Hunt starts for 'lost' amphibians
An international search was launched today to rediscover 100 species of "lost" amphibians, including the golden toad, Jackson's climbing salamander and hula painted frog.
The unprecedented global hunt, launched by the non-profit group Conservation International, is taking place in 14 countries on five continents and comes as amphibian populations suffer a startling decline in numbers.
Some of the potentially extinct species on the list have not been seen for several decades, including the Turkestanian salamander, which was last seen in 1909.
More than 30 per cent of all amphibian species are threatened with extinction.