Blackland Environmental and Natural Bridge Caverns announce exciting results of a year long survey to celebrate Earth Day
The land surrounding Natural Bridge Caverns is hopping with a diverse set of frogs according to the results of a recently completed environmental survey. The yearlong effort by the Wuest family and Blackland Environmental identified ten different species of frogs including the Cliff chirping frog, Cope’s gray tree frog, and the spotted chorus frog – to name a few “anurans.” Anurans, which are amphibian species including frogs, toads, and tree frogs, are the most diverse order of amphibians documented across the globe in a wide array of habitats. Local volunteers joined the hunt over the last year, armed with flashlights, recording devices, and muck boots.
“To find this diverse number of species just a few minutes’ drive from the urban areas of San Antonio is remarkable,” said biologist Jeremiah McKinney, operating manager of Blackland Environmental. “These results highlight the importance of the aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats as they clearly support a wide variety of species.”
Counting frogs is an excellent measure of the health of an eco-system. “We had several goals with the project including a better understanding the habitats present on the land surrounding the caverns,” said Brad Wuest, president of Natural Bridge Caverns. “Our mission includes responsible stewardship. To that end, we have a goal to serve as a safe haven for a wide range of wildlife. These amphibians are indicator species, this study will help steer our future management practices and provide a valuable opportunity to educate family, friends, neighbors, and our community.”
Since much of an anuran’s life cycle occurs in or near water, they are sensitive to environmental changes. This is why scientists consider Anurans an indicator species. Indicator species are those whose presence, absence or abundance can be evaluated to assess the quality or condition of the surrounding habitat. Accordingly, a survey of anurans was an ideal start to the overall biodiversity assessment.
Listen to the frogs here: Frog Chorus (90 seconds)
Listen to conversations with Jeremiah McKinney during our frog hunt (5 minutes, 40 seconds)
Listen to What’s up with cricket frogs? (3 minutes)
Volunteers scour land around Natural Bridge Caverns for frogs.
Green tree frog counted during Natural Bridge Caverns biological survey.
Cope’s grey tree frog calls out for a mate during the frog hunt at Natural Bridge Caverns.
This baby Northern Cricket frog found a helping hand during one of the frog hunt survey expeditions at Natural Bridge Caverns.
Natural Bridge Caverns biological survey above ground hunted for frogs in an effort to better understand and care for habitats surrounding the cavern system.