We name the 26 Australian frogs at greatest risk of extinction by 2040 — and how to save them

Date: 20, Aug, 2021
Author(s):   Gillespie, G., Hoskin, C., Geyle, H., Dielenberg, J., Mitchell, N., Garnett, S.
Publisher: The Conversation

Australia is home to more than 240 frog species, most of which occur nowhere else. Unfortunately, some frogs are beyond help, with four Australian species officially listed as extinct.

This includes two remarkable species of gastric-brooding frog. To reproduce, gastric-brooding frogs swallowed their fertilised eggs, and later regurgitated tiny baby frogs. Their reproduction was unique in the animal kingdom, and now they are gone.

Our new study identified the 26 Australian frogs at greatest risk, the likelihood of their extinctions by 2040 and the steps needed to save them.