Endangered Native Animal
Added on 2020-03-23
7 Pages1536 Words54 Views
Running head: ENDANGERED NATIVE ANIMALEndangered Native Animal: Corroboree frogStudent Name University nameAuthor Name
ENDANGERED NATIVE ANIMALLocation and Background Corroboree frogs are one of Australia’s most critically endangered species. These frogsmainly inhabit 1.3 to 1.8 kilometers above the sea level at the Sphagnum wetland of sub alpinearea (Corroboreefrog.org.au 2017). It has been found only in the national park of MountKosciuszko. The name bears the tradition of the Australian Aboriginals. The decline of thepopulation of this kind of frogs has drawn attention from nature activists and scientists to protectthem from becoming extinct. Critically Analysis of the Reasons of extinctionThe species does not get challenges from any natural predators as it secrets poisonoustoxins but there are several factors that have been fueling to the extinction of the species. ChytridiomycosisThe species has experienced severe attack from a specific fungus namedBatrachochytriul dendrobatidis. The disease that is cause by the fungus named Chytridiomycosishas already contributed significantly in mass extinction of other species in eastern Australia(Scheele et al. 2017). The fungus attacks keratin that is present in high amount in the adult frogsor in the tadpoles. The infection caused harmful changes into the frogs’ skin layers thateventually become deadly. Climate changeThe climate change is another significant factor that has been contributing in theextinction of Corroboree frogs. The heat increase due to global warming is alarming. It has been
ENDANGERED NATIVE ANIMALaffecting the breeding pools of the frogs and damaging their eco system (Environment.gov.au2017). Ultraviolet radiationThe increased Ozone has largely increased the UV radiation. The high exposure ofultraviolet rays has caused serious damage for the amphibious existence. The UV rays affect theembryos and egg DNAs. The radiation also caused harm in the water and damages the other bioorganisms (Brannelly et al. 2015). The alpine lakes of that region are not deep; therefore the loworganic carbon in the water causes great threats for the Corroboree frog’s existence.Bushfire It has been observed before that bushfire can kill of a significant number of CorroboreeFrogs. The sphagnum wetland’s bushfire in the Kosciuszko Park caused threat for the frogs’lives as they did not come back to the area again (Abc.net.au 2015). The fire destroys theirnatural shelter, breeding areas, causes high dehydration. ConstructionDuring the 1970s the construction of the Hydro-electric project in the snowy mountainshas eliminated a large number of Corroboree frogs of that region (Hunter 2012). Theconstruction of roads in this area causes low water level and dry outs and hampers their naturalbreading places. Close to ExtinctionThe Corroboree frogs are registered in the red list by International Union for Coservationof Nature as ‘critically endangered’. The EPBC and NPW Act also have identified the species asendangered. An investigation in 2014 revealed that the total number of the Corroborree frogs are
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