Maryland’s Frogs Need Help!!!

Jessica M.

Why Frogs Are Important We can get new medicines from frogs that can save

lives! Frogs are bio-indicators, if they are around you can tell

how well the environment is faring. Frogs are an important part of the food chain: They eat

animals and animals eat them.

This is a yellow poisonous dart frog. Their poisonous skin secretions can be used for medicine which may be able to be used to prevent heart attacks.

What Harms Them Climate change can affect their habitat. Pollution makes their natural habitat unfit for them, and

they can absorb harmful substances into their skin. UV radiation can damage their sensitive skin Fungal skin infections can be fatal to frogs Overactive predators eat too many frogs, in fact humans

are overharvesting and eating frogs! Parasites are causing frogs to become ill.

Northern Green Frog found in Maryland.

How We Can Help!As you can probably tell, frogs really need our help to make a recovery. Here’s how you can help:o Leave them in their habitato Don’t litter or polluteo Report Maryland frog sighting to MARA, keep track of

themo Dispose properly of household chemicalso Create/preserve their habitatso TELL OTHER PEOPLE TO HELP!!!

This woman and her group are recording frogs they sight and preserving their habitats! ---------

Sighting Reports

I have some recent and past data of frog sightings in our local Cove Point Park. I have arranged them into a timeline for you to see how scarcely they have been reported, you need to see they need help!

1940

Mansueti

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

The only reporting of the common wood frog in Cove Point Park was in 1940!!! The wood frog was not found in the most recent survey of the park, if it is present in Cove Point Park, it is an uncommon to rare species.

Northern Spring Peeper(Pseudacris crucifer)

1942

Mansueti

1999

Orr

Spring Peeper calls are commonly heard in Cove Point. They have been only been reported with sightings twice, however.

Upland Chorus Frog(Pseudacris triseriata)

Orr

1999

This species is a small, rarely encountered species that has not been heard previously in Cove Point Park. Their calls have been heard locally more recently, but not often sighted.

Pickrel Frog (Rana palustris)

The Pickrel Frog is common at Cove Point Park. It is often found near marshes and draining streams.

Cooper

1947

Orr

1999

Southern Leopard Frog(Rana utricularia)

Mansueti

1942

Cooper

1947 1950

Cooper

1999

Orr

The Southern Leopard Frog is abundant at Cove Point. They can be observed in wet, grassy areas or bodies of water.

Cope’s Gray Treefrog(Hyla chrysoscelis)

It is a relatively common species at Cove Point, can often be heard on rainy evenings. They can change from gray to green at any given point.

1936

Hassler and Noble

1962

Mansuetti and Hardy

1970

Zweifel

1999

Orr

Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii)

1947

Cooper

1956

Reed

This is a burrowing species, it makes it’s home underground.

Fowler’s Toad (Bufo woodhousii)

This is a commonly heard species at Cove Point, not often reported.

1942

Mansueti

1999

Orr

Northern Cricket Frog(Acris crepitans)

1936 1942 1999

Noble Mansueti Orrand Hassler

Typically found around marsh-y areas, they are abundant at Cove Point.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common at Cove Point, typically found around streams.

1936 1947 19501942 1999

Noble Cooper Cooper Mansueti Orr And Hassler

American Bullfrog(Rana catesbeiana)

1936 1942 1947 1950 1999

Noble &Hassler Mansueti Cooper Cooper Orr

Bullfrogs can be heard from marshes and ponds. They can grow to be EXTREMELY large and are common at Cove Point.

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

Can be often seen in Cove Point, particularly on rainy days. While they are still abundant today, they are clearly not as common as they previously were.

1936 1942 1950

Noble & Hassler Mansueti Cooper