Walking, swimming and mostly dying
A flying frog from Indonesia. Great sensitivity to environmental changes
A third of the world's amphibian species are in danger of extinction, according to the first global survey of its kind. Scientists believe that the mysterious decline in the number of amphibians can be seen as a warning that the state of the environment is worse than we think. However, there is another factor affecting frogs, toads and salamanders: a fungus that has already wiped out entire populations in many parts of the world.
Since the 80s, researchers have known that many of the world's amphibian species are disappearing. But the rate of decline in their number revealed in the new survey, published last week in the journal "Science", struck them with amazement. No one knows what exactly causes this, but it is likely that it is the loss of habitats of the amphibian species due to pollution, climatic changes and the increasing confrontation with humans.
More than 500 researchers from more than 60 countries participated in the "Global Assessment of Amphibians", which lasted three years - a study in which the status of the 5,743 known amphibian species in the world was examined. 1,856 species - almost one in three - are in danger of extinction, according to the researchers. The latest count shows that over the past 20 years, 122 species of amphibians have become extinct.
At the global level, the researchers report that the decline in the number of amphibian species may indicate the dismal state of the environment. "Amphibians feel the effects of water pollution and climate change before other animals do, including humans," said Neil Cox, one of the people in charge of the survey on behalf of the "World Conservation Union" and the "International Organization for Conservation of Nature". "They are the best indication of the general state of the environment, largely because of their porous skin that allows water to escape and the movement of chemicals."
However, the damage to the quality of the environment is not the only reason for the disappearance of the amphibian species. Many species disappeared from living areas where the damage to the quality of the environment was only slight. The reason for this is a fungus called Dendrobatidis Batrachochytrium, which causes infection in the skin of the amphibians and apparently disrupts their oxygen absorption mechanisms.
There is still no treatment for the fungus, which is mostly common in Australia, North and Central America and the Caribbean. And it continues to spread: in Europe, toads infected with it have already been discovered.
