Amphibians May Soon Disappear

2008 AQUARIUM AUGUST DELEGATE HUNGARY CALL PRESERVE GLOBAL BEHALF EXTINCT MASS SPECIES FROG REFERRING

   The Chinese calendar says ___ is the year of ___ Rat, but according to ___ Association of Zoos and ___ (AZA), 2008 should be ___ Year of the Frog. ___ reason is that frogs ___ disappearing from our planet ___ an alarming rate and ___ a few years, they ___ all be extinct.

   In ___ 2007 more than 230 ___ representing zoos and aquariums ___ 35 countries gathered in ___ to sign a petition, ___ on governments to help ___ amphibian life. This marks ___ first time that zoos ___ aquariums have initiated a ___ call to action on ___ of an endangered class ___ animals. Their concern is ___ one-third to one-half ___ all species of frogs ___ in danger of becoming ___ in the near future — ___ would be the largest ___ extinction since the disappearance ___ the dinosaurs.

   About 4,000 ___ of amphibians exist worldwide ___ most of them are ___ and toads. The term ___ comes from the Greek amphibios and means double life, ___ to the fact that they begin life in the water as tadpoles and gradually transform themselves into land dwelling creatures with legs.

   Frogs are "cold-blooded" and rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. The skin of a frog is moistened by the secretion of numerous mucous glands and plays a vital part in the frog's water balance, respiration and protection. But since the skin is highly permeable to water, it also makes them highly susceptible to environmental changes.

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Have fun....and take care! 249 JUN-2008