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Canada's snakes, frogs and lizards face
serious threats to long- term survival, WWF report warns |
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Dateline: |
Ontario |
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Publication
title: |
Canada
NewsWire. Ottawa: Sep 29, 2000. pg. 1 |
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Source
Type: |
Wire
feed |
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ProQuest
document ID: |
61328749 |
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Text
Word Count |
599 |
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Article
URL: |
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Abstract (Article Summary) |
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The report
notes that there are now 33 species of reptiles and amphibians on Canada's
official List of Wildlife at Risk. Additions over the past year include the
tailed frog and the Oregon spotted frog, both of which are from southern B.C.
The latter was the first ever emergency listing of a Canadian species.
Reptiles and amphibians represent 16 per cent of all species at risk in the
country, but are currently receiving only 2 per cent of the federal
government funding for species recovery. "With 40
per cent of Canada's reptiles and amphibians listed as endangered, threatened
or of special concern, WWF and CARCNET are urging Canadians to take immediate
steps to improve the long-term survival of these species," said Kevin
Kavanagh, Director of the WWF's National Conservation Program. "Reptiles
and amphibians occupy almost the full range of habitat types found across the
country, from Atlantic to Pacific oceans to prairie wetlands, from coastal
rainforests to boreal forests. The young of many of these species are
critical food sources for other wildlife and the adults are important predators
of many species of insects and small vertebrates." |
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Full Text (599 words) |
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(Copyright Canada Newswire) TORONTO, Sept.
29 /CNW/ - An alarming number of Canada's reptiles and amphibians are at risk
of extinction, according to a new report released today by World Wildlife
Fund Canada (WWF) and the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network
(CARCNET). Habitat loss, illegal collecting for the pet trade, global warming
and toxic contaminants are some of the key factors spurring their decline. The report
notes that there are now 33 species of reptiles and amphibians on Canada's
official List of Wildlife at Risk. Additions over the past year include the
tailed frog and the Oregon spotted frog, both of which are from southern B.C.
The latter was the first ever emergency listing of a Canadian species.
Reptiles and amphibians represent 16 per cent of all species at risk in the
country, but are currently receiving only 2 per cent of the federal
government funding for species recovery. "With 40
per cent of Canada's reptiles and amphibians listed as endangered, threatened
or of special concern, WWF and CARCNET are urging Canadians to take immediate
steps to improve the long-term survival of these species," said Kevin
Kavanagh, Director of the WWF's National Conservation Program. "Reptiles
and amphibians occupy almost the full range of habitat types found across the
country, from Atlantic to Pacific oceans to prairie wetlands, from coastal
rainforests to boreal forests. The young of many of these species are
critical food sources for other wildlife and the adults are important
predators of many species of insects and small vertebrates." One of the key
recommendations of the report is for stronger provincial policies to protect
wetlands. In southwestern Ontario, roughly 90 per cent of all wetlands have
been lost and almost half of the Canadian amphibian and reptile species at
risk are found in this area. Ontario's provincial wetlands policy still
allows wetlands to be drained on agricultural land. Effective forestry
guidelines, reduction in the use of pesticides and improved enforcement of
wildlife regulations are among the report's other conservation
recommendations. The report was
released at news conferences today at the Toronto Zoo and the Vancouver
Aquarium Marine Science Centre, with both facilities displaying a number of
Canadian reptiles and amphibians at risk. Bob Johnson, Curator of Amphibians
and Reptiles, Toronto Zoo, spoke about the Zoo's efforts to protect the
threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake, "Toronto Zoo works with a
number of partners for the recovery of this threatened species and helps to
educate people as to how they can live with all wildlife in Ontario." "This
report provides a blueprint for action that is crucial to the survival of
many reptile and amphibian species in Canada and to the planet's well-being
in the new millennium," said Derek Lee, Member of Parliament for
Scarborough-Rouge River, on behalf of the Honourable Herb Gray, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister responsible for the Government of Canada's millennium
initiative. "The production of this report has received support through
Natural Legacy 2000, a national program to protect Canada's wildlife and wild
places. WWF is a partner in Natural Legacy 2000, which has received a partial
contribution from the Canada Millennium Partnership Program. The Government
of Canada is proud to contribute to the development of the report through its
support of Natural Legacy 2000." "Reptiles
and amphibians don't have the same "cuddle" appeal as some of the
mammals and birds that grace Canada's landscape," Mr. Kavanagh said.
"Snakes in particular are widely feared and often deliberately
persecuted. But all species have an important role to play in ensuring a
strong web of life, and reptiles and amphibians are important indicators of
the overall health of our ecosystems." |