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Amphibians in Crisis
Why are species of amphibians dangerously on the decline?
© Gerry Marantelli
- One-third to one-half of the world’s approximately 6,000 known amphibian species could go extinct in our lifetime.
- This would be the largest mass extinction since the disappearance of the dinosaurs.
- Amphibians are considered canaries in the coal mine: they are among the first species to be affected by environmental stressors, so when they show declines in the wild, it is a warning to other species, including humans.
- Their population declines and extinctions signal that changes are occurring in the environment that will also negatively impact humans.
