Australia has more than 240 species of frogs but a team of scientists says urgent action is needed to protect many of them from extinction within a few decades.
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A national team of 29 frog scientists from universities, government agencies, zoos and museums have identified the species most at risk and the conservation efforts needed to save them in a new study.
There are four frog species officially recognised as extinct but the Threatened Species Recovery Hub research found three more that are highly likely to be already extinct and four that are still alive in the wild but highly likely to be extinct by 2040.
Five more species were found to be at moderate risk of extinction by 2040.
Co-author and frog expert Dr Graeme Gillespie said climate change and an amphibian fungal disease were the primary threats to Australian frogs.
Habitat loss, invasive fish and pigs were also major threats for some species.
"Preventing extinctions is possible but will require a significant increase in management effort and investment," Dr Gillespie said.
"To allow species to survive in the wild we need to identify, create and protect wild refuges."
The research, published in Pacific Conversation Biology on Friday, found species at risk in every state and territory except South Australia and Tasmania.
Australian Associated Press
