Are all frogs disappearing? - frogs are becoming extinct due to environmental problems - Cover Story

Ranger Rick, March, 1994

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

Frog scientists from all over the world have just finished meeting here in Australia. Four years ago, many of the same scientists met in England to talk about how frogs were doing. But they came up with a lot of questions they couldn't answer. So the scientists decided to study the frogs some more and meet again this year.

"We still have a lot to learn about what's really happening to frogs," says Bob Johnson, a scientist who went to the meeting. "Many kinds of frogs are disappearing, and in the last few years some have become extinct. But not all frogs seem to be in trouble. And some seem to be in big trouble one year and then they bounce back the next year.

"At least we have a few more answers to our questions about frogs. For example, we think we know which kinds of frogs need, the most help right now," says Johnson.

What kinds of things are causing problems for frogs? The biggest may be the loss of habitat (the wild places frogs need). When a frog pond is wiped out, so are the frogs. As cities and farms grow, the wetlands and forests that frogs need disappear.

Other problems are:

* Acid rain * Polluted water * Diseases * Too much sun (where trees have been cut down) * Big changes in water temperature * Water levels too high or too low

So how can you help the frogs in your area? Call a nature center and ask if you can join a pond clean-up, build a new pond, or work to save some wetlands. By helping frogs, you'll be helping other animals that live in wetlands too.