The Postal Service dedicated its Frogs stamps July 9 in Boise, ID.
“Frogs play an important role, not only in their natural habitat, but to our daily lives,” said USPS Facilities Vice President Tom Samra, who led the ceremony.
Because the amphibians have a permeable skin, it’s easy for them to absorb things in their environment. Scientists routinely turn to frogs to determine the health of ecosystems.
The creatures also help control the insect population, and they’re important to research. The chemical compounds found in the skin secretions of frogs and toads are being studied for their benefits to humans.
Frogs live on every continent except Antarctica. There are approximately 4,800 different species of frogs, including more than 90 species that live in the United States.
The stamps, available in booklets of 20 at Post Offices and usps.com, feature digital illustrations of four North American frogs: the Pacific tree frog, the northern leopard frog, the American green tree frog, and the squirrel tree frog.
Other speakers at the ceremony were Ed Schriever, director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game; Elaine Clegg, Boise City Council president pro tem; John Cossel Jr., biology department chair at Northwest Nazarene University; and Victoria Runnoe, conservation education supervisor at the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center, where the event was held.
In his remarks, Cossel recalled how his mother worked as a rural carrier when he was a child.
“I saw firsthand the hard work and dedication and commitment that goes into delivering the mail and doing it well,” he said. “And I appreciate and respect the U.S. Postal Service for committing to perpetuate this service.”
