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About 4,000 species of frogs and toads
are well known to scientists, and another 15 to 20 are discovered each
year. Because of they are
sensitive to changes in the environment, such as deforestation
and air and water pollution, these amphibians are vanishing
quicker then most other wildlife. Before
scientists even have a chance to learn of their existence, many frog
species become extinct. Others
are disappearing before our very eyes.
 The
red-bellied tree frog of Surinam is in a very insecure position.
Actually the footing of this particular
frog is quite safe, but the rainforests in which it lives are not.
Surinam’s forests are vanishing at the speed of 100 acres a day
due to unsound commercial logging practicing and clearing forests for
farmland. Since frogs and
other wildlife may exist only in one acre of a forest it's really
important that they are protected.
The
poison dart frog lives in the forests of Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.
They are only 1 inch long, and they have sharp colorful patterns
make predators think twice before being tempted by a bite- sized snack.
This is not camouflage—it is a caution
sign. Aboriginal forest
people who use this frog’s poison know this, and they pay attention to
the warning—not by avoiding the poison dart frog but by handling it very
carefully.
The
tiger leg leaf frog gets it’s name from the Asian tiger stripes all
around it’s legs. One may
have taken its name from an African cat since its markings
look a lot like leopard skin.
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Frogs
