Kermit’s last meal

Frog legs aren’t just a characteristic French meal and the source of a common derogatory term used by the English to describe the French – they’re also an enormous source of meat in parts of Asia.  Exactly how many frogs are taken from the wild is unknown, which was part of the reason a team of researchers set out to quantify the trade in frogs.  (Their article, “Eating frogs to extinction” will appear shortly in the journal Conservation Biology.)

Worldwide, amphibians are among the most threatened animals.  Habitat loss is part of the problem, but the spread of chytrid fungus, which is wiping out vast swaths of amphibian populations, has made the situation much more severe.

Beyond conservation, there are other reasons to be concerned about losing frog populations: in many areas of the world – particularly wet, swampy areas – frogs provide insect control.  From a human health or agricultural perspective, controlling insects naturally is critical because insects spread some of the most deadly human diseases and can ruin productivity of agricultural land.

The study authors advocate for greater documentation of the species being harvested (many are wild frogs, though some are farmed) and greater documentation of frogs harvested and consumed within a country’s borders, since these are rarely counted.  Only with a better idea of the number of frogs harvested can conservation biologists start to measure the true impact on frogs and the insect populations they eat.