But 'extinct' frogs haven't croaked

Delighted conservationists have announced they had found two species of African frog (Omaniundu reed & Mount Nimba reed) and a cave-dwelling Mexican salamander (splayfoot) that had been feared to have become extinct.

The find was made by scientists combing some of the world's remotest sites on a quest to determine the fate of a hundred species of amphibians not sighted for decades. The Mount Nimba frog was last seen in 1967, the salamander in 1941.

"We don't know whether study of these animals could provide new medicinal compounds as other amphibians have – and at least one of these animals lives in an area that is important to protect as it provides drinking water to urban areas," said Robin Moore, who is organizing the search for US-based wildlife group Conservation International and International Union for Conservation of Nature.