Frog Watch: protect the frogs
Polokwane Frog Watch has sent out a warning to motorists in the city to look out for frogs while driving, especially since the rain season has started.
POLOKWANE – Polokwane Frog Watch has sent out a warning to motorists in the city to look out for frogs while driving, especially since the rain season has started.
“We appeal to everyone when driving in the general area of open fields to take a few sensible measures to prevent killing these creatures when they are active, generally after rainfall,” the Frog Watch statement reads.
The statement also shared some tips to protect frogs such as:
• Reduce speed.
• Aim at frogs and toads with the centre of the car and pass over them quickly.
• Where possible try to move the frog or toad out of the way and to safety.
• Where possible avoid driving through shallow puddles.
• When coming across a giant or African bullfrog, capture it and drop it off at 133 Logan Street after making a call to 082 696 3103.
Reasons to save the frogs
Polokwane Frog Watch also emphasises reasons why people should consider it worth the time and effort to actually get out of the car to save a frog.
Although South Africa has a fairly wide and unique diversity of frogs and toads, there are considerably less species. Over 50% of the 115 or so of our frog species occur nowhere else in the world.
Owing to the semi-aquatic life-cycle of most species, and their semi-permeable skins, amphibians are especially vulnerable to pollutants and other environmental stresses.
Consequently, they can be regarded as useful environmental bio-monitors and may serve as an early-warning alarm system indicating changes in the environment and potential threats to other organisms, including homo sapiens, that means you and your family.
Polokwne Frog Watch can be contacted by e-mail at polokwanefrogwatch@gmail.com.
