The 2009 update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that 17,291 species out of the 47,677 assessed species are threatened with extinction, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature said today.

Threatened with extinction are:

• 21 percent of all known mammals
• 30 percent of all known amphibians
• 12 percent of all known birds
• 28 percent of assessed reptiles
• 37 percent of assessed freshwater fishes
• 70 percent of assessed plants
• 35 percent of assessed invertebrates

"The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting," said Jane Smart, director of IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group, in a news statement accompanying the 2009 Red List.

This gorgeted puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae) entered the IUCN Red List in 2009 as Critically Endangered. The species is known from southwest Colombia, where it occurs in a tiny area of the Serraníadel Pinche. The global population is not known but is presumably very small given that the area of suitable habitat available for this species is thought to be less than 2,500 acres, and it is suspected to be decreasing as elfin forest habitat is converted for agriculture and illegal coca plantations. The primary threat to this bird is the shifting of the agricultural border towards remaining primary forests, causing a loss of vegetation cover, contamination of watersheds and soil degradation. Illegal coca cultivation is a major threat due to the lack of governmental presence, with 8.3 percent of potentially suitable habitat reportedly damaged annually by coca cultivation.

Photo © Alex Cortes. Photo supplied by BirdLife International.

"It's time for governments to start getting serious about saving species and make sure it's high on their agendas for next year, as we're rapidly running out of time."

"January sees the launch of the International Year of Biodiversity," Jane Smart added in today's statement. "The latest analysis of the IUCN Red List shows the 2010 target to reduce biodiversity loss will not be met.

"It's time for governments to start getting serious about saving species and make sure it's high on their agendas for next year, as we're rapidly running out of time."

Tip of the iceberg

"This year's IUCN Red List makes for sobering reading," said Craig Hilton-Taylor, manager of the IUCN Red List Unit. "These results are just the tip of the iceberg. We have only managed to assess 47,663 species so far; there are many more millions out there which could be under serious threat. We do, however, know from experience that conservation action works so let's not wait until it's too late and start saving our species now."

Rabb's fringe-limbed treefrog (Ecnomiohyla rabborum) entered the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered in 2009.

It is known only from central Panama, where it occurs in tropical forest canopy. In 2006, the chytrid fungus was reported in the area where this species is known to occur. Since then, only one individual has been heard calling. There is also some ongoing forest clearing within the species' range for the development of luxury holiday homes, although this potential threat has not yet reached critical levels. This treefrog is one of several species collected for captive breeding efforts, however so far attempts at captive breeding have not produced positive results.

Photo © Brad Wilson

Switzerland-based IUCN is a global environment organization that works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting research, managing field projects, and bringing governments, NGOs, the United Nations and corporations together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species should no conservation action be taken. Species are assigned to one of eight categories of threat based on whether they meet criteria linked to population trend, population size and structure and geographic range. Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as "Threatened."

The Popondetta blue-eye (Pseudomugil connieae) occurs in three river systems within Papua New Guinea. Human population growth is the main threat to this fish, with increased urbanization and agriculture, which are potential sources of water pollution, resulting in reduced habitat quality within these river systems. This fish is also a much sought after species in the aquarium trade, which poses another potential threat to the population. The species entered the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable in 2009.

Photo © Gerald Allen

Highlights from today's IUCN statement:

Mammals

Of the world's 5,490 mammals, 79 are Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, with 188 Critically Endangered, 449 Endangered and 505 Vulnerable.

The eastern voalavo (Voalavo antsahabensis) appears on the IUCN Red List for the first time in the Endangered category. This rodent, endemic to Madagascar, is confined to montane tropical forest and is under threat from slash-and-burn farming.

Reptiles

There are now 1,677 reptiles on the IUCN Red List, with 293 added this year. In total, 469 are threatened with extinction and 22 are already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild.

The 165 endemic Philippine species new to the IUCN Red List include the Panay monitor lizard (Varanus mabitang), which is Endangered. This highly-specialized monitor lizard is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and logging and is hunted by humans for food.

