URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2015_Melissa-McCarthy

“Imagine the number of mosquitos and flies and agricultural pests that frogs consume on a daily basis. At the end of the day, every single farmer is reliant on the frog.”

- Nancy Karraker

“Just think about pest control for instance,” explains Karraker. “Imagine the number of mosquitos and flies and agricultural pests that frogs consume on a daily basis. At the end of the day, every single farmer is reliant on the frog.” Curious about other forms of life – including those that frogs eat – Karraker has even had a new species of fly she discovered in Thailand named after her — Caiusa karrakerae .

Karraker says teaching children a greater appreciation for reptiles and amphibians is a bright spot on the horizon toward improving conservation efforts, although education often can do little to alter a situation in a poorer socio-economic country. Still, she says, increasing awareness does have the power to slowly change perceptions of how vital reptiles and amphibians are to their ecosystems.

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