Chile's giant 'living fossil' frog faces threat from climate change and humans
The HinduA giant frog species that hopped alongside dinosaurs and is considered a "living fossil" is now losing ground in its native Chile as climate change and human intervention damage its habitat. "It's sad that a species that managed to coexist with dinosaurs, that managed to resist a mass extinction, is now threatened by human beings," said Melissa Cancino, a vetinarian and founder of Proyecto Anfibia, a group dedicated to amphibian research and education in Chile. The Helmeted Water Toad's environment spans from the northern region of Coquimbo to the southern island of Chiloe, but its population is suspected to have declined by at least 30% since 1990 and it is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Factors such as climate change, habitat interruption, environmental decline and pollution have all caused the Helmeted Water Toad's numbers to dwindle, Cancino said.
History of this topic
One of the world’s largest frogs lived with dinosaurs – it now faces extinction from humans
The Independent
This ancient giant tadpole will change what we know about frogs
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Breeding of endangered Loa water frogs celebrated in Chile
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'Superfungus' Threatens to Wipe Out Critically Endangered Panamanian Golden Frogs
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