Save the Frogs Day (4/28)

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Today is Save the Frogs Day! Save The Frogs Day is the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action. There are hundreds of events and gatherings taking place all over the world to raise awareness of conservation efforts and amphibians' plights. To learn more about this day, please visit the Save the Frogs website.

Did you know that frogs and other amphibians are often indicator species? An indicator species "is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change. Indicator species can be among the most sensitive species in a region, and sometimes act as an early warning to monitoring biologists" (Wikipedia). Adult amphibians are sensitive to environmental pollution because they breathe through their skin, while juveniles are sensitive to toxins in water and watershed areas. Thus, it is important to keep a close eye on frog populations because they can tell us the state of our environment, which is important for our health, other animals' health, plant life, and of course, the frogs themselves.

Frogs are also important because of the role they play in the food chain. They consume a lot of insects, including insects that can transmit diseases such as malaria. In addition, frogs are a source of food for many predators. The protection of frog species is necessary for keeping the ecosystem in balance.

Frogs can also benefit human health care! According to the Save the Frogs website, "Approximately 10% of Nobel Prizes in Physiology and Medicine have resulted from investigations that used frogs. When a frog species disappears, so does any promise it holds for improving human health."

And last but not least, frogs are beautiful, diverse, and fascinating creatures, and a good number of frog and toad species are rewarding companion animals.

Below is a feature of some endangered frogs.

Golden Poison Frog - Phyllobates terribilis




Status: Endangered
Habitat: Rainforest floor in Colombia
Threats: Deforestation, illegal logging, planting of illegal crops, pesticides and human settlement; capture of frogs for pet trade
Phyllobates terribilis by AimishBoy  Golden poison dart frog by Soggy-Wolfie
Conservation: The only area the species occurs in is not a protected habitat so conservation of their habitat would assist in protecting the species. There should also be a sustainable quota for the number of individuals which could be taken for breeding should be considered.
:thumb258407815:  Golden Poison Frog by Jhalvorsen
Importance to humans: Indigenous tribes such as the Choco Emberá people use the toxins to tip their darts. They also make for great terrarium inhabitants due to their bright color, social nature, relative ease of care, and intelligence. 
Cool fact: The golden poison frog is one of the most poisonous frogs in the world. One frog has enough poison to kill two adult bull elephants.

Goliath Frog - Conraua goliath



Status: Endangered
Habitat: sandy-bottomed rivers in West Africa
Giant Frog by luisemaxeiner 
Threats: Habitat destruction, collection for food consumption, collection for pet trade
Conservation: Protection of habitat, quotas for collection, captive breeding
Frog by MysticTwilight82  Sketches from 15.04 Frog by Vronske
Importance to humans: The goliath frog was considered a food source for West African tribes until it was declared a protected species.
Cool fact: The goliath frog is the largest frog in the world, growing up to 1 foot long and 7 pounds in weight.

Pine Barrens Tree Frog - Hyla andersonii



Status: Near Threatened
Habitat: brushy areas near small ponds in New Jersey, the Carolinas, and Florida
In the Pine Barrens by SpacerHunterZORG  Another Pine Barrens Treefrog by WildlifeMan
Threats: Habitat loss and pollution
Conservation: Protection of habitat, reduction in use of fertilizers and other contaminants
Pine Barrens Tree Frogs by UberKudzu :thumb181304061:
Importance to humans: Some people consider the Pine Barrens tree frog the most beautiful frog native to the United States due to its flashy patterns and colors.
Cool fact: The Pine Barrens tree frog has a relatively stable population in the Pine Barrens of NJ since the soil there is too poor to grow crops.

Other Endangered Frogs and Toads



Corroboree Frog by Blind-Mag95  Ranita de Darwin IEB by Hyena-De-Peluche  Kiss those frogs goodbye... by lemurkat  Crrrrooaaa .Atelopus varius. by Effeey  Golden Toad by ribbonworm  Camofrog by BlueLiquorice  Theres a frog in my pond by bob-x  Golden mantella on yellow flow by AngiWallace

How can we help?



How can we help to reduce the threats to frog and toad populations everywhere? Many frogs are faced with habitat loss and multiple types of pollution. We can fight habitat loss by raising awareness and contributing support to sustainable farming and development practices. In addition, here are little things we can do that add up to a big benefit for our amphibious friends!
  • Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Creating new products uses both space and (in most cases) water, both essential to frog health. These three R's help make sure that your money does not go to support the expansion of corporations.
  • Do not use pesticides or herbicides. These chemicals are often present in runoff and result in death, mutations like extra legs, and hermaphroditism. Buy organic when possible and use traditional methods to get rid of weeds in your garden.
  • Don't eat frogs' legs. The frog farming industry is unregulated and has played a large part in the spread of chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease thought to have contributed to the extinction of hundreds of amphibian species.
  • Buy your pet frogs from a reliable, legal breeder. Do not buy wild-caught frogs.
  • Raise awareness by participating in the Save the Frogs Art Contest 2012! The deadline is October 15, 2012.
  • Donate to the Irish Amphibian Chytrid Survey! Ireland is thought to be one of the last chytridiomycosis-free areas in Europe, but research is needed to confirm this. It only costs €1.50 to pay for a swab. Please donate to fund the research project here.
  • More conservation ideas can be found here. 



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Primal-Fury's avatar
Primal-Fury
Thank you for the informing article =) We frequently get little spotted grass frogs visit our place because we have a pool and leaf litter surrounding it. They are the cutest little things and sometimes hop right into our hands :giggle: