Our planet’s wildlife is in danger. Each year, hundreds of species go extinct. But those are just the species we know about. Scientists don’t know exactly how dire the situation is for all life on Earth. Most countries lack national monitoring systems, making it difficult to reach a comprehensive figure. So, it’s difficult to count […]
Tag: amphibians
‘You can’t control what beavers do or how they do it!’ Could rewilding help England fight droughts?
In the midst of the UK’s worst drought in living memory, a host of unfamiliar experiences assault our senses in a Devon valley. Before us is a field of lush green grass. To one side is a bush of blackberries swollen huge by perfect growing conditions. Squelch, squelch go our feet through the grass. There’s […]
‘Generally ignored’ species face twice the extinction threat, warns study
Plants and animals that do not have enough data to be properly assessed appear to be at twice the risk of extinction as those that have been evaluated, meaning more species may face being wiped off the planet than previously thought, a study has warned. Researchers looked at the extinction risk of species assessed on […]
Appetite for frogs’ legs in France and Belgium ‘driving species to extinction’
A voracious appetite for frogs’ legs among the French and Belgians is driving species in Indonesia, Turkey and Albania to the brink of extinction, according to a report. Europe imports as many as 200 million mostly wild frogs every year, contributing to a serious depletion of native species abroad. Scientists estimate that the Anatolian water […]
Hoards of terrestrial toads found living in dormouse nest boxes high in the trees
Toads sleeping in their nest boxes high in the trees have astonished scientists searching for dormice. For the first time, a study has shown how frequently common toads breed and build their nests in trees. There have been reports of 50 toads living in dormouse nest boxes, which are nests that are up to three […]
The World’s Appetite for Frogs is Driving These Amphibians to Extinction
Europe’s appetite for frog legs has led to an extinction domino effect on wild populations of amphibians in parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, according to wildlife campaigners. France is well known for its “cuisses de grenouilles”, or frog legs. In a new report by German non-profit Pro Wildlife and French non-profit Robin des Bois, […]
Secrets of California’s skydiving salamanders revealed by researchers
A new study is shedding fresh light into the incredible world of California’s temperate forests, and the daring survival techniques of one of its inhabitants: parachuting salamanders. The study, published on Monday in the journal Current Biology, shows how salamanders living in the canopy are able to parachute consistently, slowing their speed and controlling their […]
Study: Breeding adaptations help tree frogs thrive in different climates
COLOMBO — Amphibians evolved from a fish ancestor that had functional lungs and bony lobed fins, which helped them become the first vertebrates to conquer land. Keeping these earlier trails, today’s frogs and toads also have larvae with gills that need an aquatic environment until they transform into air-breathing adults. But this unique feature hasn’t […]