Is the Swamp Chorus frog becoming more Endangered?
The Swamp Chorus frog is an endangered species. This means there are very few chorus frogs in Illinois today. They need a special type of habitat that is only found along the Illinois river. A few sandy ponds in Cass, Morgan, Mason and Scott Counties are the only places in Illinois the Swamp Chorus Frog lives. A couple of other ponds in Missouri and Arkansas are the only other known habitats for this animal. Very little is known about it’s life cycle, except for a few weeks in early spring when it uses swampy pond area’s along sand beaches near the Illinois River for laying eggs. Unfortunately, Illinois is considering using those ponds as a dumping ground for dredge material. The Army Corp of Engineers is asking the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for a permit to allow these ponds to be covered with dredge material from the bottom of the Illinois River. Dredging is necessary to allow boats and barges to travel in the Illinois River. Dredging removes sediment (soil) from the bo
