The apocalypse is now (and not just according to Hal Lindsey). Herpetologists world-wide are in quite a state of shock due to an alarming number of frog deaths. Too many of these lovable amphibians are croaking (in the fatal sense) for reasons including intrusive land development, climate change, and a deadly parasitic fungus by the name of chytrid (kit-rid). With around 3,000 species of frogs in threat of extinction you have to wonder if Mother Earth isn’t getting back at us for something. The photo reveals a snapshot of “likely extinct” frog species in Ecuador. Text via these articles in National Geographic and The New Yorker. Photo via Joel Sartore.

This article was written in May & is part of the Archives , Wes sections.