In Warsaw, Poland, over 2,000 public volunteers are meticulously cleaning a 1,300 kg Mastodonsaurus skeleton, found in southern Poland in 2023. This unique public science project at the Copernicus Science Centre aims to reveal new scientific insights about the 240-million-year-old amphibian, expected to be displayed by October/November.
France is constructing "crapauducs," small underground tunnels, to allow migrating amphibians like frogs and newts to safely cross roads. This initiative addresses high amphibian road mortality and aims to restore ecological corridors broken by infrastructure.
The desert rain frog (Breviceps macrops), native to South Africa and Namibia, is now classified as vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat destruction from mining and development. Concerns also arise from its increasing popularity in the pet trade.
A new study challenges the long-held belief that early tetrapods, which transitioned to land over 300 million years ago, had an amphibian-like life cycle with a tadpole stage. Researchers examined fossils of embolomers and other ancient lineages, finding evidence of direct development without metamorphosis, suggesting amphibian metamorphosis may be a later evolutionary innovation.
The NABU Thüringen reports that 13 out of 16 native amphibian species are on the Red List due to habitat loss and intensive land use. The organization urges the state government to implement a strategic, comprehensive action plan to revitalize river floodplains and restore wetlands.
Mexico City's mayor has faced criticism for a city-wide beautification project featuring axolotl murals and purple paint ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Residents argue funds could be better spent on infrastructure, while the mayor defends the initiative as bringing color and improving public spaces.
A critically endangered axolotl has been discovered under the 15th-century Dipping Bridge over the River Ogwr in Merthyr Mawr, south Wales – believed to be the first ever found in the wild in the UK. The 22cm amphibian, named Dippy, was discovered by 10-year-old Evie Hill last weekend. Animal welfare experts think the Pokémon-like creature was deliberately released, which is illegal and harmful to animal welfare.
A 10-year-old girl in Wales discovered a Mexican axolotl—the first documented wild discovery in the UK—under the Dippng Bridge near the River Ogmore in Bridgend. Evie Hill found the nine-inch endangered amphibian, which has only 50-1,000 individuals remaining globally. The family took the damaged axolotl home to Leicester, naming it Dippy. Experts say the discovery is unique and Evie likely saved its life. The axolotl's popularity in video games like Minecraft and Roblox has raised concerns about improper pet care.
Conservationists in Denbighshire ‘angry and heartbroken’ after Nant-y-Ffrith site emptied during breeding seasonMore than 1,000 toads may have died after a reservoir important to the local ecosystem was drained by a water company, conservationists in north Wales have said.Volunteers at Wrexham Toad Patrols help toads returning to the Nant-y-Ffrith reservoir on the Llandegla moors in breeding season, this year assisting 1,500 of the amphibians to cross busy roads to help protect the declining species. Continue reading...
