Animals Heatwaves and droughts further exacerbate the situation for amphibians
A large proportion of amphibian species are threatened with extinction - extreme weather events are further exacerbating their situation, according to a study. According to a German research team, animals in Europe, the Amazon region and Madagascar are particularly affected.
07.06.2025, 04:25
SDA
Heatwaves and droughts are increasing significantly in these regions, reports a Frankfurt research team in the journal "Conservation Biology".
In Central Europe, it is mainly salamanders that are affected. "Half of the true salamanders native to Central Europe are already increasingly exposed to periods of drought - and this is likely to get worse in the future," said co-author Lisa Schulte from Goethe University Frankfurt. The true salamanders include the fire salamander, the alpine salamander and the pond newt.
Amphibians are "particularly vulnerable"
The researchers led by Evan Twomey from Goethe University correlated global weather data from the last 40 years on heatwaves, cold spells and droughts with the geographical distribution of more than 7,000 amphibian species and their endangered status on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Where there have been more heatwaves and droughts, the threat status of amphibians has deteriorated noticeably since 2004. "The dependence of amphibians on temporary wetlands for reproduction makes them particularly vulnerable to droughts and temperature shifts that cause their breeding grounds to dry out prematurely," explained Twomey.
Around 40 percent of known amphibian species are currently classified as threatened with extinction on the Red List. In addition to climate change, the causes include habitat loss, disease and environmental pollution. Amphibian species are generally dependent on freshwater or humid terrestrial habitats.
