A deadly heat is rising across Europe’s forests, and salamanders—those moist-skinned symbols of ecological health—are quietly disappearing with it.
Key Points at a Glance
- New study links extreme weather events to amphibian decline worldwide
- Europe, the Amazon, and Madagascar are the most affected regions
- Sustained droughts are drying out salamander breeding grounds in Central Europe
- Scientists call for targeted conservation efforts like wetland restoration and climate shelters
They’ve outlived the dinosaurs. They’ve endured ice ages. But salamanders may not survive the 21st century.
According to a groundbreaking study from Goethe University Frankfurt, climate extremes—especially heatwaves and droughts—are pushing amphibians closer to extinction than ever before. The research analyzed four decades of global weather data alongside the IUCN Red List status of more than 7,000 amphibian species, exposing a chilling correlation: as climate shocks increase, amphibians vanish.
“Our analyses show the direct connection between the increase in extreme weather events and the decline of amphibian populations,” says Dr. Evan Twomey, lead author of the study published in Conservation Biology. “Amphibians’ dependence on temporary wetlands for breeding makes them particularly vulnerable to heat and drought.”
The crisis is not uniform. In the Amazon, frogs face rising heatwaves. In Madagascar, cold snaps and shifting weather patterns threaten rare tropical species. But it’s Central Europe where droughts are quietly devastating salamander populations. As moisture disappears from the forest floor, these delicate creatures—already facing habitat loss, pollution, and disease—find nowhere left to hide.
“Half of Europe’s native true salamanders are now regularly exposed to drought,” warns Prof. Lisa Schulte, head of the Department of Wildlife-/Zoo-Animal-Biology and Systematics. “Future climate projections show it will only get worse.”
The study’s message is clear: we need action, not just awareness. Small-scale conservation tactics, such as creating shaded shelters or maintaining micro-wetlands, can provide critical refuges during dry spells. Large-scale measures, including protected habitat corridors and ecosystem restoration, are also essential to slow the tide of extinction.
Salamanders are more than amphibians. They’re ecological indicators. When they vanish, it means water cycles are breaking down, food chains are collapsing, and ecosystems are losing resilience. In short, if salamanders are in crisis, so is the planet.
For Dr. Twomey and his colleagues, the hope is that this study fuels both public concern and policy action. “Conservation strategies must now consider extreme weather as a core threat,” he emphasizes. That means integrating climate models into biodiversity planning—and doing so urgently.
As the forests of Europe grow warmer and drier, one thing is certain: without immediate intervention, the silence of the salamanders could become permanent.
Source: Goethe University Frankfurt
