You know the story: Slowly turn up the heat on a frog in a pot of water, and the frog won’t hop out. Oblivious to the imperceptible increase in heat, it will stay put until — well, until it croaks.

When it comes to the effect of rising global temperatures on amphibians, the proverbial frog-boiling story is more than just a metaphor.

Climate change is emerging as one of the biggest threats to frogs and other amphibians, according to a major study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. Between 2004 and 2022, rising temperatures became the primary reason more than 100 amphibian species are slipping toward extinction.

“It’s a gut punch and an awakening,” said JJ Apodaca, executive director of the nonprofit Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy. He was not involved in the study.

Read more: washingtonpost.com

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