DuckstersDucksters
History Biography Geography Science Games

Amphibians in Danger

Decline of the Amphibian Population


Source: USFWS

Back to Animals

One of the most alarming drops in animal populations over the past several years has been the decline in the amphibian population. Amphibians are sensitive to changes in their environment. Many species of amphibians have already gone extinct or are in danger of going extinct.

Decline in Amphibian Population

In the past several years around 43% of all amphibian species have shown a decline in population. There are less and less of them each year. At the same time only 1% of amphibian species are growing in population.

Extinctions

In addition to the overall population decline, it is thought that around 160 amphibian species have gone extinct and that another 1,800 species are in danger of going extinct. That's around 1/3 of all amphibians on the planet.

Causes of Decline

The exact cause of the overall decline in amphibian population is not fully understood by scientists. There are a number of things that have adversely affected different species of amphibians. It is likely that the decline is from a combination of several of the factors described below.

Source: USFWS
Why is this important?

Many scientists think that amphibians can give us a clue as to the overall health of the Earth. Amphibians are sensitive to changes in habitat and pollution. The decline in the amphibian population could be a sign of things to come in the future for other animals, if things continue to worsen.

What is being done?

Scientists around the world are sharing information about their findings on the health of amphibian species. Efforts are being made to protect their habitats and reduce pollution. Also, zoos are creating captive breeding programs to try and keep species from going extinct.

More on endangered species:
Amphibians in Danger
Endangered Animals
How Animals Become Extinct
Wildlife Conservation
Zoos

Back to Animals



Ducksters Footer Gif with Ducks


About Ducksters Privacy Policy 

 

This site is a product of TSI (Technological Solutions, Inc.), Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use.