GOLDEN TOAD
The golden toad was once highly abundant living in the cloud forest in a 1.5 mile area north of Monteverde, Costa Rica. It was considered the post-child of the amphibian extinction crisis.
The golden toad was discovered in 1964 by American herpetologist, Jay M. Savage and by then on, an estimated 1,500 adult toads have been recorded.
They were last seen in 1989, and later on, possibly in late 1994, researchers hoped the golden toads are still alive, living in underground burrows since similar toad species can live up to 12 years. In 2004, the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) declared them extinct. Their extinction were poorly understood, but evidence suggest that with the recent El Nino event added with climate change by human activities, the rainforest will be much hotter and dryer. These conditions will have made it suitable for the chytrid fungus, a deadly skin disease affecting many amphibian species. Since the gold toad lives in a very small area and have a small population, they were vulnerable to the disease leading to their demise. This marks the world's first animal to ever gone extinct due to human induced climate change.
The golden toad was discovered in 1964 by American herpetologist, Jay M. Savage and by then on, an estimated 1,500 adult toads have been recorded.
They were last seen in 1989, and later on, possibly in late 1994, researchers hoped the golden toads are still alive, living in underground burrows since similar toad species can live up to 12 years. In 2004, the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) declared them extinct. Their extinction were poorly understood, but evidence suggest that with the recent El Nino event added with climate change by human activities, the rainforest will be much hotter and dryer. These conditions will have made it suitable for the chytrid fungus, a deadly skin disease affecting many amphibian species. Since the gold toad lives in a very small area and have a small population, they were vulnerable to the disease leading to their demise. This marks the world's first animal to ever gone extinct due to human induced climate change.
BRAMBLE CAY MELOMY
Australia´s most isolated mammal, the bramble cay melomy lives on a 3.6 hectare grass covered low lying cay and it thrived on a few plant species. It was given a status of crtically endangered in 1996 and hasn't been seen since 2009. Small surveys in 2011 and 2014 found no signs of them anywhere but Ian Gynther, a Senior Conservation Officer in Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection who led the team was still optimistic since he believe the failure of the surveys were due to limited trapping effort. But after five months of getting permission and planning a captive breeding program, they were too late and find no signs of the animal. The species thrived in isolation from its nearest relative for millions of years making it the Great Barrier Reef's only known native mammal but now gone from the face of the Earth. It is believed the last animals were washed away and drowned. Tissue samples of 42 individuals were taken in 1998 but are now currently missing.
Picture Right: Bramble cay where the bramble cay melomys formerly lived
Picture Right: Bramble cay where the bramble cay melomys formerly lived
RABBS' FRINGE LIMBED TREE FROG
The world's last Rabbs' fringe limbed tree frog, also known by his nickname Toughie the Frog died on September 26, 2016 at the Atlanta Bontanical Gardens in his enclosure making it very rare to know the exact date of its extinction.
The species of frog were discovered in 2005 in the Panamanian cloud forest canopies gliding through the air due to its webbing between its toes but now were already wiped out by habitat destruction and the chytrid fungus, a major amphibian disease now spreading rampantly due to climate change by human induced activities.
The nickname was given from the two year old son of Mark Mandica who worked with Toughie for 7 years. Toughie was 12 at the time of his death which makes him pretty old since he was an adult when he was collected in 2005. In a last ditch effort to help the species, they were taken to captive breeding facilities in 2006 but was unsuccessful. The last female died in 2009. Two males survived until February 17, 2012 when one of them had to be euthanized due to failing health.
Toughie was silent living in his enclosure but in 2014 his voice was recorded by phone making it the only recorded call ever of the frog.
The species of frog were discovered in 2005 in the Panamanian cloud forest canopies gliding through the air due to its webbing between its toes but now were already wiped out by habitat destruction and the chytrid fungus, a major amphibian disease now spreading rampantly due to climate change by human induced activities.
The nickname was given from the two year old son of Mark Mandica who worked with Toughie for 7 years. Toughie was 12 at the time of his death which makes him pretty old since he was an adult when he was collected in 2005. In a last ditch effort to help the species, they were taken to captive breeding facilities in 2006 but was unsuccessful. The last female died in 2009. Two males survived until February 17, 2012 when one of them had to be euthanized due to failing health.
Toughie was silent living in his enclosure but in 2014 his voice was recorded by phone making it the only recorded call ever of the frog.