Blog: Frogs in Our Swamp

“[S]udden movement shook leaves and startled the water. Frogs. Tiny frogs, big frogs and bigger frogs leapt out of our way as we moved. I was thrilled. We hear, and sometimes find, tree frogs – the spring peepers. But in the years we’ve played and stalked in the swamp, I’ve never seen bullfrogs. Is the water level higher? Is it a good year for frogs? Did I simply miss them before? The answer to the sudden appearance of many frogs may be all of those things and more. All I know is that we finally have frogs to catch – and catch them we did…

“The chytrid fungus that has decimated amphibian populations has pervaded all the world’s continents with frog populations and has been identified in amphibians in Rhode Island. Frogs are also contending with loss of habitat, pesticides, pollution, over-harvesting for food and the pet trade, invasive species and climate-related issues. While it’s tempting to catch a few big bullfrogs and make dinner from their legs, I can’t do it in good conscience knowing the threats to their existence. While Cape Cod bullfrogs may not have been identified as a species at risk of disappearing, there is no telling what the near future may hold for those denizens of the swamp. And besides, I like them too much.”

Read post at: Cape Cod Today