Events Calendar

Amphibians like frogs and salamanders cover the globe and are important indicators as to the environmental health of our planet. Learn how their health and decline affect ecosystems and the balance of nature with Joseph R. Mendelson III, PhD, Curator of Herpetology, Zoo Atlanta. Some 170 species of frogs have become extinct in the past decade, whether from the fungus or other causes, and another 1,900 are imminently threatened, according to The Associated Press.  Should those 1,900 disappear, it would be an extinction event on the scale of “what happened at the end of the ice ages,” Mr. Mendelson told N.P.R. One of the nation’s foremost experts in his field, Dr. Mendelson was among the first responders to the crisis of global amphibian decline and is responsible for the naming of more than 30 new amphibian and reptile species. His research initiatives include biodiversity surveys in Latin America; natural history, ecological and taxonomic studies; and amphibian conservation research, outreach and diplomacy. He is President of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles and serves on the Advisory Board of the Amphibian Ark.