Transcript:
From poison dart frogs in the rain forest to common fire salamanders in Europe, many amphibian populations are declining due to threats like habitat loss and disease.
But a new study indicates that many amphibians may also be threatened by global warming.
Twomey: “Climate change is becoming a more pressing issue for amphibians.”
Evan Twomey of Goethe University and his colleagues found that over the past two decades, amphibians in areas that have experienced more heat waves and droughts were more likely to have been pushed closer to extinction.
Heat and drought can affect amphibians’ unique biology.
Twomey: “Many frogs are breeding in very short-lived, temporary ponds. And so if you have an intense drought at the wrong period of year, you can have catastrophic loss of an entire cohort of amphibians.”
Twomey’s research shows that amphibians in places like Madagascar and Brazil’s Atlantic Forest region may be especially threatened by climate change.
Twomey: “These are some really species-rich areas where heat waves and droughts have increased a lot in recent years.”
More than 40% of amphibian species are now at risk of extinction.
And as climate change brings more severe droughts and heat waves, amphibians may face increased threats.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
