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Article: Amphibian assault. (frog and salamander populations are declining at several national parks: includes a related article on the increase in amphibian mutations)
- Article from:
- National Parks
- Article date:
- May 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 National Parks Conservation Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Studies at several parks show that frog, toad, and salamander populations are plummeting. A critical lack of research is slowing the search for answers.
Five summers ago, Gary Fellers and Charles Drost set out to retrace history. Heading for California's Sierra Nevada end Yosemite National Park, they planned to follow the trail of early-1900s zoologists Tracy Storer and Joseph Grinnell to see how many frogs and toads they could find.
Four months and 38 meticulously searched study sites later, Fellers and Drost had disturbing news to report. Of the seven species of frogs and toads that Grinnell and Storer found thriving in 1915, five had seriously ...