Frog Stories

This summer has been very rich in animal at our home. We have had all sorts of "pets". First there was Crusty the crayfish. We found him in our yard and kept him for a couple of weeks before his demise. I'm sure he was on his way out when we found him since we don't live that close to water. He probably was really hungry to. Then there was Clammy, the clam. We found him at a pond up the road. There are always bivalve shells around the pond; most are empty, a meal for some animal. However Clammy was alive and had his foot out when we found him. Tyler fell in love with him and had to take him home, so we did. It was a great visual for our summer Apologia study of Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. We could see his siphon tubes and the way he could move. We also adopted a baby bird that had fallen out of the nest. It was way too young, and died the second night. It was interesting to watch him eat. You could actually see the food going down his throat. We brought home 3 baby frogs from the pond. They were cute but totally confused as to why they were in this plastic habitat. We only kept them one night. Their relative spent a night just this week. I don't get into feeding frogs, but I do hope to get tadpoles next year and raise them until they are frogs. We waited too late this year. We tried, but all we got were a bowl full of minnows, another "pet". Then there were the hornworm. They were my favorite. We have 3 other cocoons right now that we dug up recently. I don't know what they will turn into, but I can't wait to see. I hope to catch a Woolly Bear catipillar this fall also. We overwintered one last year and he was beautiful when he came out. Oh yeah, we also have several skinks (lizards) living in the garage and around the house. They are cute on the outside, but I don't want another one in my house.
Just the other day, my daughter and I were in the garden when I saw a frog sitting under a new corn stalk. I had to run get my camera. "Don't move," I said. She didn't and I got a great picture of him. I got really close and he didn't move. Bobbi said she thought he was dead, but I thought he looked alive. He didn't blink and I couldn't see his sides moving when he breathed. She decided to bop him on the nose with her popcicle stick. Still nothing even after 2 bops. Then she went behind him and bopped him on the back side. Still nothing. Well maybe he just died. We moved the grass strand that was on him for a better picture. Then I got low to look. Ah ha! He is alive. The little pretender. I could see his throat moving. Hmmh. I went to get Tyler. He loves frogs. He wanted to pick him up. I said fine, but if he jumps he is fast and will be gone quick. First he just petted him. Then he tried to pick the frog up. Well the frog had had enough. Jump, jump, jump and he was gone. I think he was a leopard frog. Boy are they fast.


If you look closely, just behind his eye, you can see his tympanic membrane, otherwise known as his "ear".

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