Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: Reuters
Context: A global assessment conducted by conservationists reveals that Earth’s amphibian species are facing a critical threat of extinction.
- Of the 8,011 amphibian species assessed, 41% are now considered threatened with extinction due to various factors, including habitat destruction, disease, and climate change.
- This situation represents a worsening trend since the first assessment in 2004, which found 39% of amphibian species threatened.
- Amphibians are experiencing a more severe crisis compared to other vertebrate groups, with 27% of mammals, 21% of reptiles, and 13% of birds also facing extinction threats in separate assessments.
- Salamanders and newts are the most threatened amphibian order, with 60% of species facing extinction, followed by frogs and toads (39%) and caecilians (16%).
