GBR Press: Species' extinction threat grows

John

John

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{Toad photo at full article below}

BBC News (London, UK) 03 November 2009: Species' extinction threat grows

More than a third of species assessed in a major international biodiversity study are threatened with extinction, scientists have warned.
Out of the 47,677 species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 17,291 were deemed to be at serious risk.
These included 21% of mammals, 30% of amphibians, 70% of plants and 35% of invertebrates.
Conservationists warned that not enough was being done to tackle the main threats, such as habitat loss.
"The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting," warned Jane Smart, director of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Biodiversity Conservation Group.

Continued (including toad info and photo):
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Species' extinction threat grows
 
...And mankind is to blame for about 99% of the species on death row. We're one of the worst invasive species the world will ever know.
 
It's a damn shame.
Those toads are beautiful looking specimens...
Perhaps someone should start a thread/article as to what hobbyists can do to contribute to animal preservation.
 
PanTech said:
Perhaps someone should start a thread/article as to what hobbyists can do to contribute to animal preservation.
Click to expand...

Well, captive propagation to at least keep the species alive (even if only in glass boxes) is one way, but a lot of people here think we shouldn't do that and we should just watch them all go extinct!
 
The problem with captive breeding is that it´s only a solution for very VERY particular cases. Also, given that noone in the hobby is doing a serious captive breeding program, the animals we have have no value for the species. Yes, if a species goes extinct in the wild, it will at least survive in captivity, but from a conservational point that means squat.
 
That's my toad photo, but the BBC didn't give me credit for it. Gotten lots of requests for that photo in the past two weeks. I've been working with this species for the past 7 years in Toledo, and the population here has grown from fewer than 50 to the current total (after sending 500 to the Bronx last month) of around 3500 Kihansi spray toads. All currently reside at the Toledo and Bronx zoos, with about 4300 in total. One of the most amazing things about the species is that they are ovoviviparous and give birth to up to 30 fully formed toadlets.

-Tim
 
I hope you gave the BBC a piece of your mind. I despise that web site now because of all he adverts - they went from no adverts to advert overload. I refuse to go there much any more and it used to be my homepage.
 
taherman said:
That's my toad photo, but the BBC didn't give me credit for it. Gotten lots of requests for that photo in the past two weeks. I've been working with this species for the past 7 years in Toledo, and the population here has grown from fewer than 50 to the current total (after sending 500 to the Bronx last month) of around 3500 Kihansi spray toads. All currently reside at the Toledo and Bronx zoos, with about 4300 in total. One of the most amazing things about the species is that they are ovoviviparous and give birth to up to 30 fully formed toadlets.

-Tim
Click to expand...

Tim,

If you go to the slide show of 5 photos including yours and move your cursor over the pictures below the featured picture (to choose another), it tells what each is of and the name of the photographer.

They really should have put your name below the photo in the first page of the article, I think, because not everyone is going to look at the slide show.

Great work though. I really hope that the earth can get back on track before it's too late. I wish more people had the vision to do something positive to help out.

Critter Mom
 
John said:
I hope you gave the BBC a piece of your mind. I despise that web site now because of all he adverts - they went from no adverts to advert overload. I refuse to go there much any more and it used to be my homepage.
Click to expand...

You are seeing a different face of the BBC than me. For home users the site is advert free but then we have to pay the licence fee, £139.50 if we have a Television.
 
Someday Human Race will be Extinction…Over 99% of the all spices that have lived on planet Earth is now extinct. A vast majority of these spices did not go extinct at the hands of man. Extinction is just the normal process of evolution for most spices (over 99%) and someday it will include Humans.
Lordcat
 
oceanblue said:
You are seeing a different face of the BBC than me. For home users the site is advert free but then we have to pay the licence fee, £139.50 if we have a Television.
Click to expand...

I lived in England for 4 years. I know how it works. Thanks though. The BBC only started this advertisement **** for foreigners in the last year or so. If they just stop paying Jonathan Ross obscene amounts of money for being an idiot then they could give us back a news web site that is usable.

lordcat said:
Someday Human Race will be Extinction…Over 99% of the all spices that have lived on planet Earth is now extinct. A vast majority of these spices did not go extinct at the hands of man. Extinction is just the normal process of evolution for most spices (over 99%) and someday it will include Humans.
Lordcat
Click to expand...
Does this mean we're going to run out of curry powder soon? I love a good lamb balti and I would be gutted if we can't make them any more. :(
 
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