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Going under: the world's rarest amphibians (Image © Vincent Carruthers/ZSL)
Sinking, not swimming: amphibians at risk
Some of the world’s most bizarre slithering and slimy creatures – large and very, very, small – finally have an advocate.
In a bid to safeguard the future of rare amphibians, scientists have identified 100 species at risk from the combined ravages of habitat destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, climate change and disease.
The Zoological Society of London compiled the list of biologically valuable amphibians struggling for survival as part of the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) project, highlighting the plight of ten species facing imminent extinction.
“The EDGE amphibians are among the most remarkable and unusual species on the planet and yet an alarming 85% of the top 100 are receiving little or no conservation attention,” said amphibians coordinator, Helen Meredith. “These animals may not be cute and cuddly, but hopefully their weird looks and bizarre behaviours will inspire people to support their conservation.”
Amphibian populations have been in decline for the past three decades, according to the ZSL. Since the 1980s, around 120 species are believed to have become extinct. Unless immediate action is taken, wonders such as the lungless salamander, which breathes through its skin, and the Chinese giant salamander, which dates back to more than 100 hundred million years before dinosaurs roamed the earth, will be lost forever.
“Tragically, amphibians tend to be the overlooked members of the animal kingdom, even though one in every three amphibian species is currently threatened with extinction,” said Dr Jonathan Bailie, head of EDGE. To find out more, click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.
by Stephanie Sanchez

In pictures: the world's rarest amphibians

Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)
Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)Rare amphibians (click to enlarge)
Save our Seas: marine environment 'on its knees'
Save our Seas: marine environment 'on its knees' (Image © Paul Naylor, www.marinephoto.org.uk)
Britain’s marine environment – our life support system – is on its knees, in desperate need of some “tender loving care”, a report has warned. Conservation experts from around the UK have compiled a list of 15 marine areas urgently in need of protection, each considered vital for the preservation of at least one species of marine animal or plant.
Prime slime: the world's rarest amphibians (Image © Naomi Dook/ZSL)
Prime slime: the world's rarest amphibians
They may not be cute or cuddly, but these weird and wonderful amphibians have an important place in evolutionary history and are now in urgent need of protection.
Head-to-head: Britain's nuclear revival (Image © Chris Radburn/PA Wire)
Head-to-head: Britain's nuclear revival
The government has approved the construction of a new generation of nuclear power stations, reigniting the debate over the controversial power source. Here, two experts go head-to-head on one of today’s most divisive issues.
Chilling prognosis for Antarctic penguins (Image © WWF/Fritz Polking)
Chilling prognosis for Antarctic penguins
Melting sea ice and overfishing have triggered a dangerously rapid decline in penguin populations on the Antarctic peninsula – a direct result of global warming, warns a new report from the WWF.
In pictures: rare tiger cub 'could save species' (Image © PA)
In pictures: rare tiger cub 'could save species'
This tiny 1kg bundle of fur and teeth is the potential saviour of a critically endangered species of tiger. The male South China tiger cub was born at a reserve in South Africa's Free State and is the first to be bred outside China.
Revealed: the human face of climate change (Image © Christian Aid/Caroline Waterman)
Revealed: the human face of climate change
The twin forces of climate change and crippling poverty are fusing in the lives of the world’s poorest people – a deadly combination, warns a new report from Christian Aid.

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