SANTIAGO (Reuters) – A giant species of frog that jumped alongside dinosaurs and is considered a “living fossil” is now losing ground in its native Chile as climate change and human intervention damage its habitat.
The Calyptocephallela gayi, or helmeted toad, is one of the largest frogs in the world, growing over 30 cm long and weighing up to 1 kg.
The amphibian has seen little genetic variation for millions of years, but now its future is in jeopardy, scientists say.
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“It’s sad that a species that managed to coexist with dinosaurs, that managed to withstand a mass extinction, is now threatened by humans,” said Melissa Cancino, a veterinarian and founder of Proyecto Anfibia, a group dedicated to research and education in the field of amphibians. Chile.
The Helmeted Toad’s habitat extends from the northern region of Coquimbo to the southern island of Chiloe, but its population is believed to have declined by at least 30% since 1990 and it is listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s list. Nature. (IUCN) Red List.
Factors such as climate change, habitat disruption, environmental degradation and pollution have all caused the helmeted toad’s numbers to decline, Cancino said. Poor water and waste management have also threatened the frog’s environment.
Matias Faundez, another member of Proyecto Anfibia, has seen the habitat degradation firsthand.
“This estuary runs through the entire city and has a lot of illegal drainage,” he said as he waded through a stream outside Valparaiso. “Yet the frog manages to survive.”
(Reporting by Rodrigo Gutierrez for Reuters TV; Writing by Fabian Cambero and Kylie Madry; Editing by Alexander Villegas and Angus MacSwan)
