Climate change causing dehydration in frogs, other amphibians, SFU study finds

BURNABY (NEWS) — It seems climate change is leaving Metro Vancouver frogs and other amphibians too dry and thirsty, according to new research out of Simon Fraser University.

The study finds harmful dehydration is becoming a big problem for amphibians in the Pacific Northwest. The trend toward hotter, drier summers is what’s doing it.

Researchers from Simon Fraser University and the University of California Santa Cruz actually used mock frogs made from agar gel to look at conditions in the damp, shaded areas around wetlands, and found that climate change offers a one-two punch.

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As wet-skinned amphibians try to stay cool on shaded, dry land, they face harmful rates of dehydration. They also face harmfully high temperatures in shallow water.

That is putting even more stress on populations as frogs, salamanders and newts travel more to find suitable conditions, using up energy for movement rather than for finding food.

“Such trade-offs will only get more challenging with future climate change, with no single habitat being safe at all times,” says Gavia Lertzman-Lepofsky, the study’s lead author.

The study suggests by the 2080s, many frog-friendly habitats will no longer be safe for amphibians.