The catastrophic declines in frog and salamander populations in recent years may be even more widespread than had been feared – and the devastation seems to extend to reptiles.

The counts show a decline of around 75% in reptiles and amphibians in native forest since 1970. But the numbers of both increased in abandoned cacao plantations, by 4% annually for amphibians, and 2.7% per year for reptiles.

Fungal diseases or pesticide contamination, blamed for amphibians' decline elsewhere, are unlikely to be behind the declines at La Selva, since they would affect abandoned plantations as well as native forest.

The researchers suggest the cause may be a change to a warmer, wetter climate, which reduces tree growth and may lead to a thinner layer of leaf litter, where the animals live. Cacao plantations (which produce cocoa) produce a heavier layer of this leaf litter.

http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn11612

[What good were the reptiles for economy anyway? In zoos and as pets? We could definitely live without them.]