Dead Frog

Here's a little update on the Ramsey Canyon leopord frog, that was discovered only a few years ago, and was found to be unique indeed(it vocalizes underwater). Anyways, read on....

From:National Geographic, December 1995. Earth Almanac.

"Is Newfound Frog Already Croaking?"

Discovered only seven years ago, a new species of frog hopped out of an Arizona pond. It delighted Creighton University biologist James Platz, who dubbed it Rana subaquavocalis - underwater talker - because of the mating calls males emit while submerged, rare behaviour in frogs.

Of the Ramsey Canyon leopard frog, as it is better known, 60 adults were counted in a pond on the Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve and two others nearby. But last spring only 25 turned up. A clue: Algae that the tadpoles eat had vanished.

Now biologists are raising tadpoles in tanks supplied with the algae, and a new breeding population is being established at another preserve pond.