Two golden toads sitting on lily pads

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The Search Is On!

Meet a photographer whose passion for frogs set off a worldwide search to help save them.

March 1, 2018
By Amy Barth

In a dark forest, photographer Robin Moore shines his flashlight under a fallen tree. He’s on a mission to find species that haven’t been seen in decades. If he’s lucky, Moore will spot one of these “lost” creatures and catch it on camera. He’s already found several amphibians that scientists thought had become extinct.

Since 1980, about 200 amphibian species have died out. Today, thousands more, including frogs, toads, and salamanders, are threatened. That’s a big problem, in part because these animals eat insects that harm crops and spread disease. Geography Spin spoke to Moore about his project, “The Search for Lost Frogs.” Moore’s photos help raise awareness about amphibians and the threats they face.

Joel Sartore/National Geographic Creative

The tomato frog puffs up its body when it’s in danger.

Geography Spin: Why are amphibians in trouble?

Robin Moore: One big reason is that they’re losing their habitats. Rainforests where many types of amphibians live are being cleared for farmland and other uses. Others are dying from a disease called the chytrid (KY-truhd) fungus that has spread across the world, including Australia, Europe, and North and South America.

Brian Gratwicke

Horned marsupial frog

GS: How do you go about finding “lost” amphibians?

Moore: We usually go after dark with headlamps because most amphibians are nocturnal. We look under logs, leaves, and in other hiding places. We also listen for their call. We’ll show photos of the frogs to local residents and ask if they’ve seen them. 

GS: How is the search going? 

Moore: So far, we’ve turned up more than 50 lost amphibians in eight countries and discovered several new ones. The project has become much bigger than I ever thought it would! Now we’re broadening it to search for lost mammals, birds, and reptiles. 

GS: What’s one of your favorite discoveries?

Moore: The Jackson’s climbing salamander, a very rare and beautiful salamander. I traveled to Guatemala and joined up with the people who found and reported one 42 years ago. We retraced their steps from way back then, searching for 10 days. Eventually, a park guard making rounds found one! 

GS: What’s it like photographing lost species?

Moore: You never know whether you’ll get the photo you want. It’s high risk, high reward. But capturing the moment a lost species is found is an incredible feeling!

J.A. Gonzalez de Rueda/Biosphoto/Minden Pictures

This glass frog has see-through skin on its belly. 

1. Which six countries labeled on the map have the highest numbers of amphibian species? On which continent are most of them found?

2. India has 417 amphibian species. If it lost 50 amphibian species, what population range would it change to? 

3. About how many amphibian species are found in the U.S.? Is that higher or lower than Canada’s numbers?

Tom Vezo/Minden Pictures
nocturnal

active at night

 

Bats are nocturnal animals, sleeping through the day and flying at night looking for food.
Dr. Paul A. Zahl/SCIENCE SOURCE
species

a type of animal or plant

 

Rainforests are home to many species of frogs, like this harlequin poison frog.
Duncan Mcewan/NPL/Minden Pictures
amphibians

cold-blooded animals that start life in water, having tails and gills, and mostly live on land as adults after developing lungs and legs

 

Like most young amphibians, froglets grow legs to be able to live on land.
Bob Krist/Getty Images
population

the total number of people or animals living in a specific area

 

China has the largest population of any country in the world.
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