It's International Amphibian Week!

[brenda]

May 2-8, 2021, is the first annual, international Amphibian Week.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/amphibian-week.htm#:~:text=May 2-8%2C 2021%2C,first annual%2C international Amphibian Week. : "You may wonder, why do amphibians need this special recognition? For starters, amphibians are unique. They begin their lives in the water, but most of their adult life is on land. And they are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature relies on external sources, like a rock heated by the sun or a river or lake. Amphibians are sensitive to invasive species, drought, disease, and other changes where they live. So researchers study amphibians because they often show early signs of stressors, like disease and climate change."

"There’s another reason to recognize amphibians this week: many are in danger. About one third of all amphibian species are in danger of extinction. Many animals rely on amphibians for food, so when they die off, it affects the entire natural area. Some of the threats amphibians face include disease (like the ranavirus or chytrid fungus), changes in snowpack/rainfall, loss of wetlands, and splitting up their habitats. We need amphibians, and now they need us."

Frogs (water or wetland frogs)
"Many assume that frogs spend their winters as aquatic turtles do, buried beneath the mud. This is a common misconception, though. Frogs use their skin to breathe, so they would not be able to breathe if they were buried in the mud. Aquatic frogs enter a state of hibernation spending most of their time lying on top of the mud or slowly swimming around. The frog pumps a kind of anti-freeze through its body to protect individual cells, but then parts of the frog literally freeze solid. The frog essentially becomes a frogsicle. Its heart stops beating, it stops breathing, and as far as we know its brain also stops working. When the spring comes, though, the frogs hop back into action unharmed from their experiences in the winter."

Tree Frogs
Two examples of gray tree frog calling -

Link to video
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=2B125DD8-A118-D328-D3E556D47E570B97

Some of my favorite amphibians:

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/amphibians-badl.htm?utm_source=article&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=experience_more&utm_content=large

[Loki]

Almost makes you want to kiss a frog

[Mik]

Ribbeting!

[brenda]

@loki said in It's International Amphibian Week!:

Almost makes you want to kiss a frog

I give mine air kisses.

[George K]

@loki said in It's International Amphibian Week!:

Almost makes you want to kiss a frog

Link to video

[brenda]

Link to video

This is what the male froggos like to do during hubby's online meetings. They start trilling when he's talking loudly. I keep hoping the others on the call can hear the frogs.

When the froggos get wound up, they can get darn loud. It's wonderful and I love it. Sometimes I think they start trilling to get me to come visit and give them a shower.