Planetary warning: frogs, the Earth's coal-mine-canaries have been dying by the millions

Years ago canaries were kept in cages deep underground in coal mines as a warning system to detect odorless poison gases. Seattle Biologist, Kerry Kriger, is on a mission to help frog and amphibian species survive, but it is a daunting challenge.

For decades scientists have seen frogs as the Earth’s coal-mine-canary and have been alarmed at their steep decline. Frogs have been disappearing on a global level from the Rocky Mountains or forests in Brazil, Costa Rica, on up to Canada.

So, why are they disappearing so rapidly? According Dr. Kriger, frogs are declining in an avalanche of amphibian species that also includes newts, salamanders, toads, and caecilians. Kriger estimates that one third of the 6, 418 amphibian species world wide have disappeared. Temperature fluctuations and man made pollution are among the top suspects.

Contrast that with the shocking news that previous frog extinctions have happened on average of 1 every 250 years; when there have been 200 species vanish since 1979 alone. The demise of these fragile creatures have been attributed to every thing from fungus, habitat loss, climate change; to aviation fuel, over harvesting, invasive species, and immune inefficiency.

There appears to be no corner of the planet where frogs can be shielded from air borne pollutants. During a recent exploration of remote areas of Brazil, bodies of dead frogs mysteriously littered the landscape by the hundreds. Why?

If the path of extinction isn’t reversed, Kriger predicts it could be very damaging for the world’s natural ecosystems. Due to the fact that frogs are thin-skinned creatures, which live in water and on land; they are considered true barometers of the planet’s health.

Frogs are not only important to the food chain and ecosystem, but the fluid from the skin of some frogs has been explored for medicinal use. What if the cure for aids or cancer lies in the excretion of a frog or amphibian?

The number one threat to amphibians--is mankind. Humans are in direct competition with many wildlife species for habitat development –frogs and amphibians are no exception as their ponds, marches, wetlands, and other natural habitat gets leveled for human development. Again, add to that the threat of pesticides, pollution, climate driven temperature change, disease, metal-laden water, and non-native species.

Non-native bullfrogs have already invaded 15 countries.

Invasive species have added to the problem, due to the fact that so many different species of pets and animals are shipped world wide. Frogs, toads, and bullfrogs are included and whether they are to be used as bait, pets, food, or housed at zoos, the chances of them escaping or being intentionally set free--are very high. The intruders adapt to their new home easily and begin to breed.

Unfortunately, they are often disastrous for native species that are eaten for food or succumb to fungal diseases for which they have no immunity.

The Oregon Spotted frog is under threat of extinction, due to an invasion of non-native toads and the loss of 78% of its habitat. Their populations have been disappearing rapidly all throughout the Pacific Northwest. Canada has only four remaining populations left.

These intrusive species are incredibly difficult to get rid of once they get established. The best way to stem the declining tide is by prevention of non-native intruders to breed and encroach into the few remaining safe habitats of native species.

Dr. Krieger’s Save the Frogs foundation will be launching a massive campaign to eradicate and stop the increase of non-native bullfrogs that have already spread around the globe into 15 other countries.

“Frogs have been around 250 million years,” said, Dr. Kriger in a recent interview in Grist Magazine. “They’ve outlived the dinosaurs ... But in the last 30, 40, and 50 years--they’re rapidly going extinct.”

Perhaps humans aren’t far behind.

People were able to escape poison air in coal mines the moment a poor canary dropped dead. However, escaping a global toxic atmosphere presents a whole new challenge and scientists have been calling the rapid frog extinctions a “biological emergency” for decades.

The world and the Obama administration need to apply more urgency in implementing strong climate legislation, because the very air we breathe depends on it. On a planet without breathable air, it won’t matter if we have enough food, water, or gasoline for our SUVs.

Tick-tock...

Relatated article:

Earth experiencing sixth mass extinction

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