Hello everyone, 
Welcome to my blog. Am going to be doing a series on how certain animals critically affect the ecosystem. Today, am going to be starting with our little friend the frog. This post is also my own little way of supporting the save the frogs initiative.
Am sure everyone already knows or has seen a frog before. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to the subarctic region. The greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforests. There are about 4,800 recorded species, frogs account for over 85% of the amphibian species. Frog populations have declined significantly since the 1950's. More than one third of species are considered to be threatened with extinction and over one hundred and twenty are believed to be extinct. Apart from humans, malformations and fungal diseases are also to blame for the extinction.
Frogs are amphibians , meaning they can live on land and on water. They start off as tadpoles and completely metamorphosize into frogs in 11 weeks. Frogs hibernate during the winter because they are cold blooded and can't function properly in the cold. The frog skin is protective. It has respiratory functions. It also absorbs water and helps control body temperature. Frogs actually shed their skin every few weeks, and guess what... they eat it.
Indeed, they are. They play more roles in the eco system than we acknowledge. Thumbs up to the save the frog organisation and all others out there that work hard to conserve our little friends the frog; for if not for them, most species would have been extinct by now.
Frogs have a VERY important place in the food chain as both predator and prey. As tadpoles, they eat algae(this reduces the chances of algae contamination ), as adults; frogs regulate insect population by feeding on them. They eat pesky bugs and even adult mosquitoes that can transmit diseases including malaria and dengue fever. Frogs also serve as food to snakes, fish, monkeys and even humans.
Frogs are also very important in research. According to Wikipedia ;
Frogs have served as experimental animals throughout the history of science. A lot of scientific discoveries were possible through the study of frogs. Frogs are also used in cloning research and other branches of embryology.
In the 1920's, the African clawed frog was used to determine if a woman was pregnant. After being injected with the woman's urine, if the frog produce eggs within 24 hours, the woman was pregnant.
Frogs need suitable land and fresh water to survive.Thier skin can also easily absorb toxins, bacteria and chemicals. This makes them great indicators of their environmental health.
Frog have also been very helpful in the pharmaceutical industry. According to Source
The alkaloid epibatidine, a painkiller 200 times more potent than morphine is made by some species of poison dart frogs, although it can also cause death by lung paralysis. Other chemicals isolated from the skins of frogs may offer resistance to HIV infection.Dart poisons are under active investigation for their potential as therapeutic drugs.
Frogs are undervalued in the society and are sadly becoming extinct due to diseases, pollution, habitat loss and climate change. A world without frogs and its effects on the eco system in general will be really hectic. We should all play our little parts in helping our little friends;the frog.
Thanks for reading
Do let me know your thoughts on frogs in the comment section, or any other topic you'll like to read about.
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