Life- EU funds starts making a difference in amphibian conservation

Reptiles and amphibians top the list of Europe’s most endangered species and amphibians are recognised as the planet’s most threatened group of animals, with one in three of the globally 6 000 known amphibian species considered at risk of extinction. Efforts to improve the fate of these species brought togther amphibian specialists from around the world who established a new Amphibian Survival Alliance. LIFE projects have been active in these fields and LIFE experiences provide valuable good practice for the red listed species.

Release date	14/10/2009
Contributor	spyropoulou
Geographical coverage	Europe
Keywords	amphibians, Life funds
Source	EU-Life news

While Red List up-dates continue for European fish, butterflies, dragonflies, saproxylic (dead wood) beetles, molluscs and selected vascular plants, assessment work has now been completed for mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The information became available earlier this year and is available on-line via a recently revamped European Red List website. New search and download functions on the site provide easy access to key findings concerning the conservation assessments for specific species, as well as methodologies involved in determining Red List protection priorities.

LIFE successes such as:

Greece’s LIFE02NAT/GR/008500 project, which helped reduce mortality risks to Loggerhead turtles including providing turtle rehab services for animals stranded following accidents with fishing equipment;
Spain’s consecutive LIFE042NAT/E/008614 and LIFE06NAT/E/000199 conservation actions supporting recovery strategies to sustain Giant Lizard populations on the Canary Islands;
Estonia’s LIFE04NAT/EE/000070 project covering habitat restoration activities for great crested newts in the Eastern Baltic; and
The Netherland’s LIFE04NAT/NL/000201 coordinated ‘LIFE Ambition’ work involving securing the future of endangered frogs, toads and newts.

Copies of the new LIFE Nature brochure are available from the website’s publications section and the European Red List website offers more information about regional Red List actions.