Disappearing Frogs

have you noticed? i have. i miss the frogs!

Poynteronline
Posted, Apr. 24, 2006
Updated, Apr. 24, 2006

Tuesday Edition: Disappearing Frogs
One in 20 houses vandalized annually... Bank fees... Shackling inmates during childbirth... Al's Morning Meeting turns five.

By Al Tompkins

Frogs, a surprisingly important part of our ecosystem, are disappearing in what the National Aquarium in Baltimore calls "major declines." This is not just about frogs. Vertebrates like frogs are considered indicator species. What happens to them might be an indication of what is ahead for us all, according to Reuters.

About a third of the 5,743 known species of frogs, toads and other amphibians are classified as threatened, according to the Global Amphibian Assessment.

Up to 167 species may already be extinct and another 113 species have not been found in recent years. Habitat loss is the greatest threat to amphibians but fungal disease is also a serious problem.

Here is a list of frog and toad species found in the United States and their status.

This is a wonderful time of year to get out, take a walk with a biologist and listen to nature. The aquarium, which is opening a big new exhibition about frogs, said:

Over the past 50 years, scientists have recorded major declines in frog populations around the world. A few species have vanished completely.

Many frogs die as the result of local human activity, but the epidemic has also reached remote areas. Is there a global cause? Scientists continue to search for answers.

Among the causes factoring into population declines are:

* Habitat destruction by human development
* Introduced species that prey on frogs or affect the food chain
* Chemical pollution
* Climate Changes
* Over-collection as a food source
* Epidemic diseases

This is a global issue. NatureServe.org has deep background on the size of the issue.

In 1998, National Public Radio produced a wonderful piece on the issue. NPR reported:

Frogs -- and other amphibians that have been part of our landscape for millions of years -- are disappearing, failing to reproduce, and going extinct in baffling numbers and circumstances. Others are being found with grotesque deformities such as extra limbs.

Some experts used to scoff that researchers who couldn't find frogs were simply inept field scientists. But there's more and more information that proves the amphibian crisis is real.

Some of the declines have occurred in places you would not expect including national parks that have been protected for decades.

In January, some scientists said they could link the decline of some Central and South American species to an infectious fungus aggravated by warmer global temperatures. Look at this chart, a summary of red-list status for amphibians, from GlobalAmphibians.org.