Where are all the frogs?

When I was a little kid, and even a teenager, I can remember going outside in my parents' back yard, or at my grandmother's farm, and seeing frogs at all times of the day and night (and especially at night, when the bugs were out!).

However, over the last decade or so (around the time I started college), I haven't seen a single frog anywhere. Outside in the yard of my current house. Outside near my apartment complex in college (which did have a lake nearby). Outside at my parents' house or grandmother's farm when I visit them, etc.

My question is -- Where are all the frogs? Have they all migrated slowly over the years south out of the U.S.? Did some disease kill off so many that frogs are near extinction now? Or something else?

With the frogs gone, the mosquitoes and roaches are everywhere now down here in Texas... I find myself missing the frogs more and more, as their would-be dinners gets to run free in my house (the roaches) and bite me everytime I go outside (the mosquitoes)...

P.S. -- I can't remember the last time I saw any lizards, either!

I have no idea where all the frogs went. I did a google search but could not find any thing out for you, sorry. I hate bugs that bite just as much as you do. I hope the frogs and lizards come back so you will not have as much as a bug problem.

I went to New jersey last month, we where siting in a wooded area there was a little frog. Sure the heck was. Maybe they are all coming north.

Would you like some gekos? We've got them all over Dallas... little bitty lizards that zip around like crazy.

Some of it is that you're an adult and your patterns of life have changed. Lizards don't do the 8-5 shtick, and they're more active at different times.

Some of it is lack of environment (do you have lots of vines and bushes around your house? We do. Trees as well) There's not as many open spaces around as there used to be.

And some of it is environment; chemicals in our water and lawns have been unkind to them.

huh??? you're right i have not seen one single frog this summer. that's odd! it usually is crawling with frogs here this time of year.

You may have a point TC. Since frogs are very sensitive to environmental changes, they are the first to show signs of change.

I live in Los Angeles, and believe it or not, we have tons! Where I live now, used to be a lake about 80 years ago and tends to flood. Because of that, there are area in my city that can accomodate enormous amounts of water. As a result, right near my house, there are literally thousands of frogs so I haven't noticed a decline in the frog population

Interesting - I had recommended in another thread (regarding the missing Herons) that we start investigating other animal "dissapearances" to see if there is some sort of pattern. And now that you bring it up - there has been a eerie lack of frogage in my yard. I have a pond and typically right after it rains we have frogs all over the yard and driveway, and this year has been the raniest spring I ever remember in the Chicago area, and other than the one (very loud bullfrog in the pond) there has been no sign of the little guys AT ALL! I have not seen a single frog this year yet - only heard the big guy in the pond. Hmm...where have they gone?

My son and I have been finding baby toads all over.

I haven't seen many frogs, but then I never do. There's a ton of toads though. Frogs are very sensitive in changes in their enviroment so if it's been unusually cold or very dry than they might have moved to a more hospitable area or something. Plus, it depends if there's more people around your area than there was a few years ago than that could contribute to the frog decline as well.

Oop - good point guys. I actually have toads here - not many frogs that I know of (other than tiny tree frogs which are hard to spot anyway). So what I meant was I haven't seen the toads lately.

Well, when I said "frogs" I was thinking frogs and toads. I haven't seen one of either species in forever!

I'm at a busy point right now, but could someone check to see if there's any "citizen science" project that's being done along this line? Oftentimes they need volunteers for counts and interested parties could participate.

We're too scattered out to get good data (this kind of project needs to be followed for years and to be followed nationwide or statewide or in a large locality) -- but we could join the effort and publicize it to our friends/coworkers/schools/etc.

That's better than just sitting around, eh?

Where are all the frogs you ask??? Well I think the food chain is messed up! The ticks are eating the frogs! I'm telling you. The human race is becoming lower on the food chain than the ticks and other bugs that keep biting me day in and day out.

I live in the woods and I have 3 german shephards and the ticks are awful. I'm telling you the ticks are eating the frogs and we are next! When you see me being dragged off by them, you'll rescue me won't you?

well there are more medical universities, they need the experiment material

You may have also noticed that their leader, Kermit the Green, has pretty much ducked out of the public eye. They are up to something.

Word on the street has it that Kermit has gathered his batrachian minions at a secret base for training.

One can only guess what terrible plans are concocted by these squat confederates as they dance and pay homage to their emerald-skinned emperor under the pale moonlight.

Listen for the faintly-croaked whispers of doom in the night, and be fearful.

I have been seeing and hearing them all summer and spring so far in Jersey. I play golf at least once a week and the bastards won't shut up. Always seem to make the most noise during my backswing . Also hear them all night "under the bridge down by the river," behind my house. No shortage over here.

I have seen 1 toad here in Fort Worth this year, but sadly not a single horned lizard (horny toad) any where.. Byrd's right though, tons of gecko's! This guy's will take out nuisance bugs like frogs, but are way to quick to catch. The gecko's tend to hang out on the walls of my apt and catch the bugs near my porch light in groups of two or three.

I haven't seen a gecko yet that can outrun my shotgun.

But the frogs are up to no good, I tells ya!

They are all over louisiana and thats just right next door. I think environments change constantly, so they are probably somewhere nearby, maybe even more concentrated in one area due to constricting habitat boundaries. Eventually though, that will cause them to die out being in large numbers in a smaller habitat. I wonder how many animals are being affected these days, seems the seagulls are having a rough time.

I live in the border with Texas and yes there are no toads at all, I use to see many of them when I was little and they kept the bugs in check, but since 2 to 3 years back there are no toads in my yard any more.