Quechee, VT
June 1, 2006
CONTACT: Anthea LaVallee, Director of Public Programs
Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)
802.359.5001 X213

Ribbit! at VINS
The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) introduces Ribbit!, a traveling exhibit from the New England Aquarium. Revealing the secret lives of frogs from New England and around the world, the exhibit opens at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee with a grand opening on Saturday, June 17.

Not only do frogs provide an astonishing array of colors and a chorus of sounds, they also serve as important bioindicators—they tell us about the health of our environment. Because they have thin skin, delicate eggs, and live both in water and on land, frogs respond to environmental changes before others. The world has 4000 species of frogs—more than the known number of mammals—that live in almost every land environment, including Arctic tundra, deserts, mangroves, swamps, and mountain plateaus. Frogs depend on healthy water and land habitats to survive. So do other amphibians, insects, turtles, snakes, water birds, hippos, and many more. People depend on these ecosystems too—for farming, fishing, relaxation, and life. More and more, human behaviors are affecting these animals with increasing demand for water and land.

Frogs also carry a pharmacy in their skin. They produce antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral compounds. Some frog chemicals can act as heart stimulants, anti-psychotics, antihistamines, painkillers, and anti-arthritic compounds. Frogs can only obtain their valuable toxins in the wild. They collect and store defensive chemicals from the insects they eat. For most frogs, the wild they need to survive is quickly shrinking. Scientists are worried that many species of frogs will disappear due to habitat loss before their valuable chemicals can be studied. Some, like the Vegas Valley leopard frog and the Costa Rican golden toad, are already gone.

The Ribbit! exhibit at VINS features a series of large habitats highlighting both common North American species and colorful species from exotic locales. A large display features the colorful poison dart frogs of South and Central America. Another display features the gaudy golden mantella frog found only in the rainforests of Madagascar, where habitat loss threatens their survival. Other tanks showcase native frog species and their habitats.

While the subject is serious for both science and the environment, Ribbit! educates all ages through a series of fun, interactive stations. To learn a story about frogs, step “In their shoes.” At another station, a computer kiosk gives different ideas about how you can help through the “Choices you can make.” Just for fun, every time someone sits down on whoopie cushions, a different frog call is broadcast.

The exhibit is free with admission or a VINS membership. The VINS Nature Center in Quechee is home to one of North America's finest collections of birds of prey. Visitors can get eye to eye with Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, and other birds of prey. Open daily May 1 to October 31 from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. For more information, call 802-FLY-5000 or visit www.vinsweb.org.