Friday, April 06, 2012

A-Z Challenge: F is for Frog

I've always liked frogs. Not so much to eat, although I know frog legs are enjoyed by many people. I'd rather have them alive and living on my property to help control bugs.

Here are just a few facts about this little amphibian.

Most frogs are green and are characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes, bifid tongue and the absence of a tail. Frogs are known to be exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance.

Due to their porous skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but do move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds, or lakes, and their babies, tadpoles, have gills and tails so they can live and develop in water. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.

Out in the country, that call can be heard at dusk from the various cattle pools around us, as the males and females make plans to meet up.

My favorite frog, of course, is Kermit, and here are a few facts about him I did not know.The earliest version of Kermit first appeared in 1955, but he wasn't yet a frog -- he was more of a lizard-like, abstract character. Jim Henson explained that at first Kermit was just a simple puppet that covered his hand. Kermit was referred to as a frog by Johnny Carson in 1965, but didn't officially become a frog until the 1971 special "The Frog Prince." 

Kermit's signature song, "Bein' Green" was written in 1970 by Joe Raposo for  Sesame Street, and has since become an American standard.

Here is a link to the song if you would like to pause a moment and enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco The song truly does have a wonderful message about tolerance.

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8 comments:

MJ said...

I like little frogs. Every once in a while I will see one around and hear them sometimes, but not often.
-MJ A to Z blogger
http://creativelyspiltink.blogspot.com/

Maryannwrites said...

Thanks for coming by MJ. We have a lot of frogs around here. What is really sad is on rainy nights they will be hopping all over the road and it is impossible to avoid hitting a bunch of them. I wish they would stay in the pond on the other side of the road. (smile)

Teresa Cypher said...

I love to listen to the spring peepers sing. :-) Thanks for the history of Kermit! Who doesn't like him? No one I can think of. I was rather partial to the hecklers on the Muppet Show, though. :-) Nice post. I enjoyed it.

Happy A-to-Z-ing...

Guilie Castillo said...

Cool post, Maryann. I have little experience with frogs--in the area of Mexico where I grew up, they're few and far between. When I moved to Curacao (the island where I live now) I was amazed by how loud crickets sounded at night. When I asked, I was told, to much laughter, that it wasn't crickets--it was frogs. *Tree* frogs--these tiny tiny frogs that live in, well, trees. They're perfectly adorable and I love them, even though some people dislike them because, in spite of their tiny size, the noise they make can wake a hibernating grizzly if it's up close :)

Maryannwrites said...

Teresa, my hubby and I loved the hecklers, too. I think he related to them a bit too much. (smile)

Guilie, I think we have some of those tree frogs around here, too. There are some that really make a terrible loud noise for such a tiny creature.

M Pax said...

Frogs are neat. Up in the mountains, the shores of the rivers team with them and little toads.

Maryannwrites said...

We have lots of little toads here, too. And some neat geckos. They are a bright, shimmering green that changes hue in the sun or the shade. Neat creatures.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I used to find frogs hidden in my grandparents' garden hose. It was the first place I checked in the mornings. Oregon was good for frogs. Colorado, not so much.

Shannon at The Warrior Muse, co-host of the 2012 #atozchallenge! Twitter: @AprilA2Z