Tiktok User Growing “Frog Army” Could Wreak Havoc on Ecosystem

I remember bringing a cute little frog home from a field trip in elementary school. I snuck him home in the front pocket of my overalls and made a home for him in a big jar in our backyard. I named him Princess and fed him whatever bugs I could find until I felt bad and tipped the jar on its side so he could leave whenever he pleased, which was... immediately. I'd much rather see a wild critter living in the wild as it should.

The Tiktok Frog Army

My son Rollins and I were scrolling through TikTok about a week ago and came across someone who was collecting frog spawn from a little pond. He picked up the huge globs of eggs and put them into a mason jar. Taking them home, the guy plopped the little clear orbs into a prepared aquarium complete with sunken ship decor. Here is the first video which now has almost 300 million views!

@mightyfrogarmyy #frogarmy #frogs #frogspawn #frogeggs ♬ What You Won't Do for Love - Bobby Caldwell

We've followed along the past few days to see what this person is up to only to see him return to the pond to gather more eggs! At this point, he has acquired hundreds of them and are planning to take care of them so they can all grow and I would assume be released into the wild.

Once the tadpoles emerged from the eggs, he started dropping in worms and pieces of fish for them to eat. Bacon has actually been their favorite so far. Now they've grown little legs and the frog army leader is planning to remove some water from the tank and prepare it so they can make their exit when needed.

@mightyfrogarmyy The #tadpoles are getting tiny legs there is soon going to be a #frogarmy ♬ transgender - &lt3

This Isn't the First Tiktok Frog Army

In the past few years, it seems multiple people have recreated the same situation every spring. Making and releasing frog armies. Sources have even deemed these folks eco-terrorists because interfering with the environment this way is harmful. According to a story by The Guardian in response to the 2022 Frog Army, "Scientists say if true, the frog release is alarming given that human relocation of frogs is a top threat to the species. One fungus introduced by humans redistributing amphibians has caused a “mass extinction” event, wiping out more than 90 species of frogs."

TikTok Frog Army Stunt Bad For Environment

Dawood Qureshi, a marine biologist and researcher for BBC Wildlife told Metro UK that releasing a mass amount of a certain animal in an unfamiliar habitat can negatively impact the frogs and other animals in the area by throwing the food chain out of sync.  Eating up all of the insects and pollinators can hurt growing plants. If they are a nuisance, that could lead someone to call pest control.  In that situation, other animals could be collateral damage.

These are all things that the common person may not consider if they see these videos and think, "Oh I want to do that too." That's why accounts like the frog army leaders can be dangerous. We definitely don't need frog armies popping up all over the world. So don't get any ideas!

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Source: The Guardian, Metro UK