Few countries have targeted amphibians for protection. She described it as brief and breathtaking; the males looked like “little jewels on the forest floor.” She was so fascinated that she applied for a grant to return and study the toads.In 1988, no toads appeared when the seasonal rains started. The Monteverde golden toad is more glamorous and mysterious than it seems an amphibian could be. In the Monteverde forest, golden toads were conspicuous only during the breeding season. The females would lay about 200 eggs each and these would hatch in about two months’ time. Surveys conducted in 1992 revealed that all seven native species of frogs and toads in the region of Yosemite have declined since 1915.Three species have disappeared entirely from this nearly pristine National Park. The females were either dark green or total black with … But then, like so many other protected areas, they also documented threats — in this case, habitat degradation from squatters and hunting. Males would fight with other males for a chance to breed with the females. Among the oldest creatures on earth, amphibians first appeared some 350 million years ago. The golden toad was part of the Bufonidae family which consists of over 500 toads. A low level of subsistence hunting rarely decimates a population. The fish eat amphibian eggs and larvae and also eat the same insect prey as adult frogs.The bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), native to eastern North America, was widely introduced in the western United States in the late 1800s, presumably to increase available supplies of frog legs for restaurants. So, at last, they worked to protect the forest. This frog, made famous by Mark Twain in The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, has disappeared from 70 percent of its former range. They are important both as predators, eating huge numbers of insects and other small creatures, and as prey for larger animals, including fish, birds, mammals, and reptiles.Like reptiles, amphibians are cold-blooded, which means their body temperature is about the same as the temperature in the surrounding environment. Its glamour is nature-made but its mysterious decline probably is due to humans. The eggs were laid in seasonal water catchments, where the tadpoles would hatch and grow into adults in a very short time.In 1987, the golden toad was closely studied by an American ecologist and herpetologist who, by chance, happened upon its breeding spectacle. Anywhere from 200-400 Golden Toad eggs were laid in pools of water and hatching took place about two months later. The males were about 2 inches long and usually bright orange in color. In 1989, only one lonely toad was found where once there were hundreds. They range in size from giant ten-pound (4.5 kg) toads to the tiniest of tree frogs.Wherever they occur, amphibians play a key role in the natural ecosystem. The skin of the toad was bright and shiny and looked like they had been painted according to some accounts. In May the ecologist returned and of over 43,500 eggs found only 29 tadpoles actually survived as the ground dried too quickly for the eggs to hatch. The size of an egg is about 3mm. Where habitat destruction is not the obvious cause, it is thought that other, less-visible problems, such as pollution, acid rain, drought, disease, human exploitation, and ozone depletion may be killing the animals.Amphibians are part of the diet of many local peoples around the world. They can be found from tropical forests, to wetlands, to mountain tops, to deserts. In May 1989 the last golden make toad was sited and since then no other toads have been seen. Populations of frogs, toads, and salamanders are declining or disappearing the world over. In the late 1980s the scientific community first took notice of this alarming trend, which continues today.Recent examples of this phenomenon include the reported decline of whole communities of frogs in areas as different and far apart as a National Park in the western United States and the montane rain forest of eastern Australia.In the Australian rain forest, at least 14 species of stream-dwelling frogs have disappeared or declined sharply (by more than 90%) during the past fifteen years, according to a report published in April 1996.These precipitous declines are widespread across a large area of rain forest, suggesting that habitat destruction by itself is not a likely cause.In Yosemite National Park in the United States, scientists recently discovered the large-scale collapse of an entire community of amphibians. As close-to-home sources of frogs became scarce, Indonesia and other tropical areas have been feeding the tremendous appetite for frog legs in Europe.Demand is also growing in the United States. The male species of golden toad sets itself apart thanks to its sparkling shade. The decline actually started around the mid-1970s due to the atmosphere and the oceans warming. However, 12 domestic species of frogs and toads are listed under the Edangered Species Act)(ESA) in the United States.The most recent addition is the California red-legged frog, listed as “threatened” under the ESA in May 1996. This toad is now extinct.The golden toad was found in the Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve over an area of about 4 square kilometers. The bullfrog, which has thrived and spread, is known to eat and out-compete native frogs.For amphibian populations already stressed by pollution, habitat loss, or other factors, the introduction of a new disease can be deadly. For example, not all poison-dart frogs are toxic; one brilliantly-colored frog secretes a chemical that may be useful as a cardiac stimulant for heart-attack patients, and another produces a powerful painkiller which may some day be an alternative to morphine.Amphibians in general are particularly sensitive to changes in their habitat and in climate because they live both on land and in water, they are both predators and prey, and they have permeable skin.
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