Conservation charities Froglifeand the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) need help to aid their research into the state of the nation’s amphibians. They want the public to report information on cases of sick and dead amphibians.

The UK’s amphibians are being affected by two significant diseases, ranavirusand the chytridfungus.Ranaviruskills thousands of frogs, toads and newts in the UK each year and the chytridfungus, implicated in extinctions of amphibian species around the world, has recently been identified in the UK.

Scientists remain unsure of the extent to which amphibian populations are being affected and what the implications for the UK’s frogs, toads and newts may be. Reports of outbreaks across theUK are absolutely vital for ZSL’scontinuing research and, in the long term, to ensure the survival of our very special amphibians.

Both diseases are harmless to humans, but in amphibians result in a variety of symptoms that could include lethargy, thinness or unexplained mass-deaths of adults or juvenile amphibians. Internal bleeding and open skin sores have also been reported.Members of the public who have come across unusual amphibian deaths in their gardens are urged to submit their information on the Froglife website: www.froglife.org. This information will then be used by ZSL in its research on diseases affecting UK amphibians.