On July 19, Dr. Kerry Kriger, visited the Wildlife Experience in Parker, and taught young and old about the worldwide disappearance of frog populations.

“I have been into environmental science for a long time, and did my Ph.D research when I went to Australia for four years,” Kriger said.

According to Kriger, frog populations have been disappearing at unprecedented rates worldwide, due to many environmental factors.

Climate change, habitat loss and pollution are just a couple of the threats affecting frog populations. Nearly one-third of the world’s 6,418 amphibian species are threatened with extinction. At least 100 species have completely disappeared since 1980.

Kriger said there are simple things we can do to reduce the extinction problem.

“In rural areas, don’t use pesticides,” he said. “A lot of ranching, farmers should fence off stream areas, and keep cattle off. They cover up tadpoles.” He also recommends not purchasing frogs as pets, and not to eat frog legs, or drink bottled water.

“To make plastic water bottles, one bottle uses twice as much water to make,” Kriger said. “All the tributaries are drying up, and then frogs loose their lives.”

Kriger said in Colorado, global warming is an important factor contributing to the loss of frog popuplations.

“With the climate in the mountains, humans could move further up mountains to cool off,” Kriger said. “Frogs would have to move to the top, and they can’t move any higher.”

SAVE THE FROGS!, is a non-profit organization dedicated to amphibian conservation, created by Kriger in May 2008. An international team of scientists, educators, policymakers and naturalists are dedicated to protecting the frogs.

Kriger was recently educating visitors about his mission at Yellowstone Park. He is planning to visit University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Colorado, Denver while speaking in Colorado.