Disappearing Frogs, is a TED-Ed Animation by Dr. Kerry Kriger, Founder of SAVE THE FROGS.
About the Animation
Frogs (and amphibians in general) are in danger—worldwide, nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are on the verge of extinction. And yet, frogs contribute to our well-being in many important ways. In this educational animation, Dr. Kerry M. Kriger describes why frogs are in trouble and how you can help save them.
Additional Resources
The best way to save the frogs is to educate yourself about amphibians and amphibian conservation, and fortunately, there are many free educational resources online. A great place to start is www.savethefrogs.com, which has several hundred pages of free information on frogs. The website was created by Dr. Kerry Kriger, who founded SAVE THE FROGS! nonprofit organization and wrote the script for this video.
The SAVE THE FROGS! How To Help page offers over 50 ideas on ways to help frog populations. SAVE THE FROGS! Academy offers free online classes twice weekly, open to all people interested in frog conservation; videos of all the SAVE THE FROGS! Academy classes get archived here.
AmphibiaWeb is a fantastic website that provides a database of all the world’s amphibians, so if you want to know what lives in your part of the world, that is a great place to start.
What’s one thing that every living creature on earth needs? Water. We know that frogs require a wet environment in order to survive. However, there’s a species of frog that inhabits areas with only a few months of rainfall each year? Meet the Litoria platycephala—a frog species with some pretty cool ways in which they overcome the limitations of the harsh Australian environment. The gastric brooding frog lays its eggs just like any other frog—then swallows them whole to incubate. That is, it did until it went extinct 30 years ago.
About Dr. Kerry Kriger
Dr. Kriger is the Founder & Executive Director of SAVE THE FROGS!, the world’s leading amphibian conservation organization. He conceived Save The Frogs Day, the world’s largest day of amphibian education and conservation action, and has given over 390 presentations on amphibian conservation in 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, South Korea, Spain and the USA).
He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. He is a recognized expert on the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, a topic on which he has published 20 articles in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. Dr. Kriger’s amphibian conservation efforts have been supported by the National Geographic Society, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Patagonia, and various philanthropic organizations throughout the world.
When he is not out ‘saving frogs’, Dr. Kriger climbs mountains in the Himalayas, Alps, Alaska Range, Southern Alps and the Andes, and is an avid photographer whose photographs have been featured on CNN and in airports and magazines worldwide. He also teaches, records and performs music on a variety of instruments from around the world.
Featured Image: Mindo Glassfrog (Nymphargus balionotus). © 2020 Tropical Herping. All rights reserved.
The Mindo Glassfrog, seen just twice in the wild since it was first described in 1975, has become the highlight of a new scientific paper identifying the Río Manduriacu Reserve as a key breeding site for the species. The Revelator, an online news and ideas initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity, published a great article on the discovery and the threats facing their habitat.
Tropical Herping are another amazing resource for frog lovers and reptiles too! Follow their adventures @tropicalherping
