20 March is World Frog Day. As tailless amphibians, frogs play an important role in the balance of nature. They are important to ecosystems as both prey and predators. In rainy weather, spring temperatures awaken amphibians to make their way to their spawning grounds in the evening. To make their migration route as safe as possible, the Municipality of Kranj has again organised several campaigns to help frogs cross roads on rainy evenings.
Amphibians are an important indicator of the state of nature as they are sensitive to changes and are therefore one of the most endangered groups of animals. When we see their decline in nature, it is a sign that major changes are taking place that they are not yet visible to us.
A third of all amphibian species are threatened with extinction, and 120 frog species are thought to have become extinct in recent decades.
The main causes of mass extinctions are human encroachment on their habitats, climate change, pollution, and the introduction of non-native species and the spread of disease. The main threats to amphibians are the destruction of suitable habitat and road mortality during their migration to spawning grounds.
Because of their life cycle, amphibians need water, where they reproduce, and forests or meadows, where they spend most of their lives. In spring, the frogs move from land to water, where they spawn and ensure the continuation of the species.
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Brown frog (Rana Temporaria). Photo: SURzet / depositphotos.com
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The Municipality of Kranj, together with volunteers, is once again organising a campaign to help frogs cross roads. Photo: Gucio_55 / depositphotos.com
Helping frogs to breed successfully
The Municipality of Kranj, together with volunteers, is once again organising a campaign to help frogs cross roads. Important migration routes include the road to Jošt and the road north of the Bobovška jezera. In addition to closing the road when it rains, local residents will be carrying amphibians across the road below Jošt for three weeks.
The campaign to help amphibians aims to reduce their mortality on the roads and enable them to reproduce successfully.
»By carrying amphibians across the road during the spring migration, we are helping to protect them as they are a very important part of the ecosystem and contribute to its balance. Amphibians regulate populations of insects, snails and spiders since they feed on them. Mosquitoes and species that cause damage to people's gardens and fields also end up on their menu,«
says the municipality.
The campaign will involve many volunteers, but they are particularly looking forward to the large number of children who will have the opportunity to learn about nature and help small creatures in an authentic way.
Date: 20. March 2023
Time to read: 2 min
