What Are the Dangers to Frogs in Our Environment?

Herbicides

• U.S. crops are frequently sprayed with the herbicide Atrazine. Scientific studies by biologists at the University of South Florida show that this herbicide is decimating the U.S. population of the northern leopard frog. One of the side effects of Atrazine is that it helps increase numbers of snails that host parasitic worm larvae. The frogs feed on these snails and the parasites feed on the frogs once digested. Added to this, Atrazine also suppresses the frogs' immune system. Biologists describe Atrazine as a mobile herbicide and claim it has been detected far from agricultural areas. This increases the danger to frogs.

Habitat Destruction

• Frogs love forests and wetlands. Increases in logging and drainage of wetlands decreases the number of habitats available to various frog species. Rain forest frogs are particularly under threat from deforestation. And as the rain forest biome contains numerous frog species - and potentially some undiscovered ones - environmentalists point out that new species may never be discovered, while known ones face extinction.

Climate Change

• A Stanford University study shows that national parks and other protected areas are not providing a refuge for frogs any more. One problem is climate change, which in part is due to the burning of fossil fuels. Stanford scientists claim that climate change is drying up ponds and streams and as a result the frogs are dying. Another threat reportedly caused by climate change is the spread of a disease called chytrid fungus. Studies by the University of Georgia show that streams with the fungus are devoid of all amphibian species. A study from San Diego University shows that amphibians appear to be the first species to respond to the effects of climate change and the negative effect on them is an indication of the future for other classes of animals.

Competition and Predators

• Introducing fish into a lake that aren't native to it also presents a threat to frogs. Fish put in specifically for sport fishing tend to eat up tadpoles, which can eradicate the entire frog population. Other frogs, particularly nonnative species, also present a problem. Save Our Frogs gives the example of the Cuban tree frog that arrived in the U.S. by jumping on boats. This is now the largest species in North America and it has a voracious appetite for smaller, native frogs.