Frogs - creating a sanctuary and protecting their natural habitats

Frogs, frogs and more frogs... I am hoping that by coming here you have an interest - or passion even - about these amazing amphibians and I can share my passion with you about them!  

I find them totally fascinating - they are survivors without a doubt - they are ancient creatures that have been around for millions of years, so I think they could teach us a thing or two about this planet of ours.

They are steeped in mythology too and often come up in old tales from years ago.

I love the strikingly beautiful coloured blue poison arrow  and the rarely seen Mexican burrowing to name but two. 

Frogs and their survival instinct

They come in so many shapes and sizes - my personal favorite being the red eyed leaf  followed closely (extremely closely) by the Strawberry Poison Dart. (more info on Dart frogs here) I would really love one day to be able to trek all over the world and find them for myself in their natural habitats.  I also love seeing African Dwarf frog, which is often confused with the clawed frog. And who does not just love the sound of the amazing spring peepers - the perfect sound to hear on a balmy spring or summer evening.

For now, I am happy to be able to a create a website and fill it with as much stuff as I can about these fascinating amphibians -   I hope you find it nice and come back again and again - and one of these days I will head off on an adventure and see how many of them I can find in the wild!

We take these creatures for granted, but did you know that they are currently under threat worldwide?  It is a sad fact that they are losing their habitats.  Pollution plays a huge part in their declining numbers and there is a deadly parasitic fungus known as amphibian chytrid - a serious threat to the well-being and survival of these ancient creatures.  The disease is spread by direct contact between frogs and tadpoles, or through infected water, and as the disease does not instantly kill the frogs, they can travel to other areas with other frogs and pass the disease on that way.  The disease produces spores which are absorbed through the skin of frogs and this makes them unhealthy and then direct contact with other frogs means the disease can spread quickly.  It has wiped out massive amounts of frogs so far and is a huge problem for the frog population.  The first cases of the disease are thought to have originated from Africa.  The fungus responsible is known as Batrachochitrium Dendrobatidis.

My website aims to share what I have learned about many different species that can be found in the wild, and also advice on how to keep some of them as pets at home. 

So what can YOU do to help in ensuring that they survive today?

The best thing that you can do is to first of all understand them, and then create a supportive environment in which they can live, breed and hibernate.  

Creating a pond - this is a really good way of attracting them to your garden.  They can't resist a good pond.  

• Build a pond in your garden.  Build your pond in a shaded area preferably, with pond liner inside the pond (to keep the water in), with a few shallow edges for the tadpoles, and no fish.
• Amphibians rely on a good network of ponds.  The reason that they don't rely on one pond is that if one becomes damaged it can be re-colonised quite fast. If there are frogs within 1000m, and the pond is suitable, they will often come without any help from us - you will notice that your little amphibian-haven garden is gradually becoming home to families without any other help from you other than adding the pond in the first place.

Other ways of creating a suitable amphibian garden is by not keeping your garden too tidy! This is quite difficult for some people! But your efforts in keeping your garden on the 'wild side' will pay-off quickly as the amphibian population get to hear about it and thank you for it!  They love the wilder type of garden, that has leaf piles, garden debris, rocks and logs.  There is also information here on how they can be found in abundance in the rainforest, for many their natural habitat.

This creates a shady, damp environment which is perfect for all amphibians! 

Because all amphibians breathe partially - even totally - through their skin, they are extremely sensitive to toxic chemicals in the environment. Therefore, you should try to avoid using chemicals of any sort.  There are usually other methods you can use to keep pests under control that are more natural and less harmful to garden wildlife.

Also another fantastic thing about having frogs in your garden, is that you won't need to use slug pellets as they eat slugs. They really are kind of win/win! Of course, in some cultures these amphibians are considered very lucky as well, to have one come to your home, or to have an ornament of home in a certain position, can attract good fortune to you.  Find out more here.