Is It Illegal to Shoot Frogs in Washington State?
IS IT TOAD-ALLY LEGAL TO KILL A FROG IN WA?
Ever been out in the countryside and rural parts of Washington and heard frogs creaking in the distance? When I am near a pond or creek, I love hearing the sound of frogs making all that racket. It’s soothing for some reason. That’s why I recoil in horror at seeing frog legs on the menu in restaurants. I don’t want to eat the frogs! I once dated a guy who told me he liked to shoot frogs as a kid. I stopped dating him straight away! Is it even legal to shoot frogs in Washington state?
The Washington Department of Fishing and Wildlife might like to have a word with that guy (and his parents).
WHAT ARE FROGS GOOD FOR, ANYWAY?
Frogs are an important part of the Washington state ecosystem. Besides singing us their froggy songs, they eat some of the bugs we humans hate, like mosquitoes and flies. When they dig their little froggy bottoms in the dirt, it’s called aero-something and that helps the water and the dirt.
INTERRUPTING NARRATOR: Frogs “aerate” the soil.
OKAY, meanwhile. BACK TO ME!
There are at least seven (7) frogs who also have another important role in our lives, and if you kill them, we would be devastated.
For example, there's...
1. Kermit the Frog, who makes us sway to the music of his banjo.
2. Evil Kermit the Frog, who tells us to do stuff that the "angel" on our shoulder tells us not to do.
3. Pepe the Frog (not shown), who serves as a way for weirdos to make bizarre memes.
4. Jeremiah, star of the oldies tune, “Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog” by Three Dog Night.
5. The WB Frog, who disappeared after the CW television network took over. (Whatever happened to him?)
6. Keropi, my favorite animal from the Hello Kitty Collection besides Hello Kitty.
7. Prince Naveen, who turned into a hot human man in the Disney movie, Princess and the Frog
DID YOU KNOW???...
OUR WASHINGTON STATE AMPHIBIAN IS A FROG
“The Pacific chorus frog, Pseudacris regilla, is hereby designated as the official amphibian of the state of Washington.” - RCW 1.20.150
WHAT DOES THE WASHINGTON STATE LAW SAY ABOUT KILLING FROGS?
Ahem! RCW 77.60.240 says it’s illegal to shoot or kill frogs if they are a BULLFROG or LEOPARD FROG. They are a protected species in Washington. WAC 220-610-010
That settles it. Unless you plan on eating that frog, dissecting that frog in a science class, or keeping your family safe from a plague frog invasion, it is illegal in Washington state to kill Pacific Treefrogs or Bullfrogs, and against the law to keep them as pets. The fine used to be $500 if you got caught killing a frog. You can do further research to see if that fee has changed.
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