These tiny amphibians can’t beat the heat—and their collapse is triggering a domino effect.

Frogs might seem like small players in the natural world, but they’re ecological powerhouses—keeping insect populations in check, feeding predators, and serving as early warning systems for environmental stress. Now, as heatwaves grow longer and more intense, frogs around the globe are dying in record numbers from heat stress and dehydration.
Their moist, permeable skin and dependence on water make them especially vulnerable. But the impact of their decline doesn’t stop at the pond’s edge. From surging mosquito populations to starving birds and collapsing food chains, these nine ripple effects show how losing frogs puts us all at risk.