Nestled in a valley between two volcanoes, Donald Varela-Soto heard something unfamiliar. For six months, he searched for the source of a shrill frog call along the edge of a wetland in Tapir Valley Nature Reserve, a former cattle ranch in northern Costa Rica. “I kept hearing this different sound in the wetland but was […]
Tag: frogs
Frogs That Can Make Your Garden Grow and How to Naturally Attract Them
Frogs are beneficial wildlife to have in the garden. They are one of the best animals to have around really. They signal that the environment you’ve created is clean because they can’t survive in polluted environments. They have diets that are perfect for the gardener, naturally helping with pest control. And, like any wild animal, […]
Appetite for frogs’ legs in France and Belgium ‘driving species to extinction’
A voracious appetite for frogs’ legs among the French and Belgians is driving species in Indonesia, Turkey and Albania to the brink of extinction, according to a report. Europe imports as many as 200 million mostly wild frogs every year, contributing to a serious depletion of native species abroad. Scientists estimate that the Anatolian water […]
The World’s Appetite for Frogs is Driving These Amphibians to Extinction
Europe’s appetite for frog legs has led to an extinction domino effect on wild populations of amphibians in parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, according to wildlife campaigners. France is well known for its “cuisses de grenouilles”, or frog legs. In a new report by German non-profit Pro Wildlife and French non-profit Robin des Bois, […]
Frogs are the “canary in the coalmine,” suffering first when the environment is toxic
As humans encroach on frogs’ territory, tadpoling has become extinct in many suburban waterways. There is, however, a technique to entice them back: frog motels. Frogs, according to Australian Museum herpetologist Dr Jodi Rowley, are the “canary in the coalmine,” suffering first when the environment is toxic. “Most frog species – not all, but most […]
80 Critically Endangered Australian Frogs Released to the Wild After Surviving Disease and Bushfire Crises
The spotted tree frog was already recovering from local extinction when the “Black Summer” wildfires of 2019 to 2020 raged through New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. Of 250 to 300 frogs once released into the wild, only about 10 survived. But now, the critically endangered species is receiving yet another lease on life. The […]
Scientists have discovered why vampire bats are the only mammals that can survive on a diet of just blood
Scientists compared the genomes of common vampire bats to those of 26 other bat species and discovered 13 genes in vampire bats that are either absent or no longer function. Those gene changes allowed them adapt to a blood diet high in iron and protein but low in fats and carbohydrates over time, according to […]
Too many of our wildlife species are critically endangered and approaching extinction
Elephants, tigers, and rhinos may come to mind when you think about endangered species. While there are hundreds of species around the world that are on the verge of extinction and need our help, there are numerous animals in our own country which are experiencing population declines. Learning about these creatures is crucial to assisting […]