Three species endemic to the Black Sea region of Türkiye are in imminent danger, experts warn, with the wetlands they thrive in at risk.

The Caucasian salamander, striped Caucasian salamander and Caucasian parsley frog are endemic to the eastern Black Sea region in the country and under the protection of the Bern Convention of Europe (an international treaty for protecting wildlife). Professor Ufuk Bülbül, a biology expert from Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) says pollution of wetlands and construction activities near their habitat place the species under stress and hinder their mating activities.

The situation is particularly dire in the famed highlands of the region where most locals spend their summer. Illegal and haphazard construction of both houses and infrastructure affect wildlife. Bülbül, who studied the wildlife in Hıdırnebi highland in the Black Sea province of Trabzon, says he detected a drop in the populations of three species.

"The salamanders only live in Türkiye and Georgia, while the parsley frog is endemic to both countries as well as parts of Russia and Armenia. Two decades ago, you could find plenty of salamanders here. They were freely roaming and not avoiding humans. Today, we have to search for them. They isolate themselves from humans," he told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Tuesday.

Bülbül says clean water resources for the animals were more limited now. "They are polluted, either by construction activities or wastewater. Global warming also depletes the resources," he explained. "These animals play an important part in the food chain. They feed on harmful insects. They are not easily replaceable species," he added.