d in Brazil's Reserva Atlantica disappeared. Among these were the diurnal hylodine frogs. Their distinctive birdlike calls, once a distinctive feature of the reserve's environment, have been silenced.
Of all the population declines and disappearances, it is perhaps the ones that occur in protected areas that are the most disturbing. These are species that should be safe from human interference. Theoretically, the animals should be able to survive natural population fluctuations.
The exact reasons why these changes are occurring remain unknown. In fact, the subject has become a matter of great debate among herpetologists. Unfortunately though, the causative factors are hard to identify. One major reason for this is the great complexity of the overall situation (5:6). For e
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