Emily’s grandparents have a small pond at their place and every year Mr and Mrs Frog raise their babies there. We usually try to time it right to experience the sheer joy of frog season. I don’t know if you are familiar with how frogs work but Mrs Frog lays huge caches of gelatinous eggs which very quickly hatch and turn into tadpoles and eventually frogs. If you watch carefully, you get to see all of the steps in between tadpole and frog which might be the stuff of nightmares if you didn’t know better. Seeing a pond full of tadpoles is simply amazing! They swim so awkwardly and yet not. When they start growing legs and losing their tails, things get really interesting. It is an absolutely amazing transition and a lot of fun to witness!
Anyhow, we were around the pond last week and got to enjoy the tadpoles in the pond. Abigail loves to catch them in her hand and sing to them. She caught a few and while singing, spotted Mrs Frog. Mrs Frog had a protective eye of course (we could tell) but seemed content to watch us watch her babies. Of course, what are her options? We don’t have ferocious frogs here in West-by-God-Virginia.
Abigail decided she wanted to give Mrs Frog a pat on the back, congratulating her on a job well done with her latest crop of babies. She squatted at the edge of the pond (I had my camera ready fully expecting Abigail to fall into the water) and reached out to touch Mrs Frog. With a flash, Mrs Frog leapt into the water upon feeling Abigail’s fingers. She swam across the pond and under a rock where we could see her one back leg hanging out. We decided to leave well enough alone and just watch from afar. Spring is just the absolute best time of year! There are so many opportunities to experience in the spring. The Frog family delights us every year!
Well, West-By-God-Virginia, thank you for this tale of spring!
I love your frogs and tadpole!
Hmm. I’m pretty sure the “frog” in the third photo is actually a toad.
Robert – I think you are right. She’s all warty and stuff. She swam like a champ…of course both frogs and toads can swim. I also just learned that all toads are frogs…Toads in North America are from a family of frogs called Bufonidae (http://www.scienceterrific.com/frogs.php) Anyhow, I think you are right!
I’ve always wanted to eat frog legs sometime. I’ve never had an opportunity yet. I crossed gator off my list though a few years ago.
Frog or toad, they’re still pretty cute in my eyes. Love it that Abigail has no yuck factor when it comes to frogs!
Where is Mr. Frog in this biology lesson? Is he off working to support this huge family or has he skipped out to join his cronies at the local toad stool, while ma does all the work at the pond?
Schmenky has a lot of frogs in her pond over yonder in East Virginia. They are of a smooth variety. They are a loud bunch!
Warren: I didn’t know that all toads are frogs. Just like all squares are rectangles. How cool!
Robert_H – I didn’t either. I thought the same thing regarding the toad when I saw it…I thought that looks like a toad to me. I didn’t know toads could swim either so when I saw your first comment, I wanted to see what I could find out about the two. I learned all sorts of cool things actually…so thanks for prompting my curiosity!
CapriK – I have seen some of the smooth ones here too…I think they are true frogs rather than toads. I think I have seen them in this pond even so I don’t know if the babies are frog or toad babies…ahhh!
GW – The poor guy Mr Frog is out working two jobs just trying to feed all 700 tadpole babies, but i’s a cruel world…the fish are thinning his herd daily…maybe he can scale back to one job in a few weeks!
Granny – she is learning to lose her yuck factor…she is not too girly on things like that thankfully!
Ed – I have never eaten either but they both sound cool. I have eaten all sorts of other things so I would be game!
You simply must try frog legs they are delicious. Once you break the reptile barrier you can move on to turtle, snake and alligator. I haven’t tried alligator but I can vouch for the rest. My daughter says alligator steaks are great. However don’t eat toad legs.
What’s the matter with toad legs? I know toads have a poison they can excrete which can be a problem (or an get you high).
I am not sure really. Could just be an old wives tale. But something I had heard or read long long ago. Be my guest and give them a try and let me know the results. However I was mainly thinking that Abigail might get upset if you eat Mrs. Frog !!!