Researchers say wildlife refuges, national parks do little to help these species

May 27, 2013 17:31 GMT  ·  By

Whether you know it or not, you like amphibians. In fact, you're a huge fan of these creatures. Why? Because these creatures help keep insect population under control and make sure swarms of mosquitoes and whatnots don't pay you daily visits, that's why.

As much as you like frogs, toads and lizards, it appears that you will soon have to say good-bye to them.

To cut a long story short: researchers now say that each year, the amphibian population in the United States drops by an average of 3.7%.

The reasons are pretty mainstream: habitat loss, pollution, climate change and global warming.

To make matters even worse, RedOrbit says that wildlife refuges and national parks don't really yield any benefits as far as efforts to safeguarding these creatures go.

“The declines of amphibians in these protected areas are particularly worrisome because they suggest that some stressors – such as diseases, contaminants and drought – transcend landscapes,” ecologist Michael Adams says.

“The fact that amphibian declines are occurring in our most protected areas adds weight to the hypothesis that this is a global phenomenon with implications for managers of all kinds of landscapes, even protected ones,” this researcher believes.