Harlequin Frogs Near Extinction as Temperatures Rise
Target:Costa Rica's Ambassador to the US, H.E. Luis Diego Escalante Sponsored by:Care2
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve of Costa Rica, there were so many harlequin frogs that it was hard not to step on them when walking alongside streams. But today, they have vanished.
About two-thirds of harlequin frogs disappeared in the 1980's and 1990's -- the culprit? Climate change. Research done in Costa Rica shows that global warming makes clouds form higher above the forests where they cannot bring as much moisture to the ecosystems below. Dry spells are getting longer and in turn, many species are disappearing.
Rising temperatures also shrink the cloud forests, which forces species to live more densely, causing the spread of disease and a fungus that kills some frogs. The harlequin frog is on its way to extinction and we need to act now to reduce the harmful effects of global warming on our valuable ecosystems.
Urge Costa Rica's Ambassador Escalante to do everything in his power to save this colorful little frog, along with many other endangered species affected by climate change.
We took action on “Harlequin Frogs Near Extinction as Temperatures Rise”!
# 15,737:
2:31 pm PST, Nov 21,Alicia Nuszloch, Nevada
# 15,736:
2:14 pm PST, Nov 21,Name not displayed, Delaware
# 15,735:
12:10 pm PST, Nov 21,Ana Herrera, California
# 15,734:
11:52 am PST, Nov 21,Anne Marie Sens, Brazil
# 15,733:
11:47 am PST, Nov 21,Morgan Sherman, Texas
# 15,732:
11:26 am PST, Nov 21,Darcy Orsini, Virginia
# 15,731:
11:14 am PST, Nov 21,Name not displayed, California
# 15,730:
11:12 am PST, Nov 21,Tammy Caleno, Ireland
# 15,729:
10:34 am PST, Nov 21,Elizabeth Daniels, Florida
# 15,728:
10:28 am PST, Nov 21,Alessandro Cerminara, Italy
# 15,727:
10:24 am PST, Nov 21,Loris Caldero, Massachusetts
Atelopus is a large genus of true toads natively distributed in Costa Rica to Bolivia and French Guiana. Atelopus are generally brightly colored and diurnal. Most species are associated with mid- to high-elevation streams. This genus has been greatly affected by amphibian declines, and many species are now considered endangered, while others already are extinct. The cause of these declines primarily appears to be the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
# 15,726:
10:04 am PST, Nov 21,Ann Cohen, Massachusetts
# 15,725:
9:44 am PST, Nov 21,R. Schjolden, Massachusetts
# 15,724:
9:06 am PST, Nov 21,Eddie Fetzer, Florida
# 15,723:
8:59 am PST, Nov 21,Bonnie Barber, New York
# 15,722:
8:39 am PST, Nov 21,Terri Barrada, Texas
# 15,721:
8:25 am PST, Nov 21,Walter Toporek, Iowa
# 15,720:
8:04 am PST, Nov 21,Katie Thicke, Canada
# 15,719:
6:54 am PST, Nov 21,Linda Neese, Indiana
# 15,718:
6:46 am PST, Nov 21,Katherine Babiak, New York
# 15,717:
6:40 am PST, Nov 21,Name not displayed, Texas
# 15,716:
5:14 am PST, Nov 21,Name not displayed, Poland
# 15,715:
11:00 pm PST, Nov 20,Name not displayed, United Arab Emirates
# 15,714:
10:20 pm PST, Nov 20,Mariamargarita Stone, California
# 15,713:
9:50 pm PST, Nov 20,Soo Thacker, Alaska
# 15,712:
7:22 pm PST, Nov 20,Agnes Hall, Australia
# 15,711:
5:48 pm PST, Nov 20,Robert Fromer-Bonilla, California
# 15,710:
5:12 pm PST, Nov 20,Michelle Krueger, Indiana
# 15,709:
4:59 pm PST, Nov 20,Naila Costa, New York
# 15,708:
3:11 pm PST, Nov 20,Melissa Morrissett, Massachusetts
# 15,707:
1:39 pm PST, Nov 20,Amanda Nicole Woodard, Florida
