Amphibians in Crisis

Salamander courtesy of OH Department of Natural ResourcesAmphibians are in the midst of an extinction crisis. According to the Global Amphibian Assessment, nearly one-third of all amphibian species are endangered or threatened, making amphibians the most endangered group of animals in the world. Defenders has launched a campaign to review and address threats leading to amphibian population declines.

Some of the factors contributing to amphibian declines include climate change, the spread of emerging infectious disease, most notably Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) also known as the amphibian chytrid fungus, as well as habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, and overharvesting for domestic and international trade.

Reversing the Decline of Amphibian Populations

In order to effectively tackle the decline of amphibian populations we are working to:

  • Propose new listings of amphibians in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
    In November 2008, Defenders sent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CITES Scientific Authority, a list of 13 amphibian listing proposals for consideration at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, to be held in January 2010 in Doha, Qatar.  Defenders International will be advocating for giving these species that are directly impacted by trade the necessary level of CITES protection. Read the proposal.
  • Improve the Regulation of Live Animal Imports
    We are working to improve the regulation of live animal imports to the U.S. Our 2007 report on the live animal trade, Broken Screens – The Regulation of Live Animal Imports in the United States, showed that more than a dozen non-native amphibian species currently being imported into the U.S. pose risks of becoming invasive species and/or carrying diseases. This could have a negative impact on native amphibian populations.
  • Educate Policy Makers on Need for Tighter Screening
    We are developing materials to educate policymakers on the need to more tightly screen amphibian imports for deadly diseases, especially that caused by chytrid fungus.
  • Protect Latin American Amphibians
    We are launching a new effort to protect amphibians in Latin America, where these creatures are both diverse and threatened on a number of fronts.