Celebrating Our Amphibian Friends
Now I realize it is April Fool’s Day, but honest to goodness, April is also National Frog Month.
We were very conscious of the day as we went out geocaching last weekend. It was just warm enough to wake up some frogs. You could hear them croaking away as we passed a recently-thawed wetlands. We heard chorus frogs and wood frogs.
Back when I worked with DNR, we would go out on frog surveys, driving a selected route. You’d have to park and then sit there for a bit until the frogs thought you were gone. It always amazed me how they knew a potential predator was about.
The interesting thing about them is that there is a certain seasonality with frogs. That is, along with the frogs we heard, you’re likely to hear cricket frogs and spring peepers this time of year. As the weather warms up, out come the toads, tree frogs, and bull frogs.
They’re interesting creatures. Did you know that they can absorb water through their skin? That’s why they are often called indicator species because they will feel the effects of poor water quality quickly.
So, next time you hit the trail, listen closely. A frog may be telling you that the place you’re geocaching is all right.
