Scientists hunt for 'lost frogs' around the globe
Jeremy Hancemongabay.com
August 09, 2010
"This is something that has never been done before, and is hugely significant, not only because of the threats that amphibians face and our need to understand what has been happening to them better, but also because it represents an incredible opportunity for the world’s amphibian scientists to rediscover long-lost species," said Dr. Claude Gascon in a press release. Gascon is co-chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Amphibian Specialist Group, as well as Vice President of Conservation International (CI).
 The three-colored harlequin frog Atelopus tricolor is one of the search's target species. Native to Peru, it has not been recorded since 2003. Photo by: Jörn Köhler. |
"The search for these lost animals may well yield vital information in our attempts to stop the amphibian extinction crisis, and information that helps humanity to better understand the impact that we are having on the planet," says Gascon.
Amphibians, as a group, are often considered indicators of the health of an ecosystem. Given that their populations are susceptible to even small changes in the environment, researchers are able to notice impacts that may otherwise be overlooked.
 Also from Peru, researchers fear the Telmatobius necopinus may have been hit by chytridiomycosis. Photo by: W.E. Duellman. |
While human impacts have devastated amphibian populations worldwide, these tiny animals provide a number of 'free' services to humans including insect-control and helping to maintain freshwater ecosystems. Research on amphibians has also led to new pharmaceuticals for humans.
To see the Top Ten Amphibians that researchers hope to find: Photos: world's top ten 'lost frogs'
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