It was during the spring of 1957 that I came to know a couple,
Stan and Sadie Wilson, who owned a small farm at the west end of
Mud Lake In Columbia County, north of Madison. I was especially
interested in receiving permission to hike over their land in
order to get close to the migratory waterfowl that so extensively
used that shallow body of water during spring migration.
Not only did the Wilsons become good friends of mine, they
also allowed me to build a small blind on top of a low knoll
right next to the lake. I slept overnight in that tiny
"hideout" on several occasions so I’d be practically in
the middle of the duck, goose and swan action. Come morning, the
waterfowl put on spectacular shows for me and so did the
amphibians a little later on.
The reason those memorable and exciting experiences come to
mind is that, according to some recent news, a very large die-off
of frogs, presumably of green frogs, was observed on March 22 at
that lake. It is thought that the lack of snowcover across so
much of Wisconsin during some periods of extremely cold
temperatures not only killed many amphibians but affected them to
the extent that they are gradually dying due to the effects of
the cold.
Deep ice-penetration and declining water levels during the
winter are thought to have brought about the big die-off. Some
of the wildlife biologists expect that the harsh, dry conditions
may have led to the "freeze-drying" of these animals.
Amazingly, spring peepers, for example, literally freeze solid in
winter, but a glycol-like anti-freeze produced just prior to
freezing usually protects their cells from freezing.
The animals stop breathing and have no heart-beat while in a
frozen state but thaw in spring and resume breathing and living
normally. The present thought is that the recent unusually harsh
winter may have caused severe cell damage and many of the frogs
may have died prior to thawing.
One factor that further causes problems with the green frogs
during times of very low water is that their tadpoles don’t
mature until the second year. In other words, they spend their
first winter in the tadpole stage and, having gills, depend upon
a life spent entirely in the water. In fact water is the
permanent home of the green frog, bull frog, and the cricket
frog, all native to Wisconsin. Other species, such as the
leopard frog, spend part of their life cycles out of water.
Our friend, Mark Martin, with the Wisconsin DNR Bureau of
Endangered Species, and his wife, Sue, both managers of the
famous Goose Pond Refuge north of Madison, recently told me that
the pond is completely dry this spring. Undoubtedly thousands of
amphibians will also perish due to these drought conditions.
Bob Hay, amphibian and reptile specialist with the Wisconsin
DNR, is asking the public to report any die-offs of 10 or more
turtles or frog die-offs involving dozens of specimens they
observe. This will help the herpetologists better understand how
these harsh, dry winters affect these animals. He can be reached
at (608) 267-0849 or at the Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Endangered
Resources, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707.
People who are interested in learning more about reptiles and
amphibians can order one or more of the excellent,
beautifully-illustrated books the Bureau of Endangered Resources
has published. The Snakes of Wisconsin sells for $3: the
Amphibians of Wisconsin book and the new Turtles and Lizards of
Wisconsin books are both available for $4 each. The series of
all three can be purchased for $10. To order, make out a check
to the bureau of Endangered Resources and mail it to the above
address.
Another outstanding book, "Wisconsin Frogs," with an
accompanying CD of their vocalizations, is available for $16.95,
plus $1.50 for postage, from Randy Korb, PO Box 1963, Green Bay,
WI 54305. This very outstanding book was produced with
assistance from the Northeast Wisconsin Audubon Society.
Proceeds will benefit amphibian habitat.
Would you like to visit one of the "Cadillacs" of
Midwestern nature centers? I suggest spending some time
increasing your knowledge of the world around you at the Mosquito
Hill Nature Center near New London. One of their exciting live
exhibits brings you within inches of most of the amphibians of
our state.
Whether it is due to degraded habitat, increasing amounts of
pollutants, chemicals, acid rain, solar radiation and numbers of
predators, amphibians need all the help they can get.
The word amphibian is from two Greek words, "amphi"
and "bios." Together they mean, "living a double
life." If all of us had to live a double life, one as a
human, the other as a frog, we’d be screaming to the tops of our
lungs for help in cleaning up the environment, and that includes
the soil, water and the air. Every one of us has to improve our
stewardship of this amazing planet. Please help all you can!
Leopard frogs are among
the species of amphibians that may have been adversely affected by
last winter's lack of snow and the deep frost.
This column appeared in the Door County Advocate
on 04/25/2003.
© Copyright 2003 Roy Lukes. All rights reserved.
