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SCMP Reporter

It may be the Year of the Rat, according to the lunar calendar, but 2008 is also the year of the frog and the city  will be doing its bit to raise awareness about these amphibians.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a US-based organisation dedicated to conservation, designated 2008 as year of the frog in a bid to highlight the threats faced by frogs, toads, salamanders and newts.
To mark the year, Hong Kong Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai will hold a teachers' workshop on Saturday and an exhibition of frogs at the end of June.
Teachers will be briefed about four species in the city - the brown tree frog,  Gunther's frog,  Romer's tree frog  and the Hong Kong newt.
Gunther's frog is most common, Wetland Park manager Ma Ka-wai  said, adding that  their croaks sound like a dog's bark. They are about 7cm to 10cm long and their skin secretes a poisonous liquid  to protect themselves. Brown tree frogs were about 5cm to 7cm long and were good at climbing trees, Ms Ma said. The tones of their croaks are deep and low.
The Gunther's frog and the brown tree frog are two of nine species of frogs found in the Wetland Park.
'Frogs are amphibious and they are the best animals to represent the Wetland Park,' Ms Ma said. 'We hope the public will learn more about the wetlands through the frogs.'
The park will also introduce two species, which are not available in the wetland but common in Hong Kong, at Saturday's workshop.
The smallest frog in Hong Kong, Romer's tree frog, is endemic in the city but is an endangered species. They can be found on the outlying islands of Lantau Island.
The Hong Kong newt is the only amphibious animal with a tail in the city. It was first discovered in Hong Kong but has also been found in the coastal areas of Guangdong.
Ms Ma said there were 23 species of frogs in Hong Kong.



'Year of the frog' in Wetland Park