Document Actions
State Amphibian: Meet the Candidates
posted at 2007-04-18 21:11 | Last modified 2007-11-14 10:38
Thanks for all the positive feedback on the State Amphibian story that aired this morning! If you missed it, you can hear it here.
The next chapter
House lawmakers are set to vote tomorrow on Rep. Tim Spear's bill to name the bullfrog the official state amphibian. Proponents include Mrs. Baker's 4th grade class from Pines Elementary, Plymouth. They suggested the bill, and they'll be in the gallery tomorrow to watch the vote.
Meantime, Dr. Alvin Braswell, the herpetologist in my story, forwarded me this draft of a letter to Rep. Spear from the NC Herpetological Society. The letter names some preferred candidates - see below for pix - and even some suggested wording changes for the bill. It may be too late for the House vote, but there's always the Senate, right?
The contenders (photos below):
Frontrunner: The bullfrog -- tough, outspoken, great PR, popular with kids. Lucrative sunscreen endorsement deal. On the other hand, it eats anything too small to eat it, especially other frogs and the occasional bat. Considered a pest in some states.
Other candidates:- Pine Barrens Tree Frog - how cute is this guy?
- Hellbender - aka "Snot Otter" - two feet of cranky, ancient mountain amphibian.
- Neuse River Water Dog - only found here in NC, in the Neuse and Tar River basins.
To see more frogs and toads, and even hear what they sound like, check out Frogwatch. You can find more information on salamanders, newts, etc, at the NC Herpetological Society.
