Earth is facing its single largest mass
extinction since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. One third to one half of the world's
6000 amphibian species - which have thrived for the past 360 million years - are facing
imminent extinction, some within the next 10 years. One hundred and twenty species have
already become extinct in recent years.
To mitigate this crisis, the world's leading
conservationists have joined together to name 2008, "The Year of the Frog" in hopes of
raising both awareness and the critical funding needed to address this crisis. Amphibians are affected by habitat loss, climate change, pollution and pesticides,
introduced species and over-collection for food and pets. The most immediate threat is an
introduced parasitic fungus called amphibian chytrid, which is untreatable in the wild and
can kill 80 percent of native amphibians within months.
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