- Climate change
- Ecosystem services
- Ecosystems and habitats
- Fragmentation
- Genetic resources
- Green infrastructure
- Invasive species
- LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity Projects
- Land use change
- Overexploitation
- Pollution
- Protected areas
- SEBI - Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators
- Species
- Tipping points
Amphibians
Amphibians were the first vertebrate animals to colonise the land. All amphibians are cold-blooded, and most lay eggs. The majority of species undergo metamorphosis, moving from a larval stage (usually aquatic) through the development of limbs and lungs to become terrestrial adults. However, a significant minority of the species develop directly from eggs, usually laid on land, without a larval stage. There are also a few viviparous species that give birth to young, without laying eggs. Almost all species are dependent on moist conditions, and many require freshwater habitats in which to breed. Amphibians are entirely absent from marine environments. (IUCN European Redlist).
The European amphibians include frogs and toads, as well as salamanders and newts. Within the 27 European Member States there are 84 amphibian species, whereof nearly 55% are endemic, meaning they only occur within these countries.
While for the mammals and repitiles there is a clear gradient of increasing species richness from the north to the south of Europe, the pattern for Amphibians is different. There is a high diversity of Amphibians in the intermediate latitudes as well as in the south; the top five EU countries are Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Greece.
According to IUCN habitat loss is the most significant threat to Amphibians, followed by pollution including climate change and invasive species. Nearly a quarter (22%) of amphibians are considered threatened. (IUCN 2009).
50 amphibians (thereof 43 endemics) are identified as of European interest and therefore covered by the Habitats Directive. The conservation status of these species has been assessed as unfavourable for nearly 70% of the cases (22% unfavourable bad, 46% unfavorable inadequate).
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