The rare Panay monitor lizard occurs in large trees in primary lowland tropical moist forest. The species is a highly specialized frugivorous monitor lizard (it feeds on fruit). The loss and degradation of lowland forest habitat through conversion of land for agricultural use and logging operations is a threat to this lizard. The species is also hunted by humans for food and overhunting is a serious threat to the remaining population.

Photo © Tim Laman 

The sail-fin water lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus) enters in the Vulnerable category and is also threatened by habitat loss. Hatchlings are heavily collected both for the pet trade and for local consumption.

"The world's reptiles are undoubtedly suffering, but the picture may be much worse than it currently looks," says Simon Stuart, chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission. "We need an assessment of all reptiles to understand the severity of the situation, but we don't have the U.S.$2-3 million to carry it out."

Amphibians

The IUCN Red List shows that 1,895 of the planet's 6,285 amphibians are in danger of extinction, making them the most threatened group of species known to date. Of these, 39 are already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, 484 are Critically Endangered, 754 are Endangered and 657 are Vulnerable.

The Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis) was formally declared Extinct in the Wild in the IUCN Red List in 2009. This amphibian was known only from the Kihansi Falls in Tanzania, where it was formerly abundant. However, after 2003 the population dramatically declined, and in January 2004 only three toads could be found, with just two males heard calling. There have been no records since then, despite surveys. The decline of this species was caused by the construction of a dam upstream of the falls in 2000 for the Lower Kihansi Hydropower Project. This removed 90 percent of the water flow, which hugely reduced the volume of spray and altered the vegetation. In 2003, the fungal disease chytridiomycosis was confirmed in dead Kihansi spray toads, and this disease was probably responsible for the final population crash.

Photo © Tim Herman

The fungus also affected the Rabb's fringe-limbed treefrog, which enters the Red List as Critically Endangered. (See photo and description higher on this page.)

Plants

Of the 12,151 plants on the IUCN Red List, 8,500 are threatened with extinction, with 114 already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild.

The Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii) has been reassessed and remains in the Endangered category. Found in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, it only produces seeds once in 80 years before dying. Climate change may already be impairing its ability to flower and cattle roam freely among many colonies, trampling or eating young plants. Other threats include young plants being eaten or trampled by livestock, fires, and removal of pith from trunks.

Photo © Antonio Lambe (Acción Ambiental)

 

Toussaintia patriciae is an Endangered shrub species native to Tanzania. It is known from less than 30 trees in the Udzwunga Mountains National Park and West Kilombero Nature Reserve, and occurs in very low numbers where found, though it is cryptic when not flowering and may be more common that is currently known. It is considered relatively secure at present, as the population is present in protected areas and occurs above the altitude to which firewood collectors are allowed to operate. However, this species could become more threatened very quickly if the impacts of human activities, especially wood collection, were to increase.

Photo © Quentin Luke

 

Invertebrates

There are now 7,615 invertebrates on the IUCN Red List this year, 2,639 of which are threatened with extinction. Scientists added 1,360 dragonflies and damselflies, bringing the total to 1,989, of which 261 are threatened.

The giant jewel (Chlorocypha centripunctata) is known from the Obudu Plateau, Nigeria and from Mount Kupe and the Bakossi Mountains Cameroon. The species occurs in and around rain forest streams above 700-meter altitude. Habitat loss through selective logging and forest destruction for agricultural expansion is the main threat to this species. The species entered the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable in 2009.

 

Photo © Kai Schütte

 

Molluscs

Scientists also added 94 molluscs, bringing the total number assessed to 2,306, of which 1,036 are threatened.

All seven freshwater snails from Lake Dianchi in Yunnan Province, China, are new to the IUCN Red List and all are threatened. These join 13 freshwater fishes from the same area, 12 of which are threatened. The main threats are pollution, introduced fish species and overharvesting.

