Extinction threat to amphibians

Scientists have predicted that almost a third of the world's amphibians face extinction and their plight could be a warning of environmental disaster.

A total of 1,856 - or 32 per cent - of all 5,743 known amphibian species were under threat, a major global study revealed.

Accurate data is lacking on another 1,300 species. At least nine amphibian species had disappeared since 1980, when the most dramatic declines began. Another 113 species have not been seen in recent years, and may also be extinct.

More than 500 scientists from over 60 nations contributed to the Global Amphibian Assessment, the first worldwide audit of amphibian populations.

The discovery, reported in the journal Science, is seen by experts as a possible early warning of impending environmental disaster.

Russell Mittermeir, president of the American organisation Conservation International, which co-led the new research, said: "Amphibians are one of nature's best indicators of overall environmental health. Their catastrophic decline serves as a warning that we are in a period of significant environmental degradation."