Why Care?

Why do we care about a toad? 

 

It doesn't live anywhere else

 

The arroyo toad is endemic to Southern California and parts of Mexico (1). This means that if it goes extinct in this area, there is not any other place in the world where we will find it. We will lose any genetic diversity specific to this species.

Amphibians are under represented

 

In the history of previous mass extinctions, amphibians were among the most resilient groups. There has recently been widespread decline of amphibians (10). Amphibians may be the only group at risk globally. Of the 6,300 species, one third or more are threatened with extinction.

Amphibian's habitats are the least well represented of protected areas around the world. This is partially due to the fact that many amphibians have small range sizes and are endemic. However, this is also because they do not receive a lot of conservation attention. Protected areas are usually established to protect a single species, often focusing on large mammals such as pandas or Bengal tigers (7), but amphibians are cool, they deserve our attention!

It's habitat matters

 

The habitat conservation laws in the U.S. are not very good. Placing specific species on the endangered species list and protecting its habitat gives us a legal reason to protect that species' habitat. There are more species than just this particular toad living in this habitat that are also threatened, including the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax trailii extimus), least Bell's vireo (Vireo belli pusillus), tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (8). Most of this very specific habitat is already lost, it is important to keep what remains so the arroyo toad, and other animals that need that habitat, can continue to exist.

The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher on the left and the Least Bell's Vireo on the right

both share the arroyo toad's habitat and are also threatened.

http://www.cityofirvine.us and http://community.marines.mil