Freshwater Fishes

There are now 3,120 freshwater fishes on the IUCN Red List, up 510 species from last year. Although there is still a long way to go before the status all the world's freshwater fishes is known, 1,147 of those assessed so far are threatened with extinction.

The giant pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei) is a Critically Endangered fish found in the Chao Phraya and Mekong river basins in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. It inhabits the bottom and midwaters of large rivers surrounded by rain forest, and uses deep pools as refuges in the dry season. Overfishing for food, and to a lesser extent the aquarium trade, is the principle threat facing this species. Local fisherman have reported dramatic declines in sightings and catch, and a population decline of more than 99 percent over the past 30-45 years is inferred.

Photo © Chavalit Vidthayanon

The brown mudfish (Neochanna apoda), found only in New Zealand, has been moved from Near Threatened to Vulnerable as it has disappeared from many areas in its range. Approximately 85-90 percent of New Zealand's wetlands have been lost or degraded through drainage schemes, irrigation and land development.

The status of the Australian grayling (Prototroctes maraena), a freshwater fish, has improved as a result of conservation efforts. Now classed as Near Threatened as opposed to Vulnerable, the population has recovered thanks to fish ladders which have been constructed over dams to allow migration, enhanced riverside vegetation and the education of fishermen, who now face heavy penalties if found with this species

"Creatures living in freshwater have long been neglected."

"Creatures living in freshwater have long been neglected. This year we have again added a large number of them to the IUCN Red List and are confirming the high levels of threat to many freshwater animals and plants. This reflects the state of our precious water resources. There is now an urgency to pursue our effort but most importantly to start using this information to move towards a wise use of water resources," said Jean-Christophe Vié, deputy head of the IUCN Species Programme.

Downlisted bird species

The Mauritius fody (Foudia rubra) was downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered because its extremely small population has been stable since the early 1990s and is now increasing following an island translocation. The species is restricted to southwest Mauritius, and suffered rapid population declines between 1975 and 1993. However, since 1993 the population has been stable, and there is evidence that dispersing juveniles are now setting up new breeding territories, expanding the range of the species. Historically, clearance of upland forest, particularly for plantations in the 1970s, catastrophically affected this species. Introduced predators (e.g. black rat (Rattus rattus) and crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis)) caused almost total breeding failure in most areas, and nest predation is still the major threat to the species.

Photo © Lucy Garrett (Rare Birds Yearbook). Photo supplied by BirdLife International.

Global figures for 2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:
Total species assessed = 47,677
Total Extinct or Extinct in the Wild = 875 (2%) [Extinct = 809; Extinct in the Wild = 66].
Total threatened = 17,291 (36%) [Critically Endangered = 3,325; Endangered = 4,891; Vulnerable = 9,075].
Total Near Threatened = 3,650 (8%).
Total Lower Risk/conservation dependent = 281 (<1%) [this is an old category that is gradually being phased out of the Red List]
Total Data Deficient = 6,557 (14%)
Total Least Concern = 19,023 (40%)

Global figures for 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:
Total assessed = 44,838
Total Extinct or Extinct in the Wild = 869 (2%) [Extinct = 804 ; Extinct in the Wild = 65]
Total threatened = 16,928 (38%) [Critically Endangered = 3,246; Endangered = 4,770; Vulnerable = 8,912]
Total Near Threatened = 3,513 (8%)
Total Lower Risk/conservation dependent = 283 (<1%) [this is an old category that is gradually being phased out of the Red List]
Total Data Deficient = 5,570 (12%)
Total Least Concern = 17,675 (39%)

Not all species on the IUCN Red List are threatened. There are now more species on the IUCN Red List. This means that the overall percentage of threatened species has gone down by two percent. This is not because the status of the world's biodiversity is improving, IUCN noted, but because we have assessed more species.

"In the past, Red List assessments often focused on species that were already thought to be threatened, but as the Red List grows to include more complete assessments across entire groups, we are beginning to have a better idea of the relative proportion of species which are threatened against those which are not threatened."

