MALAPPURAM: Around 43.5% of amphibian species in Kerala are at risk of extinction, showed a recent global study published by the British journal Nature. Of the 200 identified amphibian species in the state, 87 are considered threatened, said Sandeep Das, a SERB-national post doctoral fellow with the zoology department of Calicut University and co-author of the research.
These include those labelled as critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable. In the Western Ghats, 46.08% of amphibian species fall under the threatened category, the study found. “Out of the 230 amphibian species identified in the Western Ghats, 106 are categorised as threatened,” Das said.
According to the research, globally there are nearly 8,000 amphibian species, with around 41% of them falling into the threatened category. Among vertebrates, amphibians face the highest risk of endangerment, followed by mammals (26.5%), reptiles (21.4%), and birds (12.9%).
The comprehensive report was the collaborative effort of 120 scientists from around the world, with data compiled by 1,000 researchers.
Delhi University’s S D Biju was another Indian co-author. The decline in habitats contribute to the decline in the number of amphibian species in Kerala.
Climate change emerges as the paramount factor driving amphibian endangerment, the study said. Das also captured images of five amphibian species from the Western Ghats.
His photograph of the Periyar Hills’ Galaxy frog was selected as the cover image for the research. Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio shared the photo on social media to underscore the importance of protecting these species.