So why did the frog cross the road? To see his girlfriend, and why not? He wanted to cross the road to get to that-there temporary pool (wetland/vernal pool), or pond. Frog jump “to it” in early to mid spring to make the unique calls that attract the female to “come on down” and mate.
You’d think there’d just be a lot of “ribbits” and “peeps” out there in spring. Actually, there’s the “rrrrrrrrrrr” of the American toad, the “gulp, plunk” of the green frog, and the “buzzzz-rum” of the bullfrog. And the frog that sounds like you are dragging a finger across the top of a comb. Pretty quirky, huh?
Frogs are an important part of the food web — for bigger frogs, snakes, raccoons, foxes, even crows. They are needed. And they need those temporary little pools of water, ponds, and swamps. When we fill them in for yet another mall or subdivision, just think how the frog feels? Where can they reproduce and live as tadpoles?
I actually had a neighbor with a tiny pond who attracted gray treefrogs with it in her front yard! I guess little frogs notice these things.
Spring’s also a good time to put out a little bird bath or bowl of water for birds to drink or splash in (changed regularly, at a height cats can’t reach). Our cute bird friends can eat an awful lot of insects and fruit, the latter passing through their system (the seeds) to help spread more plants along their migratory journeys. And their songs are a wonderful part of springtime.
But climate change is affecting the life cycles of birds and frogs. Eventually, it will affect us humans as well.
Know one way to reduce carbon emissions? Drive less. Unplug your computer or other appliances from the wall outlet at night, as they use “phantom” energy when they are not totally disconnected. Learn more about your carbon footprint at:
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