A newly discovered salamander, which is the second-smallest salamander species in the U.S. and one of the smallest in the world at just two inches long, could change what scientists know about some amphibians, the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources said today.

The new salamander is so distinct that it belongs in its own genus (a grouping of related species), according to Carlos Camp, Piedmont College professor who first recognized it as a news species. "It represents the first new genus of four-footed creature discovered in the United States in 50 years."

Photo of new salamander courtesy UGA

Researchers weren't looking for anything new when they went exploring in the northeast part of Georgia. "But they ended up making a big discovery of a tiny animal," the University of Georgia said in a statement about the discovery.

The salamander is now under study by a diverse group of researchers from several U.S. colleges. The team is searching for more of the salamanders, which are described in a new paper appearing in the Journal of Zoology.

The initial discovery came in spring 2007 near Toccoa, Georgia, when University of Missiouri graduate student Bill Peterman and Warnell graduate student Joe Milanovich stumbled across it while collecting another species of salamander in Stephens County.

"They knew they'd found an animal not known in that region but did not yet know it was a new species," Warnell said in the statement.

Milanovich consulted John Maerz, a Warnell assistant professor of wildlife, who advised the students to take the salamander to Carlos Camp, professor at Piedmont College, who recognized it as a new species. Trip Lamb, a professor at East Carolina University, used genetics to confirm the new species and establish its relationship to other species in the region.

After the students found the first salamander, a female with eggs, in a creek, researchers went back repeatedly looking for others, Warnell said. "That is when Maerz's then 10-year-old son Jack and Milanovich found the first male specimen."

The research team has since found several individuals at the original site, including larvae, and they have found the new species at two other nearby locations in Georgia. Collaborators also found the species at a nearby site in South Carolina, Warnell added.

Evolution of Stream Salamanders

This discovery, according to Maerz, could yield exciting new information on the evolution of stream salamanders in this region.

"Whenever you find something new, it has the potential to change what we know about a range of related species," he said. There are more than 560 species of salamanders worldwide, and approximately 10 percent are found in Georgia."

But that's not the only reason Maerz is excited, Warnell added. "The new species was found in a well-traveled area in the middle of a creek right next to a road, almost hidden in plain sight."

"To make such a find in an area with extensive human activity proves that there are still things out there to discover. It makes you wonder, what else is out there?"

"To make such a find in an area with extensive human activity," Maerz said, "proves that there are still things out there to discover. It makes you wonder, what else is out there?"

With funding from The Environmental Resources Network (TERN), Milanovich and Camp are leading research efforts to describe the ecology of the tiny creatures.

"It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in such a big find, particularly one right in our backyard," Milanovich said. "The fact that it is such a unique animal makes it all the better and gives us more opportunity to continue to learn about the species. One of the best parts of being involved with this project is the collaboration that has come out of the species description, so I am excited to continue working with the other coauthors as we keep unpeeling the onion of U. brucei."

Patch-nosed Salamander

The research team's suggested common name is patch-nosed salamander, based on the lighter coloring on the tiny salamander's nose. The formal Latin name is Urspelerpes brucei for Richard Bruce, professor emeritus at Western Carolina University and a well-respected, longtime salamander researcher who has connections to many members of the research team.

"Dr. Bruce has done much of the foundational work on stream salamander ecology in the region and on the evolution of miniaturization in salamanders, so naming this species after him is a good fit," Maerz said.

More from National Geographic News:

New Salamander Found -- One of World's Smallest

"Ugly" Salamander Lacks Lungs

More than 1,200 species were identified in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore bioblitz this weekend.

The number is expected to rise significantly as scientists crunch data and examine specimens in laboratories in coming weeks.

Among the species found that were previously unreported for this national park were 20 types of rove beetles and a handful of tardigrades, said Tim Watkins, the bioblitz science coordinator.

