Amphibians on the verge of extinction

According to the first global assessment of amphibians, disease, &to=http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/379/12036_Glaciers.html' target=_blank>climate change and habitat loss are threatening one-third of the world's fragile species of frogs, toads, newts and salamanders.

The results of the survey, published today in the journal Science, show that 1,856 of the known 5,743 species are "globally threatened" in their forest, stream or underground homes.

The delicate creatures, which have thin, porous skins and need fresh water to stay moist, are faring much worse around the world than either birds or mammals, the scientists say. Around a tenth of bird species and a quarter of mammal species are threatened, reports San Francisco Chronicle.