SafekipediaFrogWatch is a type of citizen science citizen science program where everyday people help scientists by watching and listening to amphibians amphibians. Participants make recordings of frogs frogs and other animals near their homes and send these recordings to databases for scientists to study.
Different groups run FrogWatch programs in various countries. For example, the Akron Zoo runs FrogWatch USA, Nature Canada runs FrogWatch Canada, and the India Biodiversity Portal runs FrogWatch in India. These programs help scientists learn more about frog populations and their habitats.
The National Geographic Society helped develop tools that volunteers use to record information such as temperature and the sounds made by specific frogs and toads. In 2006, the National Wildlife Federation reviewed FrogWatch USA for the U.S. Geological Survey and found it very useful for scientific research, education, and saving money on studies.
Scientists use FrogWatch data to understand how frogs change their living areas, which species are increasing or decreasing, species diversity species diversity, how they respond to temperature changes, and how their behavior varies throughout the year.
History
The United States Geological Survey started FrogWatch USA in 1998, but the National Wildlife Federation took over in 2002.
Between 1998 and 2005, many people working with FrogWatch USA visited places where frogs live and shared information. They found many different kinds of frogs and toads. FrogWatch NT operates in northern Australia and began in 1991 after cane toads came to Australia and became a problematic invasive species.
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on FrogWatch, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.