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The frogs of the world are disappearing.
Since the 1970s a huge number (up to 90% in some areas) of the world's frogs have died. "From the rain forests of Central America and Australia to the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains of the United States, amphibians--frogs, toads, salamanders, and their kin--have been disappearing for the past two decades" (U.S. News & World Report, 1998). Although the scientific community has not been interested until recently, their disappearance is very important. Amphibians, since they live on both land and water, have more points of contact with the natural world and act as living sponges. They are more vulnerable to environmental insult, and what we see happening to the frogs should be a warning. "There's a kind of domino effect operating here, and the frog is just the first domino in the line....Today, the frog; tomorrow the bird; the day after that, who knows?" (Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas).
Copyright (c) Tamara Moots
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