Outdoor brief

ALL FOR AMPHIBIANS

Day to rally around frogs, toads scheduled for Friday

Save the Frogs Day is Friday, and whether you live in the desert or a more humid climate, it's something to pay attention to.

Frogs and toads around the world are facing serious problems from disease, habitat loss and invasive predators. Some species are experiencing massive die-offs.

So what's the big deal?

"Frogs are the canary in the coal mine. They give us early warning of changes in the environment, due to their sensitivity to those changes," said Jon Sjoberg, supervising fisheries biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

Frogs and toads are in the middle of the food chain, so losing them will affect both what they eat and what eats them. Because tadpoles eat algae and stir up dirt, if they are not present, algae may flourish and ponds and lakes may be rendered unproductive.

Adult frogs and toads eat insects and other small animals, which without this natural predator could become out of control.

Nevada's wildlife biologists are working hard to study and protect Nevada's native amphibians, but what can residents do to help?

Show appreciation for these animals and respect their habitats. Perhaps the most important thing to do is to practice "no release."

Although it seems like a humane thing to do, releasing captive frogs into the wild can have devastating effects. Non-native frogs from home aquariums or school laboratories can upset native wetland ecology.

Make sure you do not purchase pet frogs that are not allowed into the state. Frogs brought in for outdoor water gardens are especially prone to escape.

For more information on Save the Frogs Day, go to www.savethefrogs.com. And for kids who like to explore, you can find an identification guide to frogs and toads of Nevada at www.ndow.org.