View a public service announcement from the Kratt Brothers

Hey fellow creature adventurers!
Chris and Martin here.

Frogs are amazing creatures. You can find them almost anywhere in the world from the Arctic Circleto Terra del Fuego. In fact, the only continent that frogs don't live on is Antarctica. There are about 2600 identified different species of frogs - with new species being discovered all the time. Each type of frog has its own distinct call. Different types of frogs live in different types of places. Some live in trees, others on forest floors, some even in sand dunes, or mud and still others in streams and lakes. There's one frog, the Wood Frog, that actually spends six months completely frozen! When the warm weather comes, it thaws just like an ice cube when it melts.

Frogs eat a lot of insects and so help to keep the bug population down. And speaking of eating, frogs are a tasty treat for all kinds of creatures, including some kinds of birds, mammals and reptiles. Some frogs don't have to worry about what they eat, because if they eat something that's poisonous or bad for them, they just throw up their entire stomach and wipe the bad stuff away with their leg! Frogs need to drink water just like all creatures, but they don't drink it through their mouths, they absorb it through their skins. A frog's skin is really important to its survival. Frogs even breathe through their skin. It's almost like they wear their lungs on the outside of their bodies.

Frogs used to be all over the place, but now they're in big trouble. They're disappearing all over the world -- and no one's exactly sure why. One thing's for certain, though, when it comes to frogs, scientists owe a lot to young creature adventurers. Believe it or not, a lot of scientists first learned about the "frog crisis" from a bunch of grade 8 students in Minnesota. The class was out on a field trip and noticed that there weren't many frogs around -- and that many of the frogs that they did see were deformed. When you think about it, frogs outnumber scientists by a lot. Scientists are going to need help tracking frogs and gathering information on what's happening to amphibians all over the world -- including where you live. Keep checking the Frogweb site to see what you can do to help. Scientists will be looking to you to help them save frogs -- one of the world's most amazing creatures.

In the meantime, here are some things you and your family can do to help frogs.

• Organize your school or your neighborhood to clean up garbage from your local ponds and streams.
• Go to the library and get on the internet to learn about the different frogs in your region and how to identify them by look and by sound.
• Build a pond in your own back yard or neighborhood.
• Create frog-friendly gardens. Frogs like a lot of different plants and a well-watered yard. Attract insects (frog food) by mulching garden beds and keeping a compost heap. Make sure any garden product you use is non-toxic and won't harm frogs and the food they eat.
• Don't pour oils or detergents down the drain.
• Teach others about the frogs and the trouble they're in. Frogs make great science projects and school field trips.

Frogs can be part of a really great creature adventure for the entire family. And unless you live in Antarctica, you can probably find them in your own back yard!