This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

One Giant Leap

Spanish Translation

Frogs and toads first hopped on our planet 400 million years ago. But do they have a future here? Scientists met in Washington, D.C., last week to try to answer this troubling question. They came up with a plan that is one big leap toward saving these animals.

Frogs and toads are amphibians. Amphibians are cold-blooded animals that have a backbone. They live both on land and in water.

Many kinds of frogs are in danger of becoming extinct, or dying out completely. A study in 2004 found that almost 2,000 kinds of amphibians are in serious trouble. Populations around the world have dropped in the past 25 years. Many have disappeared.

Several things could be hurting amphibians. The destruction of forests and other native habitats where they live is probably the biggest threat.

Some researchers say amphibians are especially sensitive to pollution. Many of the animals live near polluted water.

A Call to Action
At the Washington, D.C., meeting, scientists created a plan to help save amphibians. The plan will support governments that take steps to protect important amphibian habitats.

Saving amphibians won't be easy or cheap. Scientists think that it could cost more than $400 million. It will take many years. But there is hope. "We still have time to save these threatened creatures," says Claude Gascon of the World Conservation Union.

Next: Getting Ready for Rita