Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021 - 10

CREATURE FEATURE
If Frogs Could Talk
What are the amphibians in the garden trying to tell us?
By NANCY HENDERSON
f you're puttering around in your flower bed
and a small creature suddenly hops over your
outstretched hand, don't be fearful, says MacKenzie
Strickland, animal care specialist and
herpetologist at the Tennessee Aquarium in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. The only time you
should worry about these little croakers, she
says, is if you don't see them in the garden.
" If there aren't a whole lot of frogs and toads
present there, then that kind of tells us that
there may be some type of contamination on the actual
land site itself or runoff from a water source nearby, "
Strickland says. " It's definitely something to be alarmed
about if you're not seeing any. "
I
Frogs, she adds, " are usually a great indicator species
because they tell us what's going on with the ecosystem
in that particular habitat where they live. They can tell us
if there's an invasive species of frog or toad since they're
having to compete with those other species for food resources.
They can tell us about parasites. They can tell us
about pollution and diseases. They play a really important
role in the food chain. For amphibians, it's not just
that they tell us what it's like on the land. They tell us
what it's like in the water. "
In summer, gray and green tree frogs, among others,
often surface in the Blue Ridge states. The arboreal critters
Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
don't just hang out in trees, but in wetlands, ponds and
yes, residential gardens. Their tadpoles are often mistaken
for tiny fish.
Providing spaces for them to take refuge, reproduce
and grow is one way homeowners can help conserve frogs
and toads, many of which are classified as endangered.
Attracting the amphibians to your garden and yard will
most likely draw other wildlife too, from birds to harmless
snakes.
HOW TO ATTRACT FROGS TO YOUR YARD
There's a right-and wrong-way to
lure amphibians to your garden, says
MacKenzie Strickland, an animal care
specialist and herpetologist at the
Tennessee Aquarium. Here, she offers
a few tips:
; DO give them a hiding place.
Cut plastic flower pots in half, tilt
horizontally, and add a bit of sphagnum
moss to create frog-friendly hangouts.
Or purchase a ceramic " toad abode " for
shade and protection.
; DO create a pond or fountain
feature. Set out small tubs where frogs
can breed and lay their eggs. Tadpoles
need enough water to swim around in.
; DON'T use chlorine, though. It
can be harmful to the animals.
; DO plant native species of grasses
and other vegetation, and don't forget
to include the kinds bugs like. " Those
insects can be really tasty snacks for the
frogs themselves, " Strickland says. " The
good thing is, if you're attracting the
frogs, they're going to be eating a lot of
those insects that you're not very fond
of. And the insects play an important
role in the food chain too, so they have
every right to be there as well. "
; DON'T use pesticides in the garden.
Frogs breathe through their skin as
well as their lungs, so they're incredibly
sensitive to manmade chemicals.
Besides, they'll naturally keep the bug
population down on their own. -NH
10 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
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Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021

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