularly refilling more than 1200 bait stations, and recording the decline of bait-take and rat numbers on this Pacific island.

The Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII)based at the University of Auckland,aims to eradicate invasive species from Pacific Islands where indigenous species are threatened and livlihoods are affected.

The New Zealand initiative provides support and education for local community groups to manage invasive species.Provided pest species can be stopped from re-invading - the area will benefit from improved water and increased crop yields.

The lessons learned on Viwa are an important step towards conservation goals across the Pacific region to ensure the survival of threatened species and improve the livelihood of local residents.

The New Zealand conservation department supports conservation measures throughout the Pacific region.








Contributor's Note
Another successful NZ initiative in conservation