Sunday, 15 October 2023

Leaping to Extinction

The Mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax) was once widespread and a common delicacy on Dominica. This frog has, however, effectively disappeared from the Caribbean Island in a mere 20 years. Scientists regard this as potentially one of the fastest extinctions ever recorded (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/15/dominicas-mountain-chicken-frog-disappears-in-fastest-extinction-ever-recorded). The Mountain chicken has not just been eaten to extinction. Fungal disease and 'natural disasters' in the region have played their role. This tale illustrates just how vulnerable some species can be.
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