HOW IS CORONAVIRUS AFFECTING THE ENVIRONMENT?
BECAUSE IT MATTERS
1/31/21
Hall's Water Frog
Recently, the Hall’s water frog, thought to be extinct, was found again. In 1935 the Hall’s water frog was found by Frank Gregory Hall in a tiny hot spring oasis in Chile. This hot spring was near Ollagüe in the Atacama desert. It was thought to be extinct until 2020 when it was found again by Chilean scientists. For a while it was unclear whether this new frog, nicknamed the Chile Ghost Frog, was one and the same as the Hall’s water frog. By comparing it to drawings and specimens from museums, scientists were able to confirm that it was.
Now that we know that the Hall’s water frog is alive, we must protect it. The main threat to this delicate frog is water, or lack thereof. These frogs are completely dependent on water. If they are outside of the water for even more than 5 minutes, they die. This is why we must protect the small amount of habitat in the desert they have. Unfortunately, the tourism and mining industries are some of the Chile Ghost frogs biggest competitors for water. As cities expand and develop areas, more water is used up, and the copper industry in Chile is the largest of its kind in the world. With these threats, it will be hard to keep the Hall’s water frog alive.
Works Cited
Froelich, P. (2020, September 26). 'Ghost Frog' not seen for 80 years rediscovered in Chile. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://nypost.com/2020/09/26/ghost-frog-not-seen-for-80-years-rediscovered-in-chile/
-. (2020, September 24). Christopher. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.lintelligencer.com/ghost-frog-not-seen-for-80-years-found-in-chile-6679-2020/
Team, W. (2020, September 23). Chilean researchers rediscover species of 'ghost' frog that was found decades ago. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.wionews.com/science/chilean-researchers-rediscover-species-of-ghost-frog-that-was-found-decades-ago-329862
all photos from reuters