2008: Year of the Frog

Along with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will highlight 2008 as the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort to address the global crisis of declining frogs (and toads).

Globally, there are more than 4200 species of frogs, with new species being discovered every year. Frogs have been considered by some conservationist to be the most imperiled taxonomic group. The rapid decline or disappearance of numerous species of frogs has become a global crisis.

Since the 1970s, scientists around the world have been trying to find out why numerous species have suddenly disappeared. Some species, such as the Gastric-brooding Frog of Australia and the Golden Toad of Costa Rica, have already gone extinct. What makes this problem even more baffling is that many of these disappearances are within relatively pristine areas. Habitat loss from urbanization, disease, pesticides, poor land management practices, fire suppression, introduced predators and possibly issues associated with global climate change are just some of the causes that have individually or collectively played a part in the localized or range wide declines of many species of frogs.

In addition to their pleasant calls, frogs also provide a free pest-control service. Throughout Virginia frogs eat millions of harmful insects annually, including mosquitoes and their larvae. In turn, they are a natural food item for many species of reptiles, fish, birds and mammals.

Today, new species continue to be found in remote jungles and forests around the world. Even in Virginia, new species and populations are being discovered. The Southern Chorus Frog wasn't described in Virginia until 2003. In 2006, biologists from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries discovered a population of the state threatened Barking Treefrog at First Landing State Park. These are just a couple of examples of why research and conservation efforts need to be supported both locally and globally. So what else is being done to help conserve the 27 species of frogs that inhabit Virginia?

Now Available! "The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads" CD through our online store.

The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program

In 1999, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries joined forces with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other state wildlife agencies in launching a regional initiative known as The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP). The program is a collaborative effort among regional partners, such as state wildlife agencies and nonprofit organizations, to monitor populations of frogs. The USGS provides central coordination and database management. The regional partners recruit and train volunteer observers, like you, to collect amphibian population data, following the protocol of NAAMP. The Wildlife Diversity Division of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has participated in NAAMP since 1999. To learn more about this program and if becoming a volunteer is for you, visit our Frog & Toad Call Survey Web site.

How You Can Help Conserve Frogs

In addition to NAAMP, there are other ways you can help conserve frogs.

  • Minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticide on your yard, especially near wet areas
  • Plant native species
  • Maintain a vegetative buffer around wet areas
  • Support efforts to establish and protect natural areas
  • Recycle and practice energy conservation
  • Join a conservation organization
  • Educate yourself and others about frogs
  • Report frog die-offs or abnormalities to the VDGIF
  • Create frog friendly habitats on your property with leaf or brush piles
  • DO NOT RELEASE PET FROGS, TOADS OR FISH (or any other species of pet)

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