Frogs and toads face extinction

Published on Thursday 25 September 2008 21:52

MORE than half of Europe's frog, toad and newt species could be wiped out by the middle of the century, scientists have warned.

Amphibians across the world are at risk of extinction as a result of climate change, habitat destruction and disease, according to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

At a lecture at London Zoo last night, Dr Trent Garner, a ZSL research fellow, warned that UK species, such as the common toad, were among those increasingly under threat.

With less cold winters, toads were using up more of their reserves and emerging from hibernation in a poor condition, he said. Female toad survival rates were dropping and they were producing few eggs.

He said that, globally, "the number-one threat has been and will be habitat loss, and there's also threats from pollution and introduction of new species".

Dr Garner said that, in the short term, amphibians needed protection through captive breeding programmes in the world's zoos, targeting those at highest risk of extinction.

Legislation was also needed to try to stop the spread of disease and to combat infectious diseases which are pushing species to extinction across the world.