# @usgs on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DJXCwPYPvQ1
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/69013880-usgs-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/6736605966.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-05-07T17:03:50.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (@USGS) — https://gondola.cc/USGS

## Caption

Happy Amphibian Week!

…Wait, what? Beavers aren’t amphibians. So what do they have to do with #AmphibianWeek?

A lot, actually. Beavers—and other ecosystem engineers like crawfish and the gopher tortoise—help create the essential wetland habitats that frogs and other amphibians rely on. In some cases, they even lend their names to the species they support!

🦫 Beavers build wetlands that support many frog species, including Oregon spotted frogs.
🦞 Crawfish dig burrows used by crawfish frogs.
🐢 Gopher tortoise burrows provide shelter for gopher frogs.

When wetland and upland habitats are lost, these interconnected species all feel the impact. All three of these frog species are declining, in part due to loss of both wetland and terrestrial habitats. USGS scientists are studying these frogs and how they use and move between habitats to help resource managers make informed, effective decisions.

The interconnectedness of wetland species also means that protecting and restoring habitat can help a lot of different animals at once—for example, USGS researchers have found that beaver dam restoration efforts, primarily aimed at restoring salmon and trout, also helped the Oregon spotted frog.

Learn more at the link in today’s story. 

📸 1: Beaver swimming in Summer Lake, Oregon. Credit: Erin Leahy, USGS. 
📸 2: Oregon spotted frog in a pond in western Oregon. Credit: Marcus Rehrman.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 547
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 3

## Tags

amphibianweek

---
Copyright (c) Gondola