EcoView: It's the Year of the Rat... er, Frog! Sheesh, it's tough to keep up

Feb 29 2008

EcoView: It’s the Year of the Rat… er, Frog! Sheesh, it’s tough to keep up

Published by jnarvey at 4:31 pm under Uncategorized

Notwithstanding what the Chinese Lunar Calendar says, this year is the Year of the Frog, according to conservation groups worldwide (CBCnews.ca). They are trying to call attention to the dire threat faced by our froggy friends these days from a rampant fungus (and presumably other causes discovered be devotees of the Frogger video game, such as fast-moving cars and trucks). Vancouver Aquarium will be holding a special exhibit to highlight the threat.

But the sad future for frogs isn’t really breaking news. I remember in high school biology class hearing about how the permeability of frogs’ skin makes them awfully susceptible to environmental hazards. Instead of keeping an eye on the canary in the coal mine, environment-watchers really ought to be paying attention to the health of our little green buddies.