Every living being has a role in the animal kingdom. We may have not encountered all the animals in the world but we have encountered frogs in our home. Some of us don’t care about its existence others find its presence terrifying for its appearance. Also, there are some that love to catch and play with it.
To many of us, frogs may seem like an insignificant thing in the world but this article will change your mind. This article will share different reasons as to why frogs are important part of this ecosystem.
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15 Benefits Of Frog That Might Change Your Perspective About Them
Frogs have been living for about 200 million years. They have been evolving with Mother Nature. There are more than 6000 species, many of them have gone extinct due to habitat loss, disease, environmental contamination, invasive species, and climate change.
The frog’s requirement for water doesn’t end on land. They get water and oxygen through their skin that is why they have moist skin. Their skin dries out due to lack of oxygen causing death. It’s also important to note that not all frogs are friendly. Some frogs discharge toxic substances that can cause death.
Let’s cover different reasons why frogs are important:
1. Frogs Are Biological Monitors
Frogs are like a thermometer. They can assess the health of our ecosystem. Their presence in your garden indicates that the condition is good. If they disappear then there is likely that something is imbalanced.
What makes frogs a natural biological monitor? There are two reasons. One, it is exposed to all three environmental conditions; land, water, and air. Second, their skin is permeable which enables water and air to pass through without being filtered.
We might have a misconception that frogs live in dirty water but that is not true. They like clean water and air, just like us. So they are very sensitive to pollution.
2. Frogs Act As Pest Controller
Frogs are also cleaners. They guard your garden against harmful insects. A fun fact: one frog can eat over a hundred insects. A frog can eat caterpillars, cutworms, sowbugs, mosquitoes, and many more. It protects both plants and humans from an increase in insects. Just imagine if the frog population declined, it would result in an increase in pests.
What’s worse insects or frogs? Definitely insects. They spread diseases and are harmful to plants and humans. As an alternative people would use pesticides and too many pesticides can harm the land. This particular situation occurred in the 1980s in India.
3. Frogs Protect Crops
Since frogs act as pest controllers, it helps in keeping the crops safe. Too many insects are harmful to the crops. With the help of frogs, the number of insects can be controlled hence there is lesser damage to crops.
4. Frogs Help In Controlling Carbon Emission
When trees shed leaves or die out, they emit carbon dioxide as they decompose. Insects feed on these decaying plants and help in controlling carbon emissions. This is a pretty sensitive process as with frogs the number of insects can be controlled.
Too many insects can harm the forest. Whereas, a decrease in insect population can lead to an increase in waste levels. This would lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect.
Related Video – Beautiful Frogs on Planet Earth
5. Frogs Act As Preventive Measure for Disease Outbreak
In addition to pest control, frogs help in defusing disease outbreaks. Mosquitoes carry many diseases one of which we are quite familiar with is dengue and malaria. This is one of the main dish items that frogs love and it prevents outbreaks.
Just imagine if there were no frogs, the mosquito population would grow big and many people will be infected by either dengue or malaria. So we can say it also supports the healthcare system of our society.
6. Frogs Can Treat Many Diseases
Frogs are not only important in terms of research and testing. They are a source of many treatments. Scientists have found out that wild frogs can treat many tropical diseases. The chemical in their poison gland can cure diseases such as Changas.
7. Frogs Can Treat Cancer
Scientists have found protein from frogs that can kill cancer tumors. They believe that this discovery has the potential to stop cancer from being a terminal illness.
8. Frogs Can Treat HIV
A small tropical frog can help us in the fight against HIV. They secret certain compounds from the skin that can block HIV infection.
9. Frogs Can Survive Extreme Temperature
Frogs are cold-blooded. They can change their body temperature according to the environment. In case of temperature drop, they go into hibernate mode. They are accessible all over the world and can be used as a common ground for study.
10. Frogs Act As Water Regulator
Algae can upset the balance in the water. Too many algae can reduce the oxygen level in water causing the fishes to die. It makes the water toxic, anyone who makes contact with it in any form will get sick or die.
Frogs give birth in water and a newly born frog is called a tadpole. They eat algae, controlling the number of algae in the water.
11. Frogs Keep The Food Chain Balanced
This is applied to all the animals. If a member of the food chain goes extinct it will cripple the hierarchy. Frogs are one of the few animals that are found almost everywhere. Birds, monkeys, snakes, and lizards eat frogs. If they go extinct then the other animal’s food source would be cut off. They would either die or evolve and find a new food source.
On the other hand, frogs also help in controlling pests and keeping water clean. Without frogs, there will be an overflow of insects and water will be contaminated. Frogs need to be kept safe.
12. Frogs Help With Teaching In Biology Classes
Everyone knows how frogs are used for our biology classes. For some, this moment would be exciting or disgusting enough to make them puke.
Why is it always about the dissection of a frog? One, their organs are quite similar to humans. Second, they are an evolved species. So it can be used to teach evolution and ecology. Have you ever dissected a frog before?
13. Frogs Help With New Research And Testing
Frogs are not just used in high school for studying anatomy. They have a big role in the field of medical research and testing. The frog genome construct is not that different from humans. Scientists have used frogs for over 20 years, to understand many hereditary diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
14. Frogs Are Survivalists
Scientists have found out that frogs are one of the oldest existing animals in the world. They have survived major extinction like the dinosaurs. Their bodies are very compatible with the extreme environment.
It is very alarming that the frogs cannot survive current environmental conditions. We need to consider appropriate measures.
15. Frogs Are A Delicacy
People have been eating frogs for centuries. It is recorded that in the 12th century, frogs were considered to be popular food in France. They considered frogs as fishes. From their trend spread to China, Thailand, the UK, and the US.
According to the UN, one billion tons of wild frogs are consumed. Well, I have never tried one before so leave a suggestion down below.
The Importance Of Frogs – Conclusion
Through this article, you must have understood that why frogs are important for our ecosystem. They keep our environment clean and healthy. They are a source of medical research and cure. Despite its looks, it is a very important character of the animal kingdom as well as for the scientific community.
Frogs are one of the species that have survived three massive extinctions. If they are being endangered then it’s a worrisome matter that needs to be handled.