‘Extinct’ Frogs Haven’t Croaked

“Delighted conservationists announced on Wednesday they had found two species of African frog and a Mexican salamander that had been feared to extinct.

“The find was made by scientists combing some of the world’s remotest sites on a quest to determine the fate of a hundred species of amphibians that have not been sighted for decades.

“These are fantastic finds and could have important implications for people as well as for amphibians,” said Robin Moore, who is organising the search for a US-based wildife group, Conservation International, and the Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Hyperolius sankuruensis

“We don’t know whether study of these animals could provide new medicinal compounds as other amphibians have — and at least one of these animals lives in an area that is important to protect as it provides drinking water to urban areas,” Moore said in a press release issued by Conservation International.

“But these rediscovered animals are the lucky ones. Many other species we have been looking for have probably gone for good.”

Read full story: PhysOrg.com