On Oct 6, 2008, at 7:49 PM, do.rflex wrote: > > > Nearly a quarter of the world's land mammal species are at risk of > extinction, and many others may vanish before they are even known to > science, according to a major annual survey of global wildlife.
I saw this today. As a lifelong naturalist and as an explorer myself (in addition to groups like the Natural Resource Defense Council and the National Geographic Society, among others), I've watched this decline for decades. It's real, as (anecdotally) I've watched it up close and first hand. I first noticed it the vernal pools of my youth which produced many frogs and toads. As kids with family members we were enthralled at seeing their marvelous gelatinous eggs, with hundreds and hundreds of potential children in mere mud puddles. Now it's very rare to ever even glimpse such a thing. I kid you not. You'd be quite lucky to happen upon one cluster. I remember later seeing the first Scientific American which had the news: close-contact reptilians (frogs, salamanders, etc.) were in worldwide decline. I remember cringing and tearing for because it was something I knew, first hand. You couldn't deny it. On the up side, it'd be interesting to hear of new and upcoming species so we're not just focused on the gloom-and-doom scenarios the media hounds just love for copy. It's important to know that new or unknown beings are out there.
