World Frog Day, Save The Frogs Day 2015

March 21 is World Frog Day. April 25 is Save The Frogs Day. Frogs are amazing. They are excellent indicators of the quality of their environment. They go from living completely underwater to an animal that breathes air. There are so many fascinating qualities! Interesting fact about frogs:

• There are over 4,700 species of frogs! They are found on every continent except Antarctica.

Photo credit: boredpanda

• Many frogs can jump 20 times their own height; Some can jump even higher!

• Frogs come in all sorts of colours;The colourful skin of many tropical frogs acts as a warning to predators that these frogs are poisonous.

• Frogs absorb water through their skin so they don't need to drink.
• Frogs can lay as many as 4,000 eggs in frogspawn.
• The eyes and nose of a frog are on top of its head so it can breathe and see when most of its body is under the water.

• Frogs have long back legs and webbed feet for jumping and swimming.
• Frogs usually eat meat (bugs and worms) and swallow their food whole.
• The world's biggest frog is the goliath frog from Cameroon in West Africa. Their body can be one-foot long.

• The smallest frogs in the world are less than half-an-inch long.
• In the Seychelles, there is a male frog that carries its young around on its back until they become adults.
• People who study frogs and toads are called herpetologists. Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles.
• Frog bones form a new ring every year when the frog is hibernating, just like trees do. Scientists can count these rings to discover the age of the frog.

• Because frogs come out in the rain, people used to think that they fell to earth in the rain! And in nineteenth century England, people tried catching them to prove it.
• One type of desert frog can wait as long as seven years for water by surrounding itself in a type of transparent bag that becomes its first meal once the rain comes.

• Amphibians' eyes come in all shapes and sizes. Some even have square or heart shaped pupils. But amphibians don't see color -- they only see in black or white.
• The golden dart frog is the most poisonous frog on earth and the skin of one frog could kill up to 1,000 people.

• In recent years, a painkiller with 200 times the power of morphine has been found in the skin of a frog.
• The male Darwins Frog takes its mate's eggs into its mouth as soon as they show signs of life and they stay there until they emerge as fully grown froglets.

• Frogs cannot live in the sea or any salt water.
• There are more than 4,000 types of amphibians in the world, but Europe has very few--only 45 species.
• Many of the most brightly colored tropical frogs are colored in this way to warn predators that they are poisonous.

Unfortunately, frogs are going extinct. So are toads, salamanders, newts, and the intriguingly unusual caecilians. 6 Ways to help frogs:

• Look, listen, and learn: educate yourself and your family about amphibians. With more than 6,000 frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians worldwide, there’s a lot to learn. Pick up a book, hop around the Internet, or watch your favorite animal television show to educate yourself and your family about amphibians. 

• Create amphibian friendly environments by providing clean water, hiding places, and insects to eat. Prime amphibian real estate includes leaf litter, rocks, logs, and a source of water - backyard ponds make a great family project! 

• Don’t pollute. Do your part to keep garbage, chemicals, and non-native plants and animals out of the natural environment. Amphibians absorb chemicals through their skin easily. They also fall prey to non-native species. 

• Be a responsible pet owner. Discourage your canine and feline family members from pestering wildlife, especially amphibians and birds. Curious cats and digging dogs cause a lot of stress for frightened amphibians. If you or your pet encounters an amphibian, study, look, listen, and then leave it where it is. 

• Conserve water at home, school, and work. Save water by using collected rainwater for watering gardens and potted plants. The water you save now remains a clean habitat for wild amphibians without being chemically treated. 

• Reduce the use of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas. Climate change is impacting amphibian populations worldwide. By using less energy or choosing renewable sources of energy, you can help slow the rate of climate change. Drive less, buy fuel-efficient cars, and use compact fluorescent light bulbs!

CREDITS:

http://lefo.net/documents/main/3klass/1kala/interesting_fact_about_frogs.htm

http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/top-10/top-ten-awesome-facts-about-frogs/

 www.aza.org/yearofthefrog