Re: [vernalpool] Frog compatibility

Although I tend towards the "don't interfere with an act of nature"
philosophy, I agree with Tim that rescuing animals harmed by human
activity is not a bad thing. When I see a mud rut formed by an ATV
beside a vernal pool, I know the frogs and salamanders that laid eggs
there "thought" they were in the right spot. Moving them would not be a
cheat on their Darwin exam. They are already under enough pressure from
human disturbance.

In the original poster's case, were I to rescue the eggs I would look
for the vernal pool nearby the dirt road and not transfer them to the
farm pond. Still, they will do better in the farm pond than splashed on
a dirt road, a real human interference with nature.

LPK

On 3/7/2011 11:48 AM, Tim Wacker wrote:
>
> Can an outsider chime in here. It seems to me the prospect that
> evolution will drive frogs to avoid laying eggs in doomed reservoirs
> is the same as evolution producing a squirrel that avoids car tires.
> Ain't happening. You're right to move the eggs. These species need all
> the help they can get.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Susan Westra
> To: vernalpool@yahoogroups.com <mailto:vernalpool%40yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 10:30 AM
> Subject: RE: [vernalpool] Frog compatibility
>
> Very interesting and informative Q and A.
> Thanks
>
> > To: vernalpool@yahoogroups.com <mailto:vernalpool%40yahoogroups.com>
> > From: mattburne@gmail.com <mailto:mattburne%40gmail.com>
> > Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2011 10:12:42 -0500
> > Subject: Re: [vernalpool] Frog compatibility
> >
> > Well, you're probably feeding a lot of green frogs. The bigger
> > philosophical question is whether you're helping inferior genes
> (those that
> > are involved in choosing that rut) persist in the local population
> of wood
> > frogs and salamanders. By-and-large, I've always taken the approach of
> > letting nature do its thing, and if individuals make bad decisions, then
> > they lose. Though I've certainly be guilty of "rescuing" an egg mass
> or two
> > over the years.
> >
> > Matt Burne
> >
> > On Sun, Mar 6, 2011 at 10:30 PM, uncledj66@ymail.com
> <mailto:uncledj66%40ymail.com> <dforbes@antioch.edu
> <mailto:dforbes%40antioch.edu>>wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > For a few years my sons & I have found wood frog & salamander eggs
> in deep
> > > water-filled ruts in a nearby dirt road. Often egg masses are splashed
> > > completely out of the ruts onto the ground. We have rescued some
> of these
> > > eggs before, hatched them, and released the larvae into an old
> farm pool
> > > near our house. It seems like an ideal spot, an there are even a
> few local
> > > spotted salamanders that breed in the pool every spring. However,
> it is also
> > > inhabited by a healthy population of green frogs. I have only seen
> a few
> > > 'native' salamander larvae in the pool, and I wonder if by
> introducing more
> > > I am only feeding the greens.
> > > Anyone have any suggestions?
> > > ~Doug
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
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>

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