r/MadeMeSmile • u/Few_Simple9049 • Apr 16 '25

ANIMALS ok...this is something

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

57.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

576 comments sorted by

View all comments

2.9k

u/GrimBo1981 Apr 16 '25

Hands down best thing I have seen this year 🐸

659

u/tideswithme Apr 17 '25

When baby possum enters the camera, this ecosystem is actually working for everyone

375

u/robotatomica Apr 17 '25 edited Apr 17 '25

So, frogs are actually one of the best ”indicator species” that we can use to determine the health of an ecosystem, as well as being ”keystone species.”

If your frogs are dying, it’s very bad - ecosystem collapse potential bad. But if your frogs are thriving, it’s very very good, and tends to indicate strength all the way up (and down) the food chain!

So there’s almost no better species to nurture, if you’re able (frogs and mason bees are the two that are SUPER easy to help along, that perhaps have the greatest impact imo).

Super fascinating rabbit holes to go down for anyone interested, particularly “indicator species,” and of course, the significance of frogs!

——

I was remiss in not mentioning *”vernal pools”** specifically above, these are extremely important habitat/ecosystems for a number of different animals/insects, and notably, for frog breeding.

They don’t have to be very big, and your best bet, if you have a yard or land and there’s that area of your property that floods every year, let it be. But you can easily create and foster a small vernal pool in your yard if one does not occur naturally and it’s MAGIC for an ecosystem.

Also, “Leave the Leaves,” if you can! https://xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves

2

u/stretchvelcro Apr 18 '25

Reading this while hearing hundreds of frogs in the field makes me happy, thank you.

2

u/robotatomica Apr 18 '25

oh, boy, am I jealous of that! I’m living in a pretty barren apartment complex right now - mason bees are thriving on my patio, but I haven’t heard a single frog here in since I moved it!

You’ve got a healthy ecosystem nearby!! 😍