The Spring Peepers Have Arrived!

Do you hear frogs where you live?

Where I live, it's not spring yet until the spring peepers have arrived. This year, it seems like they came early, but I may be wrong. I had the windows open working at night and I suddenly realized I heard a chorus of frogs outside! It was the coolest thing ever, especially since I wasn't at the park looking or expecting it. I kind of wish I'd recorded it.

It's the time of year when I'm going to start finding frogs everywhere, from my garden to my front porch. We often get a visitor who likes a certain rock in front of our porch, which we placed there on purpose as a cozy little toad home, but sometimes they even make their way up our window or porch light to catch yummy bugs!

Do you hear frogs where you are? Do you know what kind? Share them in the chat!

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Frog Mating Is Awkward Business

Sometimes they accidentally mate with non-frogs

Frog lovers might already know that frogs don't actually mate through intercourse but though a process of leaving sperm to fertilize eggs that the female frog releases. Frogs have a few positions to do this, including a messy one where they simply release sperm onto the female's back and let gravity run its course.

But did you know that frogs sometimes try mating with other males or animals like snakes or fish? Sometimes when a female isn't available, a frog seems to just take whatever is available! Multiple frogs have been known to attempt to mate with a single female at once as well.

What other weird facts about frogs do you know? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals

The Frog Bunny

Cadbury selects the tree frog as this year's spokesbunny!

Cadbury recently announced the company's pick for the 2021 Cadbury Bunny, and she's a beauty! The Australian white tree frog, Betty, was one of more than 12,000 applicants for the job. She was selected over candidates like goats, donkeys and miniature horses, and I say way to go, Betty!

Betty is shattering all kinds of frog ceilings here: She's the company's first female representative, first amphibian AND the company's smallest Cadbury bunny! Given that frogs can always use a bit more publicity with all of the current struggles they face, I for one support this pick. Plus, what's cuter than a bunny frog?

Were you rooting for a different bunny? What do you think of Betty's selection?

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Spring Frog Décor for the Home and Garden

What are you adding to your space?

It's the time of year to find lots of fun frog decorations for sale that are perfect for decorating your home and garden with. From figurines to functional items, like toad homes, bird feeders and other whimsical garden items, you can almost find them anywhere. There are funny and affordable critters like this bathroom frog to more expensive items like this accent lamp. 

Personally I think the simpler designs like these are the best, especially for the garden, but you really can find something for every taste, from the silly to the serene. You can also get little frogs and make your own fairy houses or other more personalized items.

What frog goodies are you buying this spring? Share them in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Animals
Wild
Amphibians

Frog News This Week

Share yours in the chat

It's so fun when there are so many frog stories of the week that we can share them together. My teen ran to me today and demanded to know if I knew that Kermit and Piggy are divorced! Haha, yes, but I also assured him that the two are always on again, off again, have been since I've known them, and that they could probably get back together if Piggy did some growing. Honestly I always thought Kermit could, too!

In other frog news... the California red-legged frogs have made a return! Scientists have been trying to reintroduce the frogs back to their natural habitat and it's always wonderful to read stories like this.

Did you know that female frogs can tune out males when they aren't interested? This makes sense for the survival of the species but I've never really thought about it!

What other frog stories have you read this week?

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Freakiest Frog Facts

What you did and did not want to know!

At Frog Source, we sure love our frogs, but it goes without saying that there are some pretty strange facts about frogs. The poison factor is a favorite weird fact among frog lovers, as is the fact that our beloved amphibians drink through their skin and have two sets of lungs. But some facts are truly disturbing, especially if the frog is the prey.

Did you know, for example, that snakes put their heads inside frogs to swallow their organs? It makes me shudder to think about it. When I was a kid we saw a snake swallow a frog whole so I'm sure there's some variation involved but still... it's not the stuff of sweet dreams, for sure.

What is the weirdest fact about frogs that you've ever come across? Share it in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Princess and the Frog is Everywhere!

I am so here for this.

Have you heard that Princess Tiana is getting her own Disney+ series? She's my favorite of the Disney princesses and I am super excited to see what's in store for this hardworking dreamer. How about you?

With the characters in the spotlight again, their merch is popping up everywhere and I am so here for it. I've seen it online at Box Lunch and lots of other places. You can get Funko pops, clothing, plates, adorable glasses and so much more. I'm so in love with this Tiana's Place glass!

Do you love The Princess and the Frog? Are you excited about the show and what merch, if any, will you be buying?

Klat Categories: 
Entertainment

Dehydration Leads to Jumping Problems

Frogs need water!

Who doesn't need water, after all? Amphibians definitely need it and it turns out that the effects of not having enough water really take a toll on frogs. Scientists now say that some frogs can't jump anymore once they are dehydrated.

I'm not digging the parameters of this study, which purposefully dehydrated frogs to find out the effects. I get that we need to find out all of the major possible ramifications of climate change and, more importantly, combat it together, but I think we know enough about the damage it does to frogs without putting them through more harm. How about spending that energy on protecting them instead?

Have you read any news about frogs this week? Share it in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals
Amphibians

Massive Blunt-Head Burrowing Frog Wows Internet

These pictures are amazing!

When I first saw a Goliath frog, I couldn't believe my eyes. I've loved frogs all my life--my husband even collected stuffed frogs for me before we were married--but I'd never seen such an enormous frog before. When I saw the photos of the enormous blunt-head burrowing frog circulating the Internet this week, I had a similar reaction.

This frog is massive! It spends most of its life underground waiting for rain and it puffs itself up like this as a defense mechanism. It's pretty incredible, but I have to admit that it's not the kind of frog that would likely make me fall in love with frogs in general. Tree frogs are more my style!

Have you seen any other weird frog photos lately? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals
Amphibians

3-D Turtle Shell Saves Tortoise's Home!

This could mean incredible things for more animals

Many frog lovers are only into amphibians, which is fine, but I know a lot of us care about reptiles, too, which is why this story is so awesome. A 3-D printer was used to create a new shell for a tortoise who lost his shell in a wildfire! This is such cool news that could pave the way for even more advances to help animals.

The poor tortoise had lost 85% of its shell and a group of vet activists found him and made him the new one. This is incredibly cool. I know 3-D printing has been used to help a lot of humans, too. It's pretty incredible what can be done with it!

Have you seen 3-D printing used to help any other animals? Which ones?
 

Klat Categories: 
Animals

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