A World Without Amphibians?

Red eyed Tree Frog

Photo courtesy of Nature

Glass Frog

Photo by Andrew Young

A world without amphibians?

Unthinkable but very likely if we don't act now.

Watch "Frogs: The Thin Green Line," now showing on NATURE (PBS).

"Frogs have been living on this planet for more than 360 million years, and over the centuries, evolved into some of the most wondrous and diverse creatures on earth. Today, however, all their remarkable adaptations and survival tactics are failing them. Recent discoveries are startling: more than a third of all amphibians – most of which are frogs and toads – have already been lost, and more are disappearing every day. It is an environmental crisis unfolding around the globe, traveling from Australia to North and South America. Where the calls of frogs once filled the air, scientists now hear only silence. Ecosystems are beginning to unravel, and the potential to discover important medical cures may be lost forever. Habitat loss, pollution and a human population that has doubled in the past 50 years have set the stage for their diminished numbers. But now, a fungus called chytrid has been identified as the major culprit, and so far the spread of the fungus can’t be stopped."

Learn what you can do to help frogs. Click here.