The facts on frogs | Opinion - Plattsburgh Press Republican

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We all share our landscapes with creatures of some sort.

I don’t mean your family members.

Some of my favorite creatures are frogs. I remember when we first moved onto our property, I would hear a deep ‘glup, glup, glup’ at night and could not figure out what it was.

To be honest, it sounded so otherworldly, it gave me the creeps. It wasn’t until much later when I discovered it was frogs calling that I felt pretty silly.

But you know how it is when you’re in an unfamiliar place — it’s as dark as coal and there are creepy sounds coming at you from who-knows-where. You know what I mean, right?

OF TWO WORLDS

Frogs are amphibians, as are newts, salamanders, and toads. Unlike most animals, amphibians finish their final development after they are born, changing from water-based (tadpoles) to land-based life.

The word "amphibian" is Greek for "both kinds of life”. Most amphibians hatch from eggs laid in water and for a short time live there, complete with external gills.

These larvae then undergo a metamorphosis in which they lose their tails, shed their gills, grow sturdy legs and develop primitive lungs, then can scramble onto dry land.

That’s pretty impressive when you think about it, living in two totally different worlds at different times in your development.

WATER OF LIFE

Water plays a crucial role in their lives. They require a steady supply of moisture in order to survive.

They take in moisture through their thin skin and without it they would dry up and die.

To help keep their skin moist, amphibians are constantly secreting mucous (probably the reason some folks think of them as slimy). They also have glands on their skin that produce chemicals which deter predators.

Most frogs are carnivores, eating ants, worms, beetles and pretty much anything they can get into their mouth.

They are eaten by snakes, bullfrogs, owls, hawks, foxes, otters and even humans.

FROG HOUSES

Please don’t "adopt" a frog you find as a pet. They can thrive when left to their own devices in the wild, but not necessarily in a glass tank.

If you want to help them out, build a frog house. This can be as simple as a broken terracotta pot overturned and lifted slightly on one side for access, or as elaborate as you have the desire to build. Check a website for frog houses for ideas.

Leave a space for the frog to enter, a backdoor if you have snakes on your property, and a source of water. A tray usually used under your pots works well.

Situate it near plants, add a light source to attract insects if you can and you’re done.

Amphibians are important to our ecosystems and due to environmental issues they are on the decline.

Do what you can to help them survive.

Jolene Wallace is the consumer horticulture educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Clinton County. Contact her at 518-561-7450 or jmw442@cornell.edu.



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