Amphibians have been on the planet for approximately 300 million years. These intriguing species contribute to biodiversity balance and ecosystem health, but sadly, the number of Endangered Amphibians is increasing.
Amphibians are predators and prey; they consume pest insects, which aids in farming and helps prevent disease transmission.
There are around 8,000 species of Amphibians worldwide, including newts, salamanders, caecilians, and frogs. However, over 120 species are believed to have vanished, and more are on the verge of extinction in the last several decades.
Since the 1950s, amphibian populations have dropped substantially worldwide, including in national parks and forests. This widespread decrease results from human-induced factors such as logging, urban development, and changes in their habitat. One in every three amphibians is now threatened with extinction.
If you’re curious about which amphibians are endangered, here is a list of 10.
List of Endangered Amphibians
1. Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sierrae
It is a yellow-legged frog that was once one of California and Nevada’s most common frog species. Today, the Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog is threatened with extinction. From above, it seems yellowish or reddish-brown with black or brown patches or lichen-like markings.
They are highly aquatic and are constantly seen within a meter or two of the water’s edge.
It has vanished from over 90% of the lakes it formerly called home. The frog is primarily found in the Sierra Nevada’s lustrous mountains.
The Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog was listed as endangered due to a lethal fungus spread throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains.
This fungus is called chytrid, and it is an infectious sickness that affects up to 100 amphibians globally. It has wiped out the frog population in recent years.
Pesticides derived from the Central Valley of California also contribute to the decline of the species. The chemicals the wind carries collect in the high mountains and are finally drawn towards the lakes and streams where the frogs live, breed, and raise toads.
To add to the struggles of this frog species was the non-native trout, a freshwater fish that has been introduced into the frog’s normally fishless alpine lakes.
These invasive fishes are opportunistic feeders of tadpoles and can potentially wipe out entire frog populations.
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2. California Red-Legged Frog
Scientific Name: Rana draytonii
California red-legged frogs are among the most prominent native amphibians in the western United States, primarily in California. Despite their substantial size, the fascinating frog species has been eliminated from more than 70% of its previous habitat and is now classified as endangered.
Its reddish-brown color identifies it as salmon pink. Additionally, they have dark tiger stripes on their legs and a robust garlicky stench when closed to the frog or handled. Although huge females are capable of collecting and eating prey, the frogs’ main diet consists of invertebrates as big as mice and smaller frogs.
During mating, males use a low, burbling, and laughing sound to entice females to mate and meandering streams. The California red-legged frog can lay approximately 2,000 eggs.
Causes of decline California red-legged frogs wreaked havoc on their habitats. Invasive predators, including mosquitofish, bullfrogs, as well as crayfish, are increasing in number. Contamination of their freshwater environments was one of the factors that contributed to this frog species’ difficulty in living and raising toads.
Contamination of their freshwater environments was one factor contributing to this frog species’ difficulty living and raising toads.
California’s community and government are working to protect these frogs and other native amphibians by safeguarding wetlands.
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3. Chiricahua Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana chiricauhensis
Chiricahua leopard frogs are a fascinating species with green skin, black, leopard-like patterning, and golden eyes. It is often found in places in the northern part of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Sadly, it is now part of the endangered amphibians.
In the 1990s, a chytrid fungus was found to be responsible for a considerable number of dead frog species. It is also the reason for the high fatality rate of frogs in 8 different locations around Arizona.
The same fungus endangered the Yellow-Legged Frog of the Sierra Nevada and other amphibians. Apart from the chytrid fungus, people have also contributed to the demise of this intriguing frog species.
For years, about 100 million amphibians have been transported across continents to be used as food, pets, and used as bait. Other amphibians are also shipped for laboratory industries.
These animals were shipped without a bit of disease testing or quarantine. Sick frogs infect natural populations, particularly Chiricahua leopard frogs.
