Pool Frog
Encyclopedia
The Pool Frog is a Europe
an frog
. It is one of only four amphibian
species
recognized by the UK government as protected under its Biodiversity Action Plan
. The reasons for declining populations are decreased pond
habitat from human encroachment
and also air pollution
leading to over-nitrification of pond waters. Its specific name was chosen by the Italian herpetologist
Lorenzo Camerano
in order to honour his master Michele Lessona
.
The Herpetological Conservation Trust
website states that "The Pool Frog is a Europe
an frog
and was formerly recorded from two sites in East Anglia
although it was lost from one of these in the middle of the 19th century. It was presumed extinct in the wild at the last remaining site by 1995. A single individual known from this population survived in captivity until 1999. Other populations have become established in the UK and it is known that some of these included individuals of British origin in their founding stock."
An English Nature
reintroduction project is underway in Breckland
.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
. It is one of only four amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
recognized by the UK government as protected under its Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
. The reasons for declining populations are decreased pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
habitat from human encroachment
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
and also air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
leading to over-nitrification of pond waters. Its specific name was chosen by the Italian herpetologist
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
Lorenzo Camerano
Lorenzo Camerano
Lorenzo Camerano was an Italian herpetologist and entomologist.Born in Biella in 1856 he studied in Bologna and Torino, where he settled in order to take, between 1871 and 1873, a painting course held by Fontanesi at the local Art Academy.Camerano worked as a painter for the Turin Zoology Museum,...
in order to honour his master Michele Lessona
Michele Lessona
Michele Lessona was an Italian zoologist.Michele Lessona became a specialist in amphibians.His accomplishments include the translation of certain works Darwin for example The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex.-Works:Partial list* Carlo Darwin...
.
Pool Frogs in Britain
The Pool Frog has not always been recognised as a native British species. Part of the reason for this is that other similar species are known to have been introduced. However research has now shown that a native origin is most likely.The Herpetological Conservation Trust
Herpetological Conservation Trust
The Herpetological Conservation Trust is a British wildlife charity for the conservation of herpetofauna: amphibians and reptiles. It was founded in 1989 by Vincent Weir and Ian Swingland of DICE and launched at the First World Congress of Herpetology in Canterbury that year...
website states that "The Pool Frog is a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
and was formerly recorded from two sites in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
although it was lost from one of these in the middle of the 19th century. It was presumed extinct in the wild at the last remaining site by 1995. A single individual known from this population survived in captivity until 1999. Other populations have become established in the UK and it is known that some of these included individuals of British origin in their founding stock."
An English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
reintroduction project is underway in Breckland
Breckland
The Breckland as a landscape region is an unusual natural habitat of England. It comprises the gorse-covered sandy heath that exists in the north of the county of Suffolk and the south of Norfolk. An area of considerable interest for its unusual flora and fauna, it lies to the south east of another...
.