Conserving the world's weirdest amphibians

The Zoological Society of London's EDGE program is dedicated to the conservation of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered animal species that "have few close relatives on the tree of life and are often extremely unusual in the way they look, live and behave, as well as in their genetic make-up." EDGE has just launched a conservation and fundraising initiative focused on amphibians. Here is the list of the first ten amphibians that the group is working to protect:

1) Chinese giant salamander, (salamander that can grow up to 1.8m in length and evolved independently from all other amphibians over one hundred million years before Tyrannosaurus rex) seen here, photo from International Cooperation Network for Giant Salamander Conservation

2) Sagalla caecilian (limbless amphibian with sensory tentacles on the sides of its head)

3) Purple frog (purple-pigmented frog that was only discovered in 2003 because it spends most of the year buried up to 4m underground)

4) Ghost frogs of South Africa (one species is found only in the traditional human burial grounds of Skeleton Gorge in Table Mountain, South Africa)

5) Olm (blind salamander with transparent skin that lives underground, hunts for its prey by smell and electrosensitivity and can survive without food for 10 years)

6) Lungless salamanders of Mexico (highly endangered salamanders that do not have lungs but instead breathe through their skin and mouth lining)

7) Malagasy rainbow frog (highly-decorated frog that inflates itself when under threat and can climb vertical rock surfaces)

8) Chile Darwin’s frog (a frog where fathers protect the young in their mouths, this species has not been officially seen since around 1980 and may now be extinct)

9) Betic midwife toad (toads that evolved from all others over 150million years ago – the males carry the fertilised eggs wrapped around their hind legs)

10) Gardiner’s Seychelles frog (perhaps the world’s smallest frog, with adults growing up to just 11mm in length – the size of a drawing pin)

Link to Zoological Society page, Link to EDGE program

Previously on BB:
• Campaign to save "world's weirdest creatures" Link

[#1 posted by trashscapes , January 23, 2008 11:05 AM]

and to think we're relatively close to alien-like lifeforms! the chinese salamander is a bit cute, though, it reminds me of some of the creatures in star wars.

[#2 posted by Fnarf , January 23, 2008 11:21 AM]

That's nasty. The more I learn about the variety of life on earth, the more I believe that LIFE MUST BE STAMPED OUT. Starting with us.

[#3 posted by virgil , January 23, 2008 11:33 AM]

Trendy socialite pet alert. Quick, someone photoshop Paris Hilton holding that Giant Salamander.

[#4 posted by virgil , January 23, 2008 11:34 AM]

Wow. It's really hard not to make a joke about Paris Hilton and giant salamanders. But I'm trying, Lord; I'm trying.

[#5 posted by Takuan , January 23, 2008 11:42 AM]

weren't those in that dreadful Dreamcatcher movie?

[#6 posted by pffft , January 23, 2008 11:52 AM]

@Virgil #4

Too late! You already did! :)

[#7 posted by Giovanni , January 23, 2008 12:33 PM]

Its interesting that they pin the decline in amphibian population more on pollution and climate change. Really this is the result of a fungal pandemic

A fungus common in Africa made its way to South America where a large portion of Amphibians live and has devastated frogs, salamanders and all other Amphibians over the last 40 years.

Sensitive as amphibians may be to climate change the real problem is a way to attack frog killing fungus.

[#8 posted by Lauren O , January 23, 2008 1:17 PM]

In stark contrast to that deformed pig a few posts ago, the salamander is hideous.

Also, I don't trust any species that lives exclusively in human burial grounds.

[#9 posted by Chaoticfluffy , January 23, 2008 1:30 PM]

@Takuan #5: I was going to say, I'm pretty sure I saw that come out out a guy's chest in one of the "Alien(s)(3)(etc)" movies. But Now that you mention the shit weasels...yeah. Them too.

[#10 posted by dr.hypercube , January 23, 2008 1:31 PM]

@7 Giovanni - it may not be all one thing. Some scientists posit a link between number of deaths due to chytrid and climate change: Climate Change and Frog Deaths.

For anyone who is interested, a conservation oriented get-together will be happening in June in central Massachusetts (US) - North American Amphibian Conf. (warning - sound, until you turn it off).

[#11 posted by edgore , January 23, 2008 2:08 PM]

I would glady donate my backyard as a Chinese giant salamander habit - they are awesome and second only the the Axolotl as neatest looking animal EVAR.

[#12 posted by pleasecroak , January 23, 2008 6:34 PM]

Bravo to the Zoological Society of London for creating this cool program that gets us all thinking about how to help save amphibians. The easiest way to help is to donate to the work of Amphibian Ark, which is coordinating the rescue and breeding of the most threatened species, working on behalf of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, of which ZSL is a member. You can learn all about it at www.amphibianark.org. I noticed that you can donate to The EDGE, too, on their Web site. This is a mass extinction that has a plan to stop it. We just need to care enough to make the plan happen. Frogs matter. Jump in.

[#13 posted by Alvin Lim , January 24, 2008 9:38 AM]

o_o i have never heard of most of the animals stated here. the chinese salamander looks funny.

well, kudos to the Zoological Society of London. i just hope there will be more and more people behaving this way and starting this kind of initiatives