Amphibians
Count on for frogs, toads
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The Michigan DNR and Michigan Wildlife Council are counting the state’s frogs and toads because of concern over threats to their species. We hear from an MSU Museum herpetologist and a DNR wildlife biologist.
Amphibians
There may be hope for an endangered frog in the Great Lakes region
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Since the 1970s, the Blanchard’s cricket frog has gone missing from much of the northern portion of its range. But experts say their fate may be looking up.
Wildlife
Photo Friday: Bois Blanc Island bullfrog
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This close-up photo is of a bullfrog in a marsh on the southwest end of Bois Blanc Island (known as Bo-Lo to locals), located in Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. It was taken by Terry Heatlie, a habitat restoration specialist working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. We’re always open to viewer submissions for our Photo Friday series, so feel free to message us on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.
Wildlife
Are Great Lakes mudpuppies victims of hurricane Sandy?
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Beachcombers report large and unusual salamanders called mudpuppies washed ashore on many Lake Huron beaches during super storm Sandy.
A Sarnia man had to use a snow shovel to remove them.
Wildlife
Spot. Snap. Stamp.
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If you live in Ohio and see a salamander scattering past, don’t scream and swat it. Shoot it, instead. With a camera, that is. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Third Annual Wildlife Legacy Stamp photo contest is underway. Focusing on a different animal each year, this contest hopes to promote the diversity of Ohio’s wildlife.
Wildlife
Monday Mashup: Finding amphibians with sounds of spring
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Surveyors in the Great Lakes states are poised this spring to count frogs and toads by listening to their songs. It is a chance for volunteers to document amphibian declines and discover new populations. Find out how to count.
Wildlife
For Great Lakes mudpuppies in decline, new Canadian research is a bright spot
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A bizarre salamander and the endangered, clam-like mussel that relies on it got good news recently from Canadian scientists. Federal researchers found an apparently stable population of mudpuppies in Ontario’s Sydenham River. The research is published in the June issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research. Mudpuppies are native to the Great Lakes and have beady eyes, slimy skin and feathery gills sticking out of their necks. “I find them very interesting animals, but I can see why the general public wouldn’t rate them up there with bluebirds,” said Jim Harding, herpetology specialist at the Michigan State University Museum.
Wildlife
Counting frogs: Keeping track of species keeps habitats healthy
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(IL) Chicago Tribune – Crouched in fields of prairie grass under moonlit skies, Matt Hokanson leads workshops three times in the spring to teach new monitors how to count the population of frogs by the number of calls they hear. There are 13 native species of frogs in Illinois, Hokanson said, but four to five are limited to specific habitats such as sandy areas. The rest can be found in wetlands where habitats are located by aerial photographs taken by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Audubon Society Chicago Region. More