Why should we care about frogs?
This month’s Otago University Magazine [currently offline] asks why should we care if all four of New Zealand’s native frogs are among the top ten globally endangered and evolutionarily distinct amphibians in the world?
As one of the chief predators of insects, as well as prey to other animals, amphibians are a vital link in the food chain…
Losing a whole group like this would have enormous ramifications.
For example the insect population would swell to unprecedented proportions and, potentially, not only would we become vulnerable to insect borne disease, but many of the crops we depend on might be destroyed.
Yes, well those are all good reasons, but maybe you might just like us for who we are?
The article continues:
Frogs also give excellent early warning signs if the health of the ecosystem is failing.
I’d say the warning sign our current crop of native frogs are giving is a fairly clear one.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Yeah why should we care. Going extinct is like soo selfish. Ya think we’re all gunna turn green with envy. Anyway as my dear old granny used to say - there’s no use crying over spilt milk!