Bored Panda got in touch with Froglife, a UK-based national wildlife conservation charity, with a couple of questions. A representative of the organization, Kathy Wormald, was kind enough to answer them.
We were interested in how the existence of social media projects dedicated to herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) might impact conservation efforts. "Raising the awareness of herpetofauna is good, the more people understand them, the more they will appreciate them, and appreciation leads to conservation," the Froglife representative told us.
"So overall exposure on the internet should be a good thing, of course, provided the exposure is positive and correct," she said.
According to Wormald, from the Froglife conservation charity, the best thing that people can do is build a pond in their garden. "Our 'Just Add Water' booklet has lots of good advice," she shared with Bored Panda.
"A lot of people think that amphibians spend all their time in water, but this is not the case. They spend a lot of time on land, hence it is important to provide them with good terrestrial places. Areas with rubble, fallen leaves, rocks, stones and logs are all good, they can hibernate over the winter months, forage for food and take refuge from predators," the Froglife representative told us.
"It is also important to remember that reptiles also require good habitats, they like hibernacula that they can crawl into and also basking banks for basking in the sun on warm days. They will also crawl under tin sheets or carpet tiles."
#5 I Left My Window Open While It Stormed Earlier And Just Found This Tiny Little Intruder In My Closet. Surprise Closet Frogs Are The Best
The ‘Frogspotting’ group is the brainchild of Mason Coates, from Oklahoma, who created it all the way back in February 2017. What started as just a fun idea eventually grew into a massive online community that now unites over 573.8k herpetofauna lovers. And the group continues to grow.
Anyone hoping to become a member needs to fill in a very short questionnaire, including answering what amphibians or reptiles they like the most. It’s fun and wholesome and highlights what the group values the most.
Every new member also needs to sign off that they’ll follow the community rules. That includes being excellent to each other. Belligerent behavior and creepy comments have no place in ‘Frogspotting.’ What’s more, nobody should repost each other’s content “with the intent of shaming them.” In short, frog content should unite, not divide, everyone.
#7 Went To A Frog Festival In My State, And Held This Monster Of A Boi. His Name Is Jacques
#8 Big Mama Marge Is Always Watching. She Stalks Me And Waits For Me To Stick My Hand In There
#9 Ollie In His Favourite Spot Contemplating The Upcoming Winter Hibernation
The team running the Facebook group points out that posting pics of other amphibians and reptiles is allowed. Though it’s mainly a frog-centric project, they’re far from the only stars of the show. “Salamanders, newts, caecilians, reptiles, and snails are allowed,” they note.
What’s more, members are asked not to spam the group. You could show off your art page, for instance, but you’ve got to pay the ‘image tax’ so you’re not just sharing a massive wall of text. In other words, you have to put something into the community, not just look for what you can get out of it. Which sounds entirely fair.
There’s also a zero-tolerance approach to animal abuse: nobody should be mishandling their froggos, or any other animals, and posting photos of this. Moreover, no member should kidnap (or is that frognap?) frogs from the wild… unless they are certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re an invasive species.
The community also values original content, so members are encouraged not to repost old pics. What’s more, the group also doesn’t approve AI art pics.
#14 This Is Froakie, The Grey Tree Frog Who Lived In My House This Winter After Hiding Until It Was Well Past Freezing In My Plant Shelf
According to Dr. Wilkinson, the two most important things that you can do to help garden life is to set up a garden pond, and avoid using chemicals in your yard.
"In a small garden, even an upturned dustbin lid or bowl will provide a place for animals to drink," the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation representative told us. A compost heap or a log pile would be wonderful additions as well, but if space is limited, it’s perfectly fine to work with what tools and materials you have available.
#19 I Love Nothing More Than A Big Fat Green Tree Frog. Honestly My Favourite Animal!
