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 …
Tiny frogs smaller in size than bumblebees have evolved with fewer fingers and toes to reduce their size to adapt to life on isolated mountaintops Seven new species of miniature frog, smaller than bumblebees, have been discovered clinging to survival on isolated mountaintops in Brazil. The largest of the new …
Rena Gaborov was looking for gliders during a night-time survey in the East Gippsland forest near Bonang when she first heard the call. It stopped her in her tracks. Having devoted years to searching for a frog long-believed extinct, she convinced herself she was mistaken. "I went all shaky when …
A Minnesota scientist in Costa Rica has discovered a new species of glass frog. Brian Kubicki said the small, semi-translucent specimen is delicate and "is a good indicator of the general health of the eco-system." Kubicki named the frog "Hyalinobatrachium dianae" in honor of the senior author's mom Janet Diane …
The United States has one of the oldest, best-established park systems in the world. But what if those public lands -- mostly created to preserve scenic natural wonders -- are in the wrong place to conserve the lion’s share of the nation’s unique biodiversity? A new study published this week …
A 10-year plan to tackle the rapid extinction rate of Australian animals has been launched, with scientists from across the country collaborating on ways to deal with the biodiversity loss. Conservation organisation Bush Heritage Australia is spearheading the initiative, that will involve 50 scientists from 15 universities working on 55 …
Scientists have discovered an incredible, shape-shifting frog species in the western Andean cloud forest of Ecuador, and it just may be the first ever amphibian that can rapidly change its skin texture, a new study says. With climate change forcing plant and animal species to adapt, shape-shifters are taking a …
Scientists have found the number of animals moved to make way for building projects far outnumber science-led relocations to recover populations The relocation of animals to make way for land development rarely succeeds and could be driving some species towards extinction, according to a new study. An international team of …
It's a bit hard to tell exactly what this new species is. Discovered in Cambodia's Cadamom Mountains, the slimy, stringy creature could easily be mistaken for a big worm or even a snake. Well, turns out, it's neither. It's actually a legless amphibian. The new species, dubbed Ichthyophis cardamomensis, was …
A legless amphibian never before recorded by scientists has been discovered in the Cardamom Mountains, according to an international conservation NGO that helped to uncover the unusual creature. Over the course of two years, between 2009 and 2011, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) researchers collected specimens of caecilian—a type of …
Victoria's frogs are facing a conservation crisis according to biologists, who warn that some of the state's amphibians have "passed a tipping point", while others have become extinct. Nick Clemann, program leader (threatened fauna) at the state government's biodiversity research arm, the Arthur Rylah Institute, said the prospects for the …
Mass mortality events (MMEs), the rapid, catastrophic die-off of organisms, are an example of a rare event affecting natural populations. Individual reports of MMEs clearly demonstrate their ecological and evolutionary importance, yet our understanding of the general features characterizing such events is limited. Here, we conducted the first, to our …
Research shows that frogs in the region are increasingly under threat due to habitat destruction A team of researchers from India and Sri Lanka has discovered seven new species of Golden-backed frogs in the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka global biodiversity hot spot, throwing new light on the highly-distinct and diverse fauna …
A deadly new disease has emerged that is wiping out amphibians, scientists report. A number of viruses have been found in northern Spain that are killing frog, toad and newt species. Infected animals can suffer from ulcers on their skin and die from internal bleeding. Researchers fear the strains, which …
The emergence of infectious diseases with a broad host range can have a dramatic impact on entire communities and has become one of the main threats to biodiversity. Here, we report the simultaneous exploitation of entire communities of potential hosts with associated severe declines following invasion by a novel viral …
Potent pharmaceuticals flushed into the environment via human and animal sewage could be a hidden cause of the global wildlife crisis, according to new research. The scientists warn that worldwide use of the drugs, which are designed to be biologically active at low concentrations, is rising rapidly but that too …
International efforts to meet targets to stem the loss of wildlife and habitats are failing miserably, according to a UN report. The Global Biodiversity Outlook 4, published as nearly 200 countries meet on Monday in South Korea in a bid to tackle biodiversity loss, paints a damning picture of governments’ …
International efforts to meet targets to stem the loss of wildlife and habitats are failing miserably, according to a UN report. The Global Biodiversity Outlook 4, published as nearly 200 countries meet on Monday in South Korea in a bid to tackle biodiversity loss, paints a damning picture of governments’ …
A new species of leaping frog has been discovered in the northern part of the Western Ghats region near Amboli. Christened the `Amboli Leaping Frog' or the Indirana Chiravasi, the new species inhabits laterite plateaus. A team of three scientists from city-based Indian Institute of Science and Research (IISER) Pune …
About 3,000 species of wildlife around the world have seen their numbers plummet far worse than previously thought, according to a new study. The study from the Swiss-based WWF largely blamed human threats to nature for a 52 percent decline in wildlife populations between 1970 and 2010. It says improved …
The world populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles fell overall by 52 percent between 1970 and 2010, far faster than previously thought, the World Wildlife Fund said on Tuesday. The conservation group's Living Planet Report, published every two years, said humankind's demands were now 50 percent more than …