In the shallows of Lake Michigan an invasive species of fish, the round goby, which is believed to have come from Russia in ship ballast water in the 1980s, was found to have displaced native benthic fishes--indicating a loss of species for the park.

A small number of hatchlings of spotted turtle was seen, Watkins said. The turtle is rare and, in the state of Indiana, is regarded by conservationists as a species of special concern.

"What's encouraging is that the find is an indication that there is a breeding population of this turtle in the park," Watkins said. "That's very good news for both the turtle and the park, and a tribute to the dedication of the scientists and citizens who took part in the bioblitz."

Watch this video to hear Stuart Pimm, professor of conservation biology at Duke University, North Carolina, explain why the Indiana Dunes bioblitz was so important.

video by David Braun

 

Database for Research

 

When the bioblitz data is completed and verified, the full list of species, and their locations will be secured in NPSpecies, a National Park Service database, where it will be a reference for future surveys and additional research.

Fieldscope, a National Geographic education initiative, and the Encyclopedia of Life, an Internet project to create a Web page for every species on the planet, will also record the data.

Organized jointly by the U.S. National Park Service and the National Geographic Society, the 24-hour event, that ended midday Saturday, was the third in a series of ten bioblitzes in urban parks.

The first two bioblitzes were held in Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek Park in 2007 and in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in the Los Angeles area last year. The tenth and last bioblitz in this series is scheduled to be held in 2016, the 100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service..

This year's bioblitz was held in the dunes on the southern shore of Lake Michigan within sight of Chicago. More than 150 scientists from across the U.S. participated, among them botanists, entomologists (insect experts), ornithologists (birds), herpetologists (reptiles and amphibians), ichthyologists (fish), mycologists (fungi), myrmecologists (ants), and various mammal specialists.

The experts, ably assisted by some 2,000 grade school students and other members of the public, fanned out across much of Indiana Dunes' 15,000 acres of forests, wetlands, prairie, streams, sand dunes and lake shore.

 

Heavy Rains, High Winds

 

By day and by night, and at times in heavy rain and high winds, the army of professional and citizen scientists looking for species waded into marshes, bog, and lake shallows, crawled over towering dunes, scratched in leaf litter, poked the soil, and peered up tall trees and under rocks and logs.

"A bioblitz is always an adventure, and this one was no different," said John Francis, National Geographic Vice President for Research, Conservation, and Exploration, who went out on as many as he could of the 176 scheduled scientist-led forays to look for species.

"We had drenching rain and rivers flowing through our base camp, but science was undaunted," Francis added. "The bioblitz helped put Indiana Dunes further on the map as a national park important for its extraordinary diversity of species.

"The big turnout of scientists, students, and families showed how excited people are about this place. This can only help build the community that supports this park, not only in the minds of the local population but also nationally."

 

Bioblitz 2010

 

Planning for the fourth bioblitz in the series, in Florida's Biscayne Bay next year, started earlier today, Francis said.

"The next bioblitz is likely to be even bigger and better than the first three because with each one we learn how to do them better, and more people are becoming aware of how important and fun they are. Bioblitz fever is alive and well."

Under consideration for the 2010 bioblitz is a Web component that will allow students across the country to not only follow the event in Florida but also to emulate it with mini bioblitzes in their own communities.

 

 

For more details and updates, please visit the official National Geographic BioBlitz Web site.

 

 

Read more stories about the Indiana Dunes bioblitz on NatGeo News Watch and BlogWILD.

 

 

 

In the video below Superintendent for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Constantine (Costa) J. Dillon talks about what's special about the park, its challenges, and its opportunities.

 Video by David Braun

 

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Costa Dillon (left) and National Geographic Vice President for Research, Conservation, and Exploration John Francis at a social reception on the eve of the bioblitz.

