Our frogs are creeping towards extinction

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Tue 10 Oct   Sheree Bega, our environment reporter, covers some fascinating stories for the Mail & Guardian. One of her most [recent ones]( looks at how amphibians are heading towards extinction. Along with other amphibians like salamanders and caecilians (worm-like creatures) these fascinating species are crucial to ecosystems. They are a vital part of freshwater ecosystems and without them our freshwater and the environments that we need are in peril. In the story, she spoke to an amphibian expert who explained that frogs are nocturnal, cold-blooded creatures and need to stay moist to stay alive. So when temperatures heat up, the expert described the situation like this: “If it’s very hot, which we’re seeing, with this gradual increase in temperature, our little froggies are essentially going to be drying up and turning into little pieces of biltong.” The main drivers for the species rapid decline is climate change, habitat loss and a disease called Chytridiomycosis, which affects the function of amphibian skin and is caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. What’s concerning is that amphibians are more at risk for extinction compared to other species like mammals, reptiles and birds. We’re already seeing their extinctions. “There were 23 extinctions by 1980, an additional 10 by 2004 and four more by 2022. The number of amphibian extinctions could be as high as 222.” But the situation is not yet completely dire. There are conservation initiatives which are reducing the risks of extinction. These need to be amplified soonest. For more stories like this, please sign up for our [environmental newsletter]( the Green Guardian, which goes out today. You’ll find our climate and environment news as well as a fun weekly quiz. Ozayr Patel | Climate & Environment Editor [@Ozayr8]( ADVERTISEMENT [Frogs are sliding towards extinction]( Two out of every five species are threatened, a new global assessment has found [// Read more]( [Water supply interruptions creating unhappy, hostile communities, says Johannesburg Water]( Water outages have left many communities with dry spells since August as the city struggles with prolonged recovery periods of Rand Water and Johannesburg Water supply systems [// Read more]( Premium [Mmusi Maimane looks set to be the next leader to join the opposition ‘moonshot coalition’]( The party leader is one of the participants on a five-day German tour to learn how coalitions are managed in that country [// Read more]( Recommended Reads [Senzo Meyiwa trial: DNA evidence excludes all five accused]( State witness Captain Mmampshedi demurred when asked to comment on Zandile Khumalo’s earlier testimony that the hat belonged to one of the intruders on the day the footballer was killed [// Read more]( [Gwede Mantashe says NGOs are weaponised to stop oil and gas exploration]( The energy minister told Africa Oil Week participants that disasters linked to climate change were being used to stop African countries from exploiting fossil fuels [// Read more]( [Guterres deplores attacks on civilians in Israeli-Hamas war]( The UN secretary-general also voiced alarm at the announcement of a total siege of the Gaza Strip, while all aide has been blocked [// Read more]( [Treasury extends deadline for Eskom municipal debt write-off]( So far, only 28 municipalities have been approved to participate in the programme [// Read more]( [The death penalty must be abolished]( As we observe the World Day Against the Death Penalty, we must hold onto the glimmer of hope that Zimbabwean authorities will do away with capital punishment [// Read more]( [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa