Alarm as global study finds one-third of amphibians face extinction

The animals are so sensitive to the man-made environment that scientists have likened them to the canary in a coal mine - songbirds that fell silent, killed in the presence of odourless gas. The latest and most comprehensive study of amphibians around the world has shown that for many species of frogs and their nearest relatives the singing has suddenly and inexplicably stopped - and the same bipedal ape is almost certainly responsible.

"This is a problem way outside what we know," said Simon Stuart of the World Conservation Union and leader of the study published in the online version of the journal Science.

Dr Stuart said: "This level of decline is ... extraordinary and serious because amphibians represent a very important part of the overall diversity of life. Since most amphibians feel the effects of pollution before many other forms of life, their rapid decline tells us that one of earth's most critical life support systems is breaking down."

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