This year has been declared ‘Year of the Frog’. Jayne Lillywhite discovers why
As a child (or a parent) have you ever eagerly juggled a quivering lump of slithery frog spawn into a small tank and watched the eggs hatch into tadpoles? Then marvelled as they slowly, but nonetheless amazingly, metamorphosed into perfect miniature frogs. These creatures are the stuff of myth and folklore in plenty of cultures and the stars of countless children’s stories, such as Beatrix Potter’s The tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher. But many amphibians, a classification that include toads, newts and salamanders too, are threatened by an extinction crisis.
It may surprise you to learn that of the 6,000 or so species of amphibian worldwide, at least a third, but probably nearer a half, are threatened with imminent extinction. Experts estimate that about 120 species have died out in the last 25 years. The reasons are many and varied: climate change, habitat loss, pollution, pesticide poisoning, over-collection for the pet trade and food, and competition with introduced species. Most worrying though is the spread of a parasitic fungus – amphibian chytrid. This deadly disease, which is untreatable in the wild, originated in Africa and has spread worldwide in the last 30-40 years. It has destroyed entire amphibian communities and species.
But do frogs really matter? Yes, they do. As with all species, not only do they have an intrinsic value as a beautiful part of nature but they are integral in the complex food web – remove one species and many can be affected. They have other benefits: amphibians often feast on pests and they have yielded substances invaluable in human medicine.
Amphibian Ark
To halt this dreadful decline, conservationists and scientists across the world have devised a global amphibian conservation action plan that includes research and conservation in the wild. But for those species that cannot be saved, a captive breeding programme – Amphibian Ark – has been set up. Species will be rescued before they disappear and protected in captivity until the threats in the wild can be controlled. During Year of the Frog, Amphibian Ark will be campaigning to raise funds for research and captive breeding programmes as well as generally raising awareness of amphibians and their plight.
To find out more about Amphibian Ark and Year of the Frog visit www.amphibianark.org
And in the UK
Amphibian Ark is an international initiative, but UK amphibians are in trouble too. There are plenty of steps you can take to help amphibians: build a pond in your garden, provide plenty of places for amphibians to shelter, such as a log pile, and don’t use pesticides to kill slugs and other invertebrates. Or why not become a member of Froglife? Based in Peterborough, this national wildlife charity is concerned with the protection and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the UK.
A key Froglife campaign is Toads on Roads. From February toads wake from hibernation and migrate to their ancestral breeding ponds. For thousands this means crossing dangerous roads and many are injured and killed. The Toads on Roads project aims to raise the public’s awareness of this problem and recruits volunteers to help monitor known toad crossing sites. The charity maintains a register of these sites and encourages councils to erect temporary signs warning motorists to take special care. There are already more than 600 official toad crossings in the UK including 10 in Cambridgeshire and 7 in Lincolnshire. If you know of a toad crossing site, Froglife wants to know about it.
Froglife also manages Hampton Nature Reserve (owned by O&H Hampton), which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The reserve is home to the largest colony in Europe of the rare and threatened great crested newt. Although not generally open to the public, Froglife does hold various events at the site and is always looking for volunteers to help out with various management tasks.
The information service offered by Froglife to the public is also extremely useful. The charity can provide advice sheets on many issues including amphibian identification, conservation, health and welfare, planning and habitats. If you’d like to find out more about the charity, its work, volunteering at Hampton nature reserve and local Year of the Frog events visit www.froglife or call 01733 558844.
A frog or a toad?
l A frog’s skin is quite smooth; a toad’s is ‘warty’.
l Frogs have a dark ‘mask’ behind their eyes; toads do not.
l Frogs feel moist to the touch; toads feel dry.
l Frogs hop on their strong back legs; toads usually walk or crawl.