Amphibian Loss: The Vanishing
We are witnessing a mass extinction. An exotic fungus is delivering the fatal blow to many amphibians already hit by habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.
Amphibians are among the groups hardest hit by today's many strikes against wildlife. As many as half of all species are under threat. Hundreds are sliding toward extinction, and dozens are already lost. The declines are rapid and widespread, and their causes complex—even at the ravine near Limón the bulldozer is just one hazard of many. But there are glimmers of hope. Rescue efforts now under way will shelter some animals until the storm of extinction ... Full Story »
Posted by Dwight Rousu
It is not a new story--perhaps 90% of the population losses among Native American tribes were caused by lack of resistance to European disease--yet somehow this article underscores the scope of our current exposure to obscure pathogens.