 

 

Photo by David Braun

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Thomas (left), of the National Park Service, and Mark Christmas, National Park Service contractor and former National Geographic staffer, guided the installation of the event. This included the erection of an outdoor stage and more than 40 tents covering 14,000 square feet. The largest tent provided shelter and work stations for scientists and data entry. The installation took three days, through severe weather that included heavy rains and wind gusts up to 55 mph.

 

 

Photo by David Braun

 

 

 

Conservation biologist Stuart Pimm (watch his video above) and blogger David Braun (right)  take a break during the bioblitz in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on Friday night.

Photo by Mark Christmas

The first annual "Save The Frogs Day" was declared today, April 28, by a conservation organization set up to generate awareness of the extinction crisis facing many of the world's amphibians.

"The goal is to raise awareness of the rapid disappearance of frog species worldwide," says a news release announcing the event. "Save The Frogs Day events are planned in nearly a dozen countries, including the United States, Canada, Italy, China, and Australia."

The event is organized by Save the Frogs, a nonprofit based in Manassas, Virginia. The charity was founded in May 2008 by Kerry Kriger and scientists, educators, policymakers, and naturalists dedicated to protecting the world's amphibian species through environmental education, scientific research, legal defense and the acquisition of critical habitat.

NGS photo of juvenile tree frog by Paul Zahl

Kriger participated in a research project about the amphibian disease chytridiomycos, funded in part by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration. His work on chytridiomycosis has been published in 15 articles in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. Kriger founded Save the Frogs in May 2008 and is the charity's executive director and only full-time employee.

Nearly one-third of the world's 6,485 amphibian species are threatened with extinction, and at least 150 species have completely disappeared since 1980, and most people don't know about it, Kriger told me in a phone interview.

Save the Frogs Day has been recognized as an official event by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. "As far as I know, Governor Kaine is the highest-ranking elected official in the world to acknowledge the extinction crisis facing frogs," Kriger said. "Next year I am going to ask everyone to write to their governors and other public representatives. We need to spread the word to the politicians."

Habitat destruction is the primary threat to frogs in lowland areas. But the deadly skin disease caused by a chytrid fungus is spreading through mountainous regions worldwide, driving frog species to extinction within months of its arrival.

NGS photo of hourglass tree frog by Paul Zahl

Millions of frogs are shipped worldwide each year for use as pets or food, and few regulations exist to prevent the transport of infected individuals, the Save the Frogs release says. "Sick frogs inevitably escape into the wild and introduce their disease to places where the native frogs have no evolved defenses. To make matters worse, pesticides and global warming weaken frogs' immune systems, making them more susceptible to infectious diseases."

Kriger hopes that Save The Frogs Day will dramatically increase frog awareness on a global scale.

In recognition of Save The Frogs Day, scientists worldwide will deliver presentations about the amphibian extinction crisis to local schools, zoos and community groups this April 28th. Teachers and students will focus on amphibian conservation, learning about threats to frogs and discussing ways to contribute to conservation efforts. Events for schools also include participating in frog art and frog poetry contests.

Some simple everyday things everyone can do to help save frogs, Kriger says, include not using pesticides in and around the home (chemicals that get into rivers and ponds are not compatible with a healthy ecosystem for frogs), not eating frogs, not buying wild frogs as pets, and lobbying politicians for funding for research and scholarships to train herpetologists.

NGS photo of reed frog by Michael Nichols

Ultimately, Kriger wants to see funding to buy critical habitat for frogs and laws passed to protect amphibians. "This is one of the most significant environmental issues of the 21st century," he says. "Unless we act quickly, amphibian species will continue to disappear, resulting in irreversible consequences to Earth's ecosystems and to humans."

NGS photo of harlequin tree frogs by Paul Zahl

 

How to Help (Save the Frogs Web site tips and advice on what you can do to save frogs.)

Related NatGeo News Watch entries:

Bait Shops Found to Be Spreading Chytrid and Other Amphibian Diseases

Green-and-Black Golden Frog Born at Bronx Zoo

Are Humans Now Eating Frogs to Extinction?

