KEY POINTS:
What do a blind salamander that can go without food for a decade, a frog so small that it fits on a drawing pin and another that lives only in human burial grounds have in common?
The answer is that, as well as being among the weirdest amphibians on the planet, they are some of the most endangered, yet they have been ignored by conservationists and the public. London Zoo's new list of 10 of the world's most unique and threatened amphibians is part of a project to pinpoint the most unusual species of imperilled animals and plants.
The Edge (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) scheme is highlighting the plight of amphibians which struggle to attract the level of support that more "cuddly" endangered species get. Helen Meredith, who heads the amphibian section of Edge at the Zoological Society of London, said: "These amphibians are among the most remarkable and unusual species on the planet and yet an alarming 85 per cent of the top 100 are receiving little or no conservation attention and will become extinct if action is not taken.
"These animals may not be cute and cuddly but, hopefully, their weird looks and bizarre behaviours will inspire people to support their conservation."
Amphibians are the world's most endangered animals, with a third of species classified as threatened by the World Conservation Union. A quarter of mammals are threatened and one in eight bird species.
It warns that the number of species on the brink of dying out has risen by 180 since 2006 to 41,415. Of the 10 amphibians selected by the zoo, five are critically endangered - the highest level of alert. Another, the Chile Darwin's frog, whose male protects its young by carrying them in its mouth, has not been seen since 1978 and may be extinct.
The danger to the amphibians is increased by the spread of the chytrid fungus, which is killing frogs and toads worldwide and may be spread by people. The fungus blocks skin pores of infected animals, slowly suffocating them.
The project will begin by funding a resident scientist for each of the Edge species who will monitor and investigate their condition. The species have been selected not just for how endangered they are, but for how genetically unusual they are.
The olm is a blind, subterranean member of the salamander family which hunts for its prey by smell and electrosensitivity and can go a decade between meals. It is found in a 2000 sq km area of the Balkans.
Six of the Edge species are frogs or toads, including the Gardiner's Seychelles frog - the world's smallest with adults growing to just 11mm, and the ghost frogs of South Africa, which include one sub-species that is found only in human burial grounds near Cape Town.
- INDEPENDENT
