Flying Frogs

Fast and with extremely tough skins, flying frogs are the only animals in the system who have no fear of Vampire beatles. Indeed, scientists speculate that the frogs' blood is actually toxic to beatles, but this has never been proven. In turn, the bealtes and their eggs are the staple of the frogs diet. As beatles are only to be found during half the year, frogs spend the other half in hibernation. When the season for beatles arrives, the frogs emerge, feed, and reproduce. The only predator they themselves must deal with is the alligator snake, which not only makes any time spent in the water risky, but also climbs into trees easily. Frogs are especially vulnerable during hibernation and this species' population remains relatively low.

If frogs were removed form the ecosystem, this would probably not affect the snakes or rodents seriously, as both have several sources of food. The greatest service they provide to the ecosystem is their control of the Vampire beatle population, which would quickly explode if unchecked. Bears, deer, rodents, lizards, fish, snakes and birds would probably all be destroyed by their predation, and the beatles would eventually starve. Thus, though the frogs are a direct food source for only two populations of organisms, their exclusive niche as predator of the Vampire beatles makes them a keystone species.