Brits asked to count common frogs

The long-term future of British amphibians is in the balance Victoria Micklewright

The charity Froglife is asking Britons to count the common frog to find out how seriously it is being affected by two key diseases.

Chytridiomycosis and ranavirus may prove as devastating in the UK as they have globally, with a third of species facing extinction.

Froglife is asking people to download a questionnaire and report sightings.

It says it needs a thousand responses to draw up an accurate picture of trends across the country.

"It's easy to view frogs as everyday garden residents," said Froglife's wildlife information officer Victoria Micklewright, "but being sensitive to changes in both land and water, amphibians are drastically important indicators of the quality of our environment."

Twin threats

Globally, the disappearance of habitats, pollution, climatic changes and hunting for food have seriously affected many of the 5,743 known amphibian species; up to 122 have disappeared within the last 25 years.

Fungal disease hits UK Saving the world's frogs

Ranavirus has also been a long-standing issue; but the last few decades have seen the emergence of a significant new threat, the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.

The first case in Britain was observed just last month.

The Frogwatch project is asking people to document and report sightings of the common frog (Rana temporaria), and to indicate if the animals which they see show any signs of viral or fungal infection.

Ranavirus infection is sometimes called "red leg disease"; it is characterised by ulcers or bleeding, with legs becoming thin and in some cases the extremities falling off.

Symptoms of chytridiomycosis include lethargy, a thickening and reddening of the skin, convulsions and occasional ulcers.

Froglife would like as many responses as possible, but estimates it will need at least 1,000 to provide a scientifically sound snapshot.

"The long-term future of British amphibians is still very much in the balance," said Victoria Micklewright, "and simple data about our common frog could be a crucial tool in amphibian conservation in the future."