"In the 1990s, the residents' unnatural release of carps in Karagöl and Çiniligöl became a serious problem for Taurus frogs in the early 2000s as carps are predators and the eggs of Taurus frogs are among their favorite foods," he said.
Later, the number of carp in those lakes significantly decreased thanks to protection efforts as well as some projects carried out by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK), he noted.
"With more comprehensive efforts, the lakes should be freed from non-native species," said Karış, adding that transhumance, off-road and trekking activities, camping, and climbing are other things that negatively affect the species and its habitats.
The Turkish expert warned that all these activities need to be carried out under some regulation, especially during the activation time, when the frogs awaken from their seasonal hibernation in the winter.
The Taurus frog is marked as "CR" (critically endangered) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of threatened species.
Karış also noted that preventing pollution in the region and preserving the nature of waters inhabited by these frogs are also key steps in the protection of the species.
The species is also important for ecotourism as many people come from abroad to view and photograph it, he said, stressing that this also should be under control as some foreigners can do sample collecting and hurt this endemic and unique species.
He concluded that about 50,000 Taurus frogs remain in the wild, living in five or six populations.
