When we were young, we all loved the fairy tale The Frog
Prince. But do you know that the populations of these amphibians have dramatically
declined as a result of a devastating disease?
Researchers have found new means to tackle a deadly disease,
caused by amphibian-associated chytrid fungi, which has reduced a huge number
of amphibian populations worldwide, according to the BBC News article “Lethalamphibian disease killed off on island” (2015).
My family lives in a rural area in the south of Thailand.
After rains, we saw a lot of tadpoles swimming in swamps. I used to collect
them in a bowl and enjoy watching them grow up. Some of them grew two front
legs before others and it did not take long for their tails to start to get
shorter. I also enjoyed playing with little frogs, putting them in a bottle
filled with water, but I do not think that they enjoyed playing with me. Now I
think of them as poor little guys.
I can recognize that the number of frogs has sharply
deceased as the years have passed. Now when I go back home, I can only see a
few of those frogs. My neighborhood has changed a lot: many families have moved
in and many houses have been built. Another reason that I think might cause the
number of frogs to decline is pesticides, which are used widely on farms. Even
though frogs are not pests, they were also eliminated by these chemicals. It is
quite a sad story.
I like watching documentaries about amphibians, especially
frogs and toads. I am fascinated by them, because they come in various sizes
and colors and can live in different climates. In each area they even have
unique characteristics which always surprise me. I have heard of one species of
toad living in the mountains in South America, which has a peculiar strategy to
escape predators. Instead of hopping to flee from them like most other toads,
they simply roll down steep slopes. Because these toads have never evolved their
ability to hop far, when a predator comes very near, they will make their
bodies become rigid and fall below.
I know some people are afraid of frogs, maybe because they
have slimy and wet skin, yet I think they are lovely. Do not think about their
skin; just look at their cute little faces. The way they jump is also funny.
___________.
Reference
Lethal amphibian disease killed off on island. (2015,
November 18). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34850807
I also have raised tadpoles when I was a small child. It's really fun to see them growing up and become a totally different kind of animal. There is a really fun story for the children in China: a adventure of looking for mum, which tells the story of a small tadpole , who become a big frog when it finally find its mum. Now I am really scared of frogs, but I will try to take your good idea and try to just look at their cute big eyes and small face.
ReplyDeleteI think that the batrachia are also in decline in Australia, with one awful exception: the alien cane toads introduced about 100 years ago are thriving, at the expense not only of native frog species but also of many other Australian animals. The cane toads exude a poison from their skin that kills animals that eat them, and that contaminates water holes. This introduced species is a major pest.
ReplyDeleteHow very thoughtful of Tan to blog on a topic that gives me an excuse to use the word batrachia, whose stem we had on the board yesterday morning.
Slimy and wet-these exactly make me hate them. It is so terrible for me to walk through a fresh market where there are stalls full of half-sliced frogs on. Just a glimpse at their guts could shock me. I'm kind of happy knowing they are decreasing. Let them become rare, I might reconsider their value in one day.
ReplyDeleteLocal flogs that inhabit in my neighborhood are different from frogs selling in supermarkets. They are as small as your thumb with two green stripes on the both sides of their backs. Anyhow, how can flogs scare you? They are just small and helpless little guys.
DeleteI know they are harmless. Unfortunately, phobias are not rational fears. I would even like frogs to be protected and helped. I just don't want to meet them.
DeleteI'm thinking of doing desensitization therapy myself. It's may be a good idea to test how effective the technique is. I also wonder about a technique to manage or cope with a normal fear. If existing, it may enable us to overcome any kind of fear,then.
DeleteI'm not afraid, and I love it not the appearance but its taste. I think it is a very good source of protein in the prettier way than the insect, because their meat is closer to the chicken, which look more familiar to us.
ReplyDeleteI love the fried frog legs. You should dip it in Sriraja sauce and eat it with a dish of hot rice. :d
But do they look like frog's legs? If I could persuade myself ... no, I can't see that working. Even in death, frogs are still frogs and my phobia still kicks in.
DeleteIf you are afraid of frogs, you cannot travel up the north-east of Thailand. There they sell grilled frogs on sticks on both sides of streets. Like what Union said, they look yummy.
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