Archive for the ‘amphibian species’ tag
More Amphibian Species Are Under Threat Than Any Single Animal Group
Conservation biologists tend to think of amphibians as environmental “canaries in the coal mine.” When an ecosystem begins to tip out of balance, amphibians are generally the first to be affected. When frogs and salamanders begin to die en masse, it means that wide scale ecological devastation may be under way.
More amphibian species are endangered than any single animal group, a whopping 1,811 species according to the IUCN. This accounts for around 31 percent of all known amphibians. Habitat loss and pollution appear to be the major causes.
The California tiger salamander is a dark, stocky amphibian with white or yellow spots and a broad, rounded snout. It spends most of its time on land but migrates to ponds, lakes and reservoirs to breed. This species is a critical component of the California ecosystem and was once found throughout California’s Central Valley and the foothills of the Coast Ranges. Habitat loss and predation by non-native species now threaten the California tiger salamander throughout its range.
Chinese giant salamanders are a flattened salamander with a broad head and mottled brown body. They inhabit rivers and streams in the temperate and tropical mountains of China. Often growing to a length of 6 feet or more, they are among the largest amphibians in the world. Their numbers are currently in decline due to collection by humans, environmental pollution and loss of habitat.
A toad is an amphibian with a large, wide head; front limbs that are much smaller than the back limbs; a large mouth; and large protruding eyes. The western leopard toad is the largest South African toad. It has large brown patches on a greenish body and a vertical yellow stripe down its back. Its numbers are in decline due to loss of habitat and because of frequent collisions with vehicles.
The blue-sided tree frog has golden eyes, a green-blue back, blue sides and a pinkish underbelly. It has long slender limbs and suction toes that enable it to jump easily from branch to branch within the forest canopy. It is found in the moist tropical and subtropical regions of Costa Rica but its numbers are in rapid decline due to pollution, loss of habitat and collection by humans.
Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.
