77 Frog Species Staring at Extinction
Source: The Hindu
GS III: Environment
Overview
- News in Brief
- About the Extinction of Frogs
Why in the News?
Seventy-seven out of the 181 frog species in Kerala face extinction threats.
News in Brief
- Sathyabhama Das Biju, widely known as Frogman of India explains the issue.
- 99 per cent of frogs become extinct due to habitat loss, and 31 per cent due to climate change.
About the Extinction of Frogs
- Three species were critically endangered, 46 were endangered, and 28 were vulnerable.
- In 100 years, at least half of the frogs will not be seen.
- Frog conservation should be prioritised.
- While we say 42 per cent of frog species are on the verge of extinction, it is 26.5 per cent for mammals, 21.4 per cent for reptiles and 12.9 per cent for birds.
- Hence, conservation should be given the right prioritisation.
- Nearly 40% of India’s 458 amphibian species are facing threats of extinction.
- While 14 species are critically endangered, 74 are endangered, and 49 have been categorised as vulnerable.
- Besides, another 31 species are in the near-threatened category.
Reson for the decline and conservation
- Amphibian declines in India due to habitat destruction and degradation — caused primarily by agriculture, and cropland expansion.
- Effective conservation of amphibians is possible through specialised programmes that focus on protecting their habitats, particularly wetlands.
- Many endangered amphibian species exist outside protected areas and called for special attention and targeted efforts to preserve their breeding habitats.
- Climate change was another threat for 39% of the more than 8,000 amphibian species threatened globally.