Global Amphibian Assessment

Global Amphibian Assessment

News: The second Global Amphibian Assessment, conducted by over 1,000 experts and analysing 8,011 species worldwide, has revealed that the elusive dancing frogs of the Western Ghats are one of the most threatened amphibian genera.

Key Findings:
• The assessment points out that 41 per cent of amphibian species are on the brink of extinction globally, with climate change, habitat loss, disease, fire, invasive species, and over-exploitation posing significant threats to them.
• The dancing frog genus, Micrixalus, which is part of the endemic family Micrixalidae, is identified as the most threatened frog genus in India.
• Additionally, the Nyctibatrachidae, commonly known as night frogs, has 83.9 per cent of its species threatened across the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• Amphibians are currently the second most declining taxa globally, after corals, making their conservation a matter of great concern.