Four out of Ten Amphibians in Decline, New Study Finds

All blog entries about frogs

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Meet one of the more amazing offspring at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo World of Reptiles exhibit -- a critically endangered Panamanian golden frog toadlet.

The baby frog's skin is not the golden color of the adult, but rather green and black to match the moss growing around its Montane stream habitat, WCS said in a statement released with the photos. "This color variance provides the advantage of camouflage for youngsters. The golden color change comes about as the toadlet matures into a juvenile."

 Breeding occurs during the dry season when the stream water flows at a slower rate, WCS added. "This species must have flowing water, however, for mating to take place. Interestingly, Panamanian golden frogs communicate with hand gestures -- much like sign language."

Adult females are about 4 to 5 inches, a bit larger than the males.

The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society operates both the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. The charity also funds conservation programs around the world.

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Panama's golden frog is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Now researchers are fighting to save the rare amphibian from a naturally occurring -- and deadly -- fungus.

Watch this video about the Panamanian golden frog:

 

Video by Wild Chronicles, from National Geographic Mission Programs

Related NatGeo News Watch entries:

Are Humans Now Eating Frogs to Extinction?

Frog With Green Blood, Turquoise Bones Found in Cambodia

Warming is Killing Yellowstone's Amphibians, Researchers Find

Four out of Ten Amphibians in Decline, New Study Finds

Tree Frog Once Thought Lost Is Found

Researcher Licks Poison Frogs in Pursuit of Science (includes video)

Photo courtesy S D Biju, http://www.frogindia.org/

A dozen frogs new to science were discovered in the forests of Western Ghats, a 1,000-mile-long mountain range that runs the length of India, Delhi University announced today.

Amphibian researchers S D Biju of Delhi University's Systematics Lab and Franky Bossuyt of the Amphibian Evolution Lab of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel have published the discoveries in the latest issue of Zoological Journal of Linnean Society, London.

Their research paper describes the discovery of 12 new Philautus species of frogs and the "rediscovery" of a "lost species," the Travancore bushfrog (Philautus travancoricus) considered extinct since it was last reported more than a 100 years back, according to a news release issued by Delhi University.

Photo courtesy S D Biju, http://www.frogindia.org/

"This discovery further highlights the need to conserve species and their habitat in the Western Ghats," the release said. "Forests here continue to be threatened and large areas are being destroyed for plantation and urbanization.

"The Western Ghats is home to a large number of endemic species that are not found outside the Ghats. Seemingly small disturbances in their habitat could wipe out several species. Once a species is lost, it cannot be brought back by any effort."

Seven of the 12 new species were only found in unprotected areas which were forests some time back, the news statement continued. "Habitats are rapidly disappearing and immediate steps are required to protect the remaining forests from human activities like plantation and urbanization.

"Scientific conservation should replace thoughtless exploitation of natural resources."

Related NatGeo News Watch entries:

Are Humans Now Eating Frogs to Extinction?

Frog With Green Blood, Turquoise Bones Found in Cambodia

Warming is Killing Yellowstone's Amphibians, Researchers Find

Four out of Ten Amphibians in Decline, New Study Finds

Tree Frog Once Thought Lost Is Found

Researcher Licks Poison Frogs in Pursuit of Science (includes video)

Photo courtesy S D Biju, http://www.frogindia.org/

Paul Zahl/NGS

Add frogs to the list of animals we may be eating out of existence.

At least 200 million and maybe more than a billion frogs are being consumed by humans each year, researchers said this week.

"Frogs legs are on the menu at school cafeterias in Europe, market stalls and dinner tables across Asia, to high end restaurants throughout the world," said Corey Bradshaw, an ecologist from the University of Adelaide School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

The global trade in frog legs for human consumption is threatening their extinction, Bradshaw said in a statement released by the university. "Amphibians are already the most threatened animal group yet assessed because of disease, habitat loss and climate change -- man's massive appetite for their legs is not helping."

