Scientists believe frogs have roamed the earth for more than 200 million years and they can be found in nearly every corner of the globe. They’re not uncommon in Wisconsin, especially if you listen around a pond in the Northwoods on a summer evening. But for all their musicality, frogs also hold a vital place in the ecosystem.
Ellen Censky is the interim president and CEO of the Milwaukee Public Museum, which is currently hosting an exhibit all about the life of Frogs. Frogs! features live frogs from different parts of the world and explores the diversity and necessity of these amphibians.
"There are almost 5,000 species of frogs in the world and they live in just about every environment and on every continent, except Antarctica," says Censky.
"There are almost 5,000 species of frogs in the world and they live in just about every environment and on every continent, except Antarctica."
Over the past few decades, frog populations have declined significantly for a variety of reasons. Habitat loss, along with a a fungus known as chytrid, have decimated populations of frogs throughout the world. Chytrid causes a frog to lose its ability to breathe through its skin, but the way amphibians breath is yet another reason that their populations have been declining.
"Because they are so intimate with their environment, because they have this skin that absorbs everything, they actually are taking in anything. So, if we’re putting pesticides into the environment, into the water, they’re taking that into their bodies," Censky explains.
The Frogs! exhibit will be at the Milwaukee Public Museum through Jan. 6.
