Pinky Akter : The number of amphibian frogs is decreasing at an alarming rate in the country. Studies show that if endangered species including frogs are not saved, the balance of nature will collapse. Frogs benefit us directly and indirectly. By eating insects including mosquito larvae, frogs protect the balance of our nature and environment. However, no one has any initiative to save the endangered frog.

Scientific and public health Dr. Mushtaq Hossain said that frogs play a special role in protecting the natural balance and preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. A single frog kills thousands of mosquitoes and larvae. The prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases including dengue is increasing in the country. If there were enough frogs, mosquitoes would not spread so much. Due to climate change, frogs are in crisis of existence. Now frogs are not seen in canals and ponds. Not only frogs, the number of amphibians like salamanders, caecilians is decreasing at an alarming rate. A study published in the journal Nature shows that the animals living in nature, including frogs, are decreasing. 40 percent of amphibian species are at risk of extinction in 2022. Of which the group of frogs is the largest. Various researches are going on at Harvard University to protect frogs. About 36 million years ago, various amphibians including frogs moved from water to land. Amphibians are the first land-dwelling vertebrates, dating back to ancient ancestors. Satyabhama Das, a Hardy Fellow at Harvard’s Rad Doccliffe Institute and a professor at Delhi University, is working to save the frog. Researcher Sonali Garg is associated with him. They said that 26.5 percent of mammals and 21.4 percent of reptiles are at risk of extinction. And 12.9 percent of birds are at risk. About 41 percent of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Their research suggests that more than 8,000 amphibian species could be lost worldwide at any moment. Two out of every five amphibians are threatened with extinction. Satyabhama Das, popularly known as the Frogman, said that the frog is a diverse animal. They behave very sensitively to sudden changes in environment including drought, floods, storms. Frogs are called the thermometer scale or barometer of the environment or ecosystem. Frog habitat is being destroyed for cultivation of tea, coffee, spices and other crops. Researcher Garg said, ‘The most terrible thing is that many frogs are disappearing before they are detected. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) research (2015) – there are 49 species of frogs in Bangladesh. Among them, 10 species of frogs are endangered. Among the endangered frogs, two species are critically endangered, three species are endangered and five species are critically endangered. 27 species are in somewhat alarming condition. Six species are not endangered. In addition, there is a lack of survey data for six species.

Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute Director General Scientist Dr. Yahia Mahmud said that frogs play a special role in protecting the balance of the environment. The government has stopped the export of frogs. Common people should be aware to protect the animal. Various species of frogs in the country are under threat due to depletion of wetlands, loss of ecological balance, use of pesticides in agricultural land, climate change, hunting of frogs for food etc. As the frogs are declining, there is also a shortage of food sources for other animals. Because frogs are the food of many aquatic animals. As frogs are decreasing at a large rate, the food for these animals is also decreasing. He also said that the massive change in climate in the past years has affected the reproduction of frogs. The entire rainy season from May-June and June-July is the ideal breeding season for frogs. Frogs need frozen water to survive. But it has not rained on time for several years. The frogs cannot survive due to lack of water.

Locals say that earlier fish farming was done in the pond. However, outside water or water from the well used to enter there. But now fish farming is done in a protected manner. Now after killing all kinds of aquatic animals including frogs by using poison in the pond, minnow are also released there. In addition, the locals said that the bill used to have water for about 12 months. But now the canal dries up before winter comes. As a result frogs cannot exist. Chemicals are also applied while killing fish, which is also endangering the life of frogs.

Officials of the Agricultural Extension Department say that due to the excessive use of pesticides, the breeding of frogs is being disrupted. It affects the entire environment. The number of different types of insects including mosquitoes and crop damaging insects is increasing day by day. Due to which on the one hand the crops are being severely damaged and on the other hand due to the increase in mosquito infestation, people are now suffering from various diseases.

Meanwhile, a study found that shady and damp environments are ideal habitats for frogs. Frogs lay their eggs in rainwater that collects under trees. But due to the reduction of trees, the breeding environment of frogs is being destroyed.