Wildlife populations monitored across the globe have declined by a massive 69 per cent between 1970 and 2018, according to this WWF's Living Planet Report (LPR) 2022. Monitored wildlife populations - mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish - have seen a devastating 69% drop on average since 1970, according to …
A rare frog that had not been seen in decades has been found in Zimbabwe, researchers have said. The Arthroleptis troglodytes, also known as the “cave squeaker” because of its preferred habitat, was discovered in 1962, but there were no reported sightings since then. An international red list of threatened …
Determining location and timing of ontogenetic shifts in the habitat use of highly migratory species, along with possible intrapopulation variation in these shifts, is essential for understanding mechanisms driving alternate life histories and assessing overall population trends. Measuring variations in multi-year habitat-use patterns is especially difficult for remote oceanic species. …
A recent study found a large-scale increase in the endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog in Yosemite National Park in California. The sevenfold increase is due to fewer predatory trout and greater resistance to the chytrid fungus. The frogs have a long way to full recovery, but may be more resilient …
A third-stage (infective) larva of Dracunculus medinensis, the causative agent of Guinea worm disease, was recovered from a wild-caught Phrynobatrachus francisci frog in Chad. Although green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) have been experimentally infected with D. medinensis worms, our findings prove that frogs can serve as natural paratenic hosts.
Changes in the timings of seasonality as a result of anthropogenic climate change are predicted to occur over the coming decades. While this is expected to have widespread impacts on the dynamics of infectious disease through environmental forcing, empirical data are lacking. Here, we investigated whether seasonality, specifically the timing …
On the foothills of the Andes in central Peru, a brilliantly colored frog lives out a fractured fairy tale. Once upon a time—specifically, one evening in November 2014—biologist Germán Chávez heard a call echo through the highest-altitude forests of Tingo María National Park. Chávez didn’t recognize the call, so he …
A new study finds that, contrary to popular belief, grassy biomes such as grasslands and savannas are species-rich ecosystems every bit as biodiverse as rainforests — yet little attention is being paid to the fact that they’re being destroyed at an even quicker pace. The notion that grassy biomes arise …
The Endangered Species Act was enacted by Congress in 1973 to protect species threatened with extinction. To receive protection, a species must first be listed as endangered or threatened. A two-year timeline for the process was established in 1982 by a Congressional amendment to the ESA. Researchers found that many …
Experts call for new conservation guidelines after research shows 90% of tropical amphibian and reptile species are affected by the 'edge effect' and forest islands less than 500m in diameter are putting many at risk. Breaking up the rainforest into small 'forest islands' means more species are being forced to …
Amphibians that tolerate higher temperatures are likely to fare better in a world affected by climate change, disease and habitat loss, according to two recent studies from the University of California, Davis. Frogs are disappearing globally, and the studies examine why some survive while others perish. The studies reveal that …
More than half of the 130 species were not in the ‘Protected Area’ of State More than half of the endemic freshwater biodiversity in the Kerala region of the Western Ghats could be inching towards extinction in habitats outside protected areas, a recent study by an expert group has revealed. …
The last two remaining wild mountain chicken frogs living on Montserrat have been reunited, and are hoped to begin breeding on the Caribbean island for the first time since 2009. Last month, a project took the last female and relocated her into the territory of the remaining male as part …
As amphibian crisis persists across the United States, scientists are working continuously to come up with an emergency response to reverse their decline. However, a new research has confirmed that there is no simple solution to stop or overturn amphibian declines. Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the …
LAUREL, Md. -- New U.S. Geological Survey-led research suggests that even though amphibians are severely declining worldwide, there is no smoking gun - and thus no simple solution - to halting or reversing these declines. "Implementing conservation plans at a local level will be key in stopping amphibian population losses, …
Since amphibian declines were first proposed as a global phenomenon over a quarter century ago, the conservation community has made little progress in halting or reversing these trends. The early search for a “smoking gun” was replaced with the expectation that declines are caused by multiple drivers. While field observations …
Amphibian populations are vanishing worldwide. Declines and extinctions of many populations have been attributed to chytridiomycosis, a disease induced by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). In Africa, however, changes in amphibian assemblages were typically attributed to habitat change. We conducted a retrospective study utilizing field surveys from 2004–2012 of …
A new tadpole that burrows through sand has been discovered in the Western Ghats of India, scientists report. The researchers' study, published in the journal Plos One, says that tadpoles would not normally burrow through sand, nor swallow the material, but this "remarkable tadpole" does. It belongs to the Indian …
Tadpoles of the monotypic Indian dancing frog family Micrixalidae have remained obscure for over 125 years. Here we report the discovery of the elusive tadpoles of Micrixalus herrei from the sand beds of a forested stream in southern Western Ghats, and confirm their identity through DNA barcoding. These actively burrowing …
NEW DELHI: Out of 96,000 animal species in the country, more than 50 have been assessed as "critically endangered" and 310 as "endangered", the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. "Studies conducted by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have recorded 96,000 species of animals from India. "Among these, International Union …
Researchers say they have discovered a new frog species with distinctive yellow eyebrows in Colombia. The frog has a dark camouflage pattern which allows it to blend in with the rocky soil on which it dwells. Researchers with the Humboldt Institute found the frog, which they named Pristimantis macrummendozai, in …
