The toads are in transit. The frogs are frittering away. Amphibian and reptile population studies, conservation issues and management practices were discussed at a landmark October conference at U of C. Included was the first-ever meeting of the Working Group on Amphibian and Reptile Conservation in Canada and the sixth annual meeting of the Task Force on Declining Amphibian Populations in Canada. Dramatic declines in amphibian population are often caused by such human influences as deforestation, wetland draining and pollution, says Russell. The task force consists of 80 working groups globally which collect and analyzes data on amphibian declines and their causes.
Money is raised and small grants are distributed by the organization to initiate research projects.
The U of C conference really clarified the issue of disappearing amphibians and reptiles across Canada and locally. In Alberta, dramatic declines have taken place over the last decade in populations of leopard frogs, Canadian toads, prairie rattlesnakes and hog-nosed snakes.