"Vanishing Amphibians," a Smithsonian traveling exhibit that examines amphibian biology and worldwide declines in amphibian populations, will be on display at the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History Jan. 30-March 13.
The exhibit, which was developed by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, also explores the international effort to better understand the extent and causes of these losses in amphibian populations.
In the mid-1980s, scientists identified nearly a dozen populations of amphibian species that were in serious decline or had disappeared altogether. "Vanishing Amphibians" offers several reasons for these disappearances, including habitat loss, contamination of breeding sites by agricultural chemicals, and the thinning of the ozone layer.
Exhibit themes are expressed through maps, photographs, graphics, and audio components. They help visitors learn about the physiology of amphibians, explore the threats to these delicate creatures, examine the effects of amphibian disappearances on local environments, and better understand what scientists and others are doing to address the problem.
The Barrick Museum is open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 895-3381.