Genetic evidence reveals that the Chiricahua leopard frog species also include the Ramsey Canyon frog, a group of frogs native to southern Arizona notable for their underwater calling ability.
Another genetically separate population of Chiricahua frogs lives in central Arizona. They have nearly vanished from their native area.
They are now being produced in captivity by conservation centers and groups dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of Chiricahua leopard frogs.
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4. Dusky Gopher Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sevosa
Dusky gopher frogs are giant gray frogs native to the southeastern United States. Historically, it ranged across a large portion of eastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and southwest Alabama.
The frog species has been extirpated from nearly all its habitats and is now found only in breeding ponds and protected areas in southern Mississippi. Due to the fall in its population, this frog is classified as an endangered species.
Its name, “gopher frog,” relates to these frogs’ reliance on gopher tortoises‘ burrowing, which they spend most of their existence aside when looking for prey or sustenance.
One reason such unique frog species are on the verge of extinction is that the tortoises that dig burrows are also on the brink of extinction.
Because of this, Dusky gopher frogs have difficulty locating these burrows, which they consider their home.
In addition, the fishes prey on their eggs and tadpoles, making it difficult to raise and increase their numbers.
Humans also endanger gopher frogs by draining most ponds where these frogs lay eggs, changing the water in the pond, and introducing fish into the pond.
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5. Axolotl
Scientific Name: Ambystoma mexicanum
The axolotl is a wonderfully fascinating salamander and amphibian, but unfortunately, it is currently considered one of the world’s endangered amphibians.
It possesses a unique characteristic in that it retains its larval characteristics throughout the adult years, including retaining its tadpole-like dorsal fin.
Most of the time, it is black in hue with greenish mottling, with some individuals having silvery flashes on their skin. Axolotls have big heads with fluffy gills that wave gently in the water, giving them a distinctive appearance.
This species is further distinguished by its external gills extending from the back of its broadhead.
Xochimilco Lake Complex in Mexico City is the only place to find this species. Axolotls are distinct from most salamanders in that they spend their whole lives submerged in water. In addition to living for up to 15 years, they are a carnivore that feeds primarily on crustaceans, larvae, mollusks, and other worms.
The primary dangers to this species ‘ lake habitat and survival are the introduction of enormous fish into this species’ lake habitat and the draining and polluting of most of its habitat’s water system.
In addition, predatory birds such as herons face environmental challenges. Axolotl populations are also declining in Mexico, where some are regarded as delicacies, and as a result, they have been designated as critically endangered species.
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6. Chinese Giant Salamander
Scientific Name: Andrias davidianus
This amphibian has been designated the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) amphibian in most need of protection and conservation. This particular salamander species is highly expert at camouflaging itself against the rocky river bottoms it lives. Its color is a mottled grayish or greenish with brown highlights.
It also has a long, thick physique with four short legs, a pointy head, and small eyes hidden behind its nose.
China’s giant salamander, which is critically endangered, is the world’s largest living amphibian, growing to proportions of more than 1.8 meters.
According to the fossil record, it belonged to a small and ancient group of salamanders that separated from their closest living relatives when there were still dinosaurs more than 170 million years ago and lived in China.
In addition to overharvesting for human food, one of the reasons why this species is at risk of extinction is habitat loss. Salamander farming has been pushed in China, and it is now a significant source of income in various regions.
It is also believed that salamanders are being removed from the wild and grown for consumption as a premium piece of food. This over-harvesting is having a devastating effect on natural populations.
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7. Arroyo Toad
Scientific Name: Bufo californicus
The arroyo toad, which ranges in hue from greenish-grey to olive or tan, is a sturdy small frog with a flattened face resembling a pug. It is a magnificent frog, but its population is dwindling.
Due to the toad’s highly specialized ecological requirements, they are only found in southern California and Mexico’s Baja California.
Unfortunately, the arroyo toad is on the verge of extinction due to invasive plants and animals, habitat loss, habitat contamination, and running dry streams caused by climate change.
