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IF you want to learn more about a tiny frog the size of your thumb nail or discover whether noise pollution has damaged your hearing, the Environment Pavilion is the place to go.

The miniscule Romer's tree frog, which has been threatened with extinction by work on the new airport, will be the star of the exhibit.

Hong Kong University scientists have put together a display that shows the tree frog in its natural habitat.

But the visitors peering intently at motionless frogs sitting on leaves may not realise initially that they are looking at models, rather than the real thing.

Dr John Hodgkiss, convenor of the environment pavilion and dean of Hong Kong University's Faculty of Science, said models were being used to help preserve the frogs.

''The Romer's tree frogs like dark, damp places,'' Dr Hodgkiss said. ''If we put the frogs into those conditions - under bright lights with people possibly moving the box - they'll die, which we certainly don't want.'' However, he said he would not be surprised if some people mistook the life-like models for real frogs. After all, they would be doing exactly what Romer's tree frogs liked doing best - sitting absolutely still.

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