Beyond geckos

[Brunolem]

I don't have an obsession with animals, but while I am at it, I would like to go beyond my previous thread about geckos and raise attention on the fate of some other local species.

Those of you who live countryside have probably noticed how fast some species are disapearing, and how quickly the space they left in the food chain is filled.

I am not talking about here about animals which have been decimated by the locals, looking for food, such as snakes, birds or even rats, but about other, non-edible, species.

Frogs, not the ugly toads, are nowhere to be seen...not that there were much 10 or 15 years ago to begin with.

Big spiders, that used to make giant webs in the mango trees for example, have all but disappeared.

Butterflies, small and big, also disappeared.

Fireflies...I can count 2 of them some nights...

Meanwhile, obviously more resistant species are proliferating.

Ants of all kinds and sizes are everywhere, and they are aggressive...I have to wear socks to work in the garden!

Small spiders are also busy, especially inside the house, where a cleaning team, working 24/7, would be needed to remove the webs they leave everywhere.

Now, one can wonder if all these changes in the (small) animal world have anything to do with the fact that the local rice was rated #1 for its poison content.

Have some of you noticed the same phenomenum?