The long rainy season in Kenya is over, not because the forecasters said so but because the frogs stopped croaking. This is a centuries-old tradition that states that "when frogs stop croaking... even if it's still rainy, it's a sign that the rainy season is coming to an end
Summer is already here and we don't need forecasters to know that. On the other hand, in other seasons of the year, the weather forecasters have an influence on our readiness and preparedness for the cold, the rain, the heat or the storm that will come.
There are many among us who can "predict" changes by "physical feelings": painful knees, head sensations or other signs are "private soothsayers", in primitive ("primitive") societies there are many traditions for predictions, traditions dating back hundreds of years that are still not lied
The long rainy season in Kenya is over, not because the forecasters said so but because the frogs stopped croaking. It's a centuries-old tradition that states that "when frogs stop croaking... even if it's still rainy, it's a sign that the rainy season is coming to an end.
When frogs start croaking in the dry season...a sign that the rainy season is approaching, when the frogs disappear...a sign that it is the dry season" a tradition that has served many communities in Kenya for hundreds of years.
The behavior of frogs is just one of many markers for weather forecasting in traditional societies, the behavior of insects, birds, mammals and plants as well as changes in the solar system, winds, clouds and even the human body are used for "reliable" and accepted forecasting.
In western Kenya, the discovery of black widows (bird) in the field during the rainy season marks the end of the season, occasionally if "black widows" (bird) appear in the field, it is time to start sowing and planting because the rains are coming.
In the northern region, the dry and rainy seasons are predicted with the help of the behavior of trees: the few fallen trees that grow in the area signal to the residents the end of the rainy season by serving them. And of course when the trees bud, it is a sign that the rainy season is coming.
In the coastal area the blooming of the coral and the falling of the sycamore fruits mark the beginning of a normal rainy season,
When ficus sprouts appear, it is a sign of a lot of rain, when the sprouts are not... There is a chance of drought. In the southern district, the acacia and the baobab are used as "foretellers", the baobab sings about it in the dry season and the acacia blooms for the rainy season.
The shepherd tribes know that when cattle stomp their feet and try to run in different directions for no apparent reason.... it is a sign that a storm is approaching. When the weavers (bird) build many nests it is a sign that there will be rain. When the number of nests is small, prepare for a drought.
And again on the beach: a snake is used as a "fortune teller" A tree snake lives among the branches of the trees, when it is seen crawling on the ground it is a sign that the rainy season will begin soon and the farmers begin to plow and prepare the fields for planting.
In western Kenya, when red ants appear or when dragonflies fly in the air, the people of the Luo tribe know that the rainy season is coming. There are also those whose body is used as a "fortune teller" by the members of the Habasova tribe, when the feeling is of heat, a sign of rain, when you feel cold, a sign that the dry season continues.
And there are also "astronomical" signs, a small and weak aura around the moon is a sign of drought, many meteorites ("falling stars") when rain is expected... a sign of drought.
A system of many markers and signs that allows (did not allow?) primitive societies to plan their behavior, migration with the herds, preparing the fields for sowing or changing the location of the camp (for hunter-gatherers), a system that turns out to be reliable and accurate because in a study conducted by the "United Nations Environmental Program United Nations Environment Program found out that "traditional societies always knew how to predict the weather and natural phenomena long before scientific prediction".
The research was based on traditional information collected from across Kenya from different climate zones and from herdsmen, farmers and even hunter-gatherer societies. Indigenous societies whose people knew how to predict: rain, floods, drought or storms, according to the researchers "the skills of prediction according to tradition constitute a form of science" (really?)
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Copied from Wikipedia: Amphibian population decline
Since the 80s it is possible to notice the depletion of the amphibian population. in different places
Collapses of entire populations have been recorded in the world, to the point of extinction of species.
This depletion is part of a more general phenomenon of the reduction of the populations of my husband
Haim. However, the reduction of amphibian populations is an especially great threat, as it is
significantly endangers the biological diversity on the planet.
A number of presumed reasons led to this situation, including: destruction of habitats, overexploitation
Environmental, pollution, invasive species, global warming, increased ultraviolet radiation and disease.
However, many reasons are believed to have caused the depletion of the amphibian population still
are not well understood, and many contemporary studies deal with this issue.
In Israel, only 6 species of amphibians survived in the winter puddle, the main habitat of
Department: striped newt, orange salamander, river frog, common woodpecker, toad
Green, Cat's Eye Excavator
Extinct species of amphibians: Black-bellied round-lipped and Heinz-Steinitz's ibis.
In Atlit, which used to be flooded with toads and tadpoles in the last two years, almost all of them disappeared after the last winter. I saw a tadpole again and some toads jumping in the garden. The water snakes have completely disappeared and near the Nahal Oren you can once again hear the croaking of frogs in the evening. How sad it was to see last winter thousands of tadpoles drying in puddles that were disrupted by jerry cans. The water I carried to save them
A. Ben Ner - You can find a lot of information on the internet about the amphibian situation in Israel.
collect question:
Do you know the status of frogs in Israel?
I remember that in my childhood, I would often go, in the winter days, to the puddles of stagnant water,
In the fields near my house, I would follow the development of the frogs in the puddle.
The frog tadpoles look like fish at the beginning of their lives, after they hatch, but inside
About two weeks you can see how their legs grow and how the tail shrinks and disappears.
Are there any puddles left in the land?
Do we still have frogs?
To Michael
The "research" which was more of a survey and adjustment to a common prediction was conducted by:
"The United Nations Environment Program"
I did not see the source because I "pulled" the information from the tribal people whom the reviewers asked
and publications in local newspapers (in Kenya).
Asaf:
Has a study been conducted that proved the effectiveness of the native prediction methods?
I looked for the source of the article and the closest thing I found is this:
http://www.unep.org/cpi/briefs/2008July01.doc
Is there anything more recent?
Three years ago, a similar article appeared because of the establishment of the same body that is now investigating these phenomena, right?