Frogs and toads belong to a group called amphibians.
They are ecological indicators, and in recent decades there has
been a dramatic decline in amphibian populations around the globe.
Many species are now threatened or extinct. Scientists do not agree
on the cause, but it is widely believed to be a direct result of
the amount of water pollution emitted from industrial factories and
other similar sources.
You can participate in a frog survey daily at Oak Hammock Marsh to
help us monitor the population status.
The frog survey is done to give us an idea of where each species
occurs, when their breeding seasons start and end and may even
indicate possible numbers.
The survey is done at 4 pm daily during the breeding season of the
frogs: as soon as the
frogs start singing (mid-April) to when the frogs stop singing
(mid-July).
Seven of the twelve Manitoban species can be found at Oak Hammock
Marsh.
They are:
- Boreal Chorus Frog
- Wood Frog
- Northern Spring Peeper
- Gray Treefrog
- Leopard Frog
- American Toad
- Canadian Toad