Ribbiting Frog Facts

Bull frog and lily pads

 

Who doesn’t love these long-legged leapers? Read all about them:

  1. Frogs are amphibians. The word amphibian means “two lives.” And that name describes a frog’s life perfectly. Frogs live part of their lives in water and part on land.

  2. Frogs go through amazing changes. They start out as eggs laid in or near water. In their next stage, most change into fish-like creatures called tadpoles. They stay in the water and breathe through gills. Adult frogs spend a lot of time on land, taking in oxygen through their lungs and skin.

  3. Frogs are survivors. Two frogs you might hear calling this spring are wood frogs and spring peepers. These frogs survive winter in an amazing way.  They burrow underground and turn into frozen frogsicles! Sugars in the blood act as antifreeze that protects the organs from damage, while the rest of the body freezes solid.

  4. Frogs call in spring. Some frogs start calling very early in the spring, while some wait until the weather warms up.  A frog’s calls will be slower in cold temperatures than warm ones, because the muscles that control the sounds work more slowly.

  5. Frogs are leapers. Frogs are some of the best jumpers in the animal kingdom. They can leap more than 20 times their own length. If you’re 4 feet tall, that would be like you jumping the length of two school buses—and then some!

  6. Frogs have awesome vision. Why is it so hard to sneak up on a frog? Because with those big bulgy eyeballs, the frog can see in all directions without moving its head – even when everything but its eyes and nose are underwater.

  7. Frogs use their eyes to swallow! When a frog swallows a meal, it squeezes its large eyes closed. The eyes actually sink down into the frog’s head, helping to push the food down the frog’s throat.

Find out more and celebrate “Save the Frogs Day” by visiting savethefrogs.com/day/ online.

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