With nearly one-third of amphibian species threatened with extinction worldwide, fueled in part by the widespread emergence of the deadly chytrid fungus, effective conservation efforts could not be more urgent.

In a new article, Franco Andreone and his colleagues argue that one of the best places to focus these efforts is Madagascar, a global hotspot of amphibian diversity that shows no signs of amphibian declines--or traces of the chytrid fungus. His website is here.

Read a summary of the article in the online Science Daily. The whole article is available here or here.

The second link also provides opportunities to comment . Locally Australian frogs are endangered - critically endangered - a global issue hence 2008 is the International Year of the Frog. Are the like the canaries in the underground coul mines of the nineteenth century?

(A) Dyscophus antongilii (Near Threatened), (B) Scaphiophryne gottlebei (Critically Endangered), (C) Boophis williamsi (Critically Endangered), (D) Mantella cowani (Critically Endangered). (From Madagascar)

Research is ongoing - but we can all do something in our own backyards - and inside our homes. Gardening without pesticides and providing habitat, clean water and shelter, are two things that require little effort to achieve.