The Terrifying Scarcity Of The Relict Leopard Frog.
The Relict Leopard frog can only be found in three states: Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The frog cannot be found in any other country, making it the job of these three state governments to ensure the longevity of a dying species. To make matters even worse, the frog is only found in 6 springs, total, across the states (Center for Biological Diversity, 2019).
A Relict Leopard Frog sunning itself on a rock. Due to the species' cold-blooded nature, it requires external sources of heat for body warmth.
We Court Disaster With Removal Of Essential Species
Relict Leopard Frog searching for insects in algae. The Relict Leopard Frog lives in the water the majority of its life, only leaving to find mates for reproduction.
Relict Leopard Frogs are intrinsically linked to their environment, a result of hundreds of thousands of years of coevolution within their environment. By killing off the Relict Leopard Frogs, we court ecological disaster by removing a necessary species. One of the Relict Leopard Frog’s key functions within its habitat is as a limiting factor to population of pests living near it. Species that would otherwise grow exponentially without any limiting factors. As seen as in the case of the Acorn Weevil (Insect Identification, 2019), this can lead to catastrophe, with the Weevil far exceeding its natural population sizes and, in turn, destroying the reproductive capabilities of native oak trees by consuming their seeds at a terrifying rate. This leads to further habitat degradation as the oak trees that once held the soil together die out, leading to filthy, soil-ridden waters that suffocate native water-based inhabitants, decreased biodiversity as the oak trees are replaced with an invasive detrimental species, and decreased habitat for species once living in the oak trees.
Relict Leopard Frogs Save Lives.
A secondary benefit of the Relict Leopard Frog’s insect consumption is one of its primary prey being mosquitos. Mosquitoes, which carry the West Nile Virus, are a particularly lethal threat to humans living nearby. The West Nile Virus has been found in the US, including Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The virus has cost nearly $800 million in hospitalization in the U.S. since 1999 (American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2014). In 2018 alone there were 2,646 notifiable cases reported (Statistia, 2018). Relict Leopard frogs are important in protecting humans from West Nile disease. If these frogs can help protect humans, it’s our job to defend them as well.
However, an animal’s life doesn’t just have value when its existence affects humans. The frogs serve as food for local birds and snakes. Examples include the cattle egret, the barn owl, and garter snakes. They may also be a food source for fish such as the Utah Bass and Carp. Their tadpoles also provide a stable food source for smaller fish and aquatic life (Optic Bird, 2019).
Losing these frogs could severely impact the local river ecosystems.
Rivers in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona are a hotspot for tourism and fishing. Relict Leopard frogs are both predators and prey, without them a river ecosystem could fall apart, dismantling the very rivers people depend on. The tourism industry for Utah has generated $1.25 billion in state tax revenue and it has created about 146,500 as of 2016 (Leaver, 2018). That is a whole lot of people depending on these habitats, not only for their vacation but for their livelihood. Not to mention the Colorado River is a reliable source of water for Utah. The river starts in the mountains, as snow melts it brings down more fresh water, eventually emptying it into Utah’s watershed (Utah Department of Natural Resources, 2019).
The Relict Leopard frog is an indicator species, meaning it can be used to infer conditions in its particular habitat. Indicator species can be used to document and monitor climate change, pollution, and health of an ecosystem. Frogs absorb water directly through their skin, making them extra sensitive to water pollutants or change on water temperature. Fluctuation in their population could alert humans to an issue in their waterways and a solution could be found that much faster.
One of the first scientific photos taken of the Relict Leopard Frog.
Every Environment Needs A Dead Frog
The Relict Leopard Frog also plays an important role in sustaining vegetation in its habitats. The frog relies on water-based plants to lay its eggs on, with the plants providing a safe shelter from predators while the eggs hatch. Eventually, after several of these cycles, the parent will die, leaving its corpse in the water that its children will soon inhabit. As the frog’s body breaks down, the very plants that support its eggs will take in the vital nutrients provided by the corpse, allowing for continuous growth of the vegetation (AmphibiaWeb, 2019). This process continues throughout generations, benefitting both the frogs and the plants involved in it. However, if the frogs are killed off, these plants will soon feel the repercussions with decreased growth and reproductive rates following. This can lead to further environmental degradation as the waters once supported by the plants quickly become clogged by soil without roots to hold it back and further death as animals once relying on the plants for food find themselves without an adequate amount of sustenance.
Through Saving Relict Leopard Frogs, We Can Change The World
More than anything else, the potential loss of the Relict Leopard Frog represents a continuously worsening trend of extinction perpetuated by the continued selfish use of natural resources and the establishment of human populations on once wild areas. Already 168 species of amphibians has gone extinct, with at 2,649 other species considered endangered, meaning nearly 43% of all amphibians are in danger of extinction. (AmphibiaWeb, 2020). The Relict Leopard Frog, as an indicator species, provides an early sign of the terrors of climate change and the lethal impact humanity is having upon the planet. By choosing to ignore the imminent extinction of the Relict Leopard Frog, we support the continued eradication of numerous other species currently faced with extinction due to humanity’s insatiable desire to continue taking. Without change to our current way of life, we condemn species around us to a maelstrom of annihilation, with losses only increasing as keystone species die off, rendering entire ecosystems unviable. Rather then allow this ecological apocalypse to occur we must change, starting with the Relict Leopard Frog. By proving that we can save one critically endangered frog, we prove that we can make a difference, that we can atone for the mistakes made by our species and that humanity can put species other than itself as a priority. By choosing to restore Relict Leopard Frog populations, we take a step further towards ecological salvation for all, establishing a world in which the betterment of a species doesn’t result in the extinction of countless others. All we need is that step.
What Makes The Relict Leopard Frog So Important?
