FrogWatch facts for kids
FrogWatch is a cool way for regular people to help scientists study frogs and other amphibians. These are animals like salamanders and newts. People record the sounds of frogs near their homes. Then, they send these recordings to special online places. Scientists and others can listen to them and learn more about these amazing creatures.
Not all FrogWatch programs are run by the same group. For example, FrogWatch USA is managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In Canada, Nature Canada runs FrogWatch Canada. India has its own FrogWatch through the India Biodiversity Portal. Many other groups run similar programs in different countries.
This kind of work is called citizen science. It means that scientists ask everyday people to help with important research. Citizen science is a type of crowdsourcing. This is when many people work together on a project.
How Does FrogWatch USA Work?
The National Geographic Society helped create the system that FrogWatch USA volunteers use. This system helps volunteers add information. It also helps FrogWatch study the data.
Volunteers use thermometers to record the temperature. They also listen carefully for sounds made by specific types of frogs and toads. FrogWatch USA volunteers listen to frog homes for three and a half minutes. They start listening 30 minutes after the sun goes down.
Why is FrogWatch Important?
Scientists use the information from FrogWatch to learn many things. They study how frogs and toads change the places they live. They also find out which types of frogs are growing in number and which are decreasing.
FrogWatch helps scientists understand species diversity. This means how many different kinds of frogs live in one area. They also learn how frogs react to changes in temperature. And they study how frogs act during different parts of the year.
History of FrogWatch
FrogWatch USA started in 1998. It was first created by the United States Geological Survey. But in 2002, the National Wildlife Federation took over running the program.
Between 1998 and 2005, many people helped FrogWatch USA. About 1,395 volunteers visited 1,942 places where frogs live. They sent their information to FrogWatch. During this time, they found 79 different kinds of frogs and toads. This number does not include the work done by FrogWatch Canada or other FrogWatch programs around the world.
Another program, FrogWatch NT, works in northern Australia. It began in 1991. This was after cane toads arrived in Australia and became an invasive species. Invasive species are animals or plants that cause problems when they are introduced to a new area.
