2008: Year of the Frog

Did you know that 2008 is the Year of the Frog?  The year has been deemed so by Amphibian Ark, a worldwide collaborative program of environmental agencies.  It’s about time frogs got their spotlight and respect!  I must confess to a lifelong fondness for frogs, so I am delighted to share my appreciation of these amazing creatures with you.

Why frogs, and why now?  They play important roles in their ecosystems, serving as significant predators and as abundant prey.  In areas where they have declined, pests that damage crops and cause human diseases have proliferated.  Their thin skin makes them very susceptible to environmental degradation – and so, like canaries in a coal mine, they have become “canaries” in our environment.  They are facing an extinction crisis and are disappearing at the rate of ten species per year. 

From August 10 through the end of the month, you can see an exhibit of frog images on the 7^th floor of the Central Library.  In addition to learning fascinating frog and amphibian facts, you will marvel at the amazing diversity of these photogenic creatures.  Highlighted are – the most toxic animal in the world with one-touch killing capability (golden poison dart frog); the frog that can shriek like a cat and bite (Budgett’s frog); the world’s flattest frog (Surinam toad); the stunningly beautiful frog often depicted in popular culture (red-eyed leaf frog); and the delicate glass frogs with their green-tinted bones and flesh.

Here are some suggestions for good books on frogs in our collection:
Frogs: A Chorus of Colors by John L. Behler and Deborah A. Behler
The authors are conservationists who have written the stories of over 5,000 frogs worldwide. Beautifully illustrated.

Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World by Ellin Beltz
Another comprehensive book of frogs, this one by a herpetologist. Excellent information in narrative form. Frog anatomy, myth, culture, and trivia are also offered. Great photographs.

300 Frogs: A Visual Reference to Frogs and Toads from Around the World by Chris Mattison
A very attractive, compact book. Three hundred frogs are featured. Information includes habitat, diet, breeding, distribution, and behavior. Just as you might expect, the photographs are gorgeous.

A Plague of Frogs: The Horrifying True Story by William Souder
In 1995, hideously deformed frogs were found in a pond in Minnesota. The author is the journalist who followed the story of scientists across the country as they researched the cause of this outbreak. Although pesticides are thought to be implicated in these developmental abnormalities, the exact cause remains unknown. Meanwhile, deformed frogs have spread to many others areas in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere. Scary implications for humans beyond these canaries of our environment …