Amphibian Conservation

     Nearly one half of the current 6,157 species of living amphibian are disappearing!

 There are 261 described species of amphibians in the United States and 52 are threatened.  Among North American amphibians, 186 species are salamanders, constituting 35% of the known salamander species.

  Illinois is native to 38 species of amphibians.  
Three are endangered within the state:  
silvery salamander (Ambystoma platineum)
dusky salamander (Desmognathus conanti)
hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)  

Another five species are threatened:  
Jefferson salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)
eastern narrowmouth frog, (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
bird-voiced tree frog (Hyla avivoca)
Illinois (Strecks) chorus frog (Pseudacris streckeri illinoensis)

The confirmed and probable factors causing amphibian declines are:  habitat destruction, alteration and fragmentation; introduced species; over-exploitation for food, pets and medicine; climate change; UV-B radiation; chemical contaminants; disease and deformities.

Illinois salamanders: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/salamanders/gallery.htm

Illinois Natural History Survey Endangered & Threatened Amphibians and Reptiles: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/amprep/threatendanger.html

Information on amphibian biology and conservation: www.amphibiaweb.org