To breed effectively, the arroyo toad needs rivers with low flow or streams during the springtime mating season, but the challenges posed by human-raised toads make this more difficult.
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8. Oregon Spotted Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pretiosa
Oregon spotted frog is a very aquatic species that has evolved to live in warm water. It is currently listed as a vulnerable species under the Endangered Species Act.
It is the Pacific Northwest’s most aquatic native frog, with habitats that include lakes, ponds, marshes, and riverine sloughs. This species is found in Canada, southwestern British Columbia, and Oregon’s Klamath Valley.
The black spots are dotted and covered from the head to the back and sides, and the species’ legs give it its name.
Oregon spotted frogs are similarly vulnerable to changes in the aquatic environment due to their activities and habits of depositing their eggs in shallow water.
Because changing aquatic habitats frequently favor warm-water predators, these predators often eat frog eggs and hinder the growth of this species’ population. This is an explanation for the fall in the population of this frog species.
Apart from humans’ influence, invasive plants such as yellow flag and reed canarygrass affect the population and survival of these frogs.
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9. Flatwoods Salamander
Scientific Name: Ambystoma cingulatum
Flatwoods Salamanders and their two subspecies, Frosted and Reticulated Flatwoods Salamanders, were now classified as endangered amphibians. Its base hue is black or dark gray, with white or silver reticulations.
They may have spots or stripes from the top of their snout to the tip of their tail.
The salamander population is declining due to the loss and deterioration of ponds and habitats in which it lives and breeds.
Climate change, with increasing sea levels and the threat of drought, threatens to annihilate these amphibians. Logging and invasive plants can also threaten the Flatwoods Salamander’s population expansion.
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10. Amargosa Toad
Scientific Name: Bufo nelsoni
The intriguing amphibian Amargosa toad is primarily located in Oasis Valley in or around Beatty, Nevada. This species lives and reproduces along a 10-mile length of the Amargosa River and surrounding springs.
In this highly dry region with an average annual rainfall of four to six inches, the toad depends on ponds fed by springs. This frog species can be identified by its light coloration and a mid-dorsal stripe running along its backbone.
The Amargosa toad population is dwindling and is on the verge of extinction due to human-induced conditions.
Water diversion and use, as well as habitat loss, are severe threats to the toad. Non-native predators such as bullfrogs and crayfish also contribute to this amphibian’s decline in population size.
FAQs
amphibian endangered species list
The amphibian endangered species list records amphibian species at risk of extinction due to various factors, such as habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and disease.
This list is compiled by conservation organizations and government agencies to monitor the status of amphibian populations and implement conservation measures to protect them. Currently, over 40% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction, making them one of the most endangered groups of animals on the planet.
What is the most endangered species of amphibian?
The most endangered amphibian species is the gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silus). This species was native to Australia and became extinct in the mid-1980s due to habitat loss and the spread of a fungal disease.
This species’ unique characteristic was that the female would swallow her eggs and give birth through her mouth, making it one of the most fascinating amphibians in the world.
How many amphibian species are endangered?
The endangered amphibian species list is constantly changing, but as of 2023, approximately 2,000 amphibian species were considered endangered.
Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss, climate change, and infectious diseases, the main threats to their survival. Efforts are being made by conservation organizations to protect and restore amphibian habitats and populations to prevent further decline of endangered species.
What are 3 amphibians that almost went extinct?
Three amphibians that almost went extinct are the Panamanian golden frog, the Wyoming toad, and the Puerto Rican crested toad. The Panamanian golden frog is a small, brightly colored frog that was once abundant in the cloud forests of Panama but has experienced a massive population decline due to habitat loss and the chytrid fungus.
The Wyoming toad is a rare species of toad that was once widespread across the Great Plains of North America but has since suffered from habitat destruction, disease, and predation by other animals. The Puerto Rican crested toad is a critically endangered species of toad that is found only in Puerto Rico and has been threatened by habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change.
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