Bradshaw, who is also employed as a senior scientist by the South Australian Research and Development Institute, and colleagues are writing a paper that will be published online in the journal Conservation Biology.

The researchers say the global pattern of harvesting and decline of wild populations of frogs appears to be following the same path set by overexploitation of the seas and subsequent "chain reaction" of fisheries collapses around the world.

They called for mandatory certification of frog harvests to improve monitoring and help the development of sustainable harvest strategies.

"The frogs' legs global market has shifted from seasonal harvest for local consumption to year-round international trade," Bradshaw said. "But harvesting seems to be following the same pattern for frogs as with marine fisheries -- initial local collapses in Europe and North America followed by population declines in India and Bangladesh and now potentially in Indonesia.

"Absence of essential data to monitor and manage the wild harvest is a large concern."

NGS photos above are by Bianca Lavies (top and bottom) and Paul Zahl (center)

Indonesia is the largest exporter of frogs by far and its domestic market is 2-7 times that, Bradshaw said.

Others in the study team included researchers from the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, the National University of Singapore, and Harvard University.

News stories about this research:
A billion frogs on world's plates (BBC News)
In pictures: The over-harvesting of amphibians (BBC News)
Surprisingly, too many frogs are being eaten (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
Frogs under threat as diners hop into legs (The Australian)
Frogs are 'on their last legs' (The Sun, UK)

Related National Geographic News stories:
Frog Extinctions Linked to Global Warming
Photo Gallery: Frog Survival Linked to Eco-Health
"Frog Hotel" to Shelter Panama Species From Lethal Fungus

NatGeo News Watch blog entries about frogs:
Four out of Ten Amphibians in Decline, New Study Finds
Frog With Green Blood, Turquoise Bones Found in Cambodia
Warming is Killing Yellowstone's Amphibians, Researchers Find
Tree Frog Once Thought Lost Is Found
Researcher Licks Poison Frogs in Pursuit of Science (with video)

National Geographic Magazine:
Your Shot Frogs
The Fragile World of Frogs

Illustration courtesy FWS

Photo by James L. Amos/NGS

The United States is one of the great golfing nations of the world.

But the many thousands of golf courses that dot the urban landscape are not without their critics. Environmentalists have decried the amount of water sometimes required to keep fairways and greens lush, especially in places that are naturally arid.

In other instances perfectly good natural hazards such as wetlands or beach dunes are bulldozed and supplanted with an artificial landscape.

There has also been criticism of the amount of pesticides and fertilizer, required to keep golf courses verdant, that winds up in the nation's waterways and oceans.

But can golf courses offer havens for wildlife being squeezed out of urban areas?

"With more than 2.2 million acres of green space on U.S. golf courses, there is great potential for golf courses to serve as sanctuaries for many wildlife species," says Mark Mackey, a graduate student of the University of Missouri who is studying this issue. "Managing landscapes for human use and the preservation of biodiversity will create a win-win situation for stakeholders and wildlife."

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Photo by Brian Kubicki/Courtesy Conservation International

Adding to the urgency of the looming extinction crisis, conservationists today declared that 43 percent of amphibian species are declining, 32 percent are threatened with extinction, and as many as 122 species may have become extinct since 1980.

"This study confirms one of the greatest species conservation challenges of our time," said Simon Stuart, chairman of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) biodiversity assessment sub-committee. "In just the past 20 years, the number of known amphibians has increased by 48 percent. Tragically, we are losing them almost as fast as we find them."

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Valerie Clark has a quick way to determine whether a frog is toxic or not. She licks them.

If it is not dangerous it is certainly nasty. "I don't recommend this," Clark told National Geographic News earlier this year. "If you lick the wrong frog it can be very bad." (Read the story.)

Clark studies frog chemical defenses. She earned her master's degree at Columbia University in New York City, and has received funding from National Geographic to do research on the ecology and evolution of chemical defense in the poison frogs of Madagascar.

Watch a video and read more about Valerie Clark's research in the extended entry.

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