By KHT Staff. Images via Pingtung County Govt.
PINGTUNG — Pingtung County is working with conservationists and local volunteers to curb invasive frog populations that officials say threaten native species and compete for food and habitat.
The county government has commissioned the Wild Bird Society of Pingtung to monitor and remove invasive frogs from the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park in Neipu Township and surrounding areas.
According to the county, the program removes thousands of adult spot-legged tree frogs each year, along with large quantities of their foam egg nests.
The spot-legged tree frog, recognizable by an X-shaped marking on its back and a black-and-white pattern on its inner thighs, has spread through parts of southern Taiwan. Its distinctive mating call resembles the rapid knocking of wood.
County agriculture officials said each foam nest may contain several hundred eggs. The tadpoles can also prey on those of other frog species.
Another invasive species, the Asian painted frog, is relatively large and has toxic skin secretions, leaving it with few effective predators in the wild, officials said.
The county warned that growing populations could compete with native amphibians, including rice field frogs and Asian common toads.
Removal teams conduct much of their work at night, when frogs are most active. Trained volunteers search ponds, wetlands and dense vegetation, often working in muddy conditions and among heavy mosquito populations.
Wild Bird Society Chairman Wu Cheng-wen said volunteers must learn to distinguish invasive frogs from similar-looking native species before taking part. Spot-legged tree frogs, for example, can be confused with Brauer’s tree frogs.
The county said the project also serves as environmental education, teaching residents not to release unwanted animals into the wild or introduce nonnative species.
“Hopefully, our children and grandchildren will still be able to hear the frog calls we remember from childhood,” said a volunteer identified by the county only as A-Ming.
