Inside the effort to save one of America's most imperiled salamanders
The frosted flatwoods salamander, one of the most endangered amphibians in the U.S., is facing severe population decline. Conservationists like Nicole Dahrouge are working to protect their eggs and raise them in captivity to improve survival rates. Despite efforts, the species remains at risk due to changing climate conditions and habitat loss.
- ▪Frosted flatwoods salamanders are critically endangered and face an extinction vortex due to their declining population.
- ▪Conservationists are working to collect and raise their eggs in captivity to improve survival rates.
- ▪The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recognized the need for increased protections, but has yet to officially reclassify the species as endangered.
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Inside the effort to save one of America's most imperiled salamanders May 27, 20267:00 AM ET By Nathan Rott Frosted flatwoods salamanders, or "frosties" as they're lovingly called, are one of the most imperiled amphibians in the U.S. Nathan Rott/NPR hide caption toggle caption Nathan Rott/NPR NEAR TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Nicole Dahrouge is not a salamander. Crouched in a bog, hands searching through short grass, she states it aloud for the second time in the last hour, almost like an affirmation. "I mean, I'm not a salamander," she says. "But if I was, I would lay eggs right there." There's always a bit of urgency collecting frosted flatwoods salamander eggs.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at NPR — News.