A small frog with an ENORMOUS frog bursting to get out!
These southeast Asian frogs reach a little under 8 cm (3 inches) long.
They spend much of the day hidden in leaf litter in the forest or in rice fields. They come out at night to eat.
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Image: Thomas Brown
Also known as the Malaysian Narrowmouth Toad |
They will happily sit around and snap up a couple hundred ants or termites, one... by... one. I can't even do that with popcorn.
They can bury themselves underground if they want, which is useful when the weather takes a turn for the worse. And for a frog, that means too much dry weather and not enough rain and soggy humidity. The very opposite of a picnic. That's why frogs and picnics don't get along.
When they're annoyed by a predator or a giant hand, they puff themselves up and secrete a kind of toxic glue. Yuck! That'll show 'em!
And then...
The breeding season comes around. Now the males puff themselves up to an astonishing degree. Their little heads poke out of a dangerously inflated, floating beach ball, until...
They shift some of that air into their vocal sac. Which becomes dangerously inflated, of course.
Also known as the Ox Frog
This spectacle results in a call that sounds a bit like a cow. It attracts females who apparently like the sound of a big, noisy gas-belly.
Eggs are laid and once they hatch, the tadpoles develop into little froggies in a matter of weeks. In our time we've seen
several frogs that
spend almost all their
lives underground and only emerge to breed after heavy rain. Their tadpoles also grow very quickly into small froglets, so as to make use of ponds before they dry up. Banded Bull Frogs are just like them, except they climb up to the surface every night!
In any case, we now have
teeny frogs with enormous frogs trying to get out. But we needn't worry...
Take one look at that face. Is it not the very definition of determination?
Someone should do a statue!
6 comments:
could they be any cuter? i think not!
Frogs often look surprised but these guys look deadly serious, all the time. Must be the brows. Just imagine one of these guys looking you right in the eye, unflinching, as various parts of their body inflate.
I think I had a fever dream like that once.
pretty interesting little frog. they're just missing one thing....bull horns! and spikes!
Also, how goes that article I linked you to ;) enjoying the world of zombies?
@TexWisGirl: Hahaah! I guess it's not just the frogs who like the sound of a big, noisy gas-belly!
@Crunchy: Yikes! With a face like that they could be the next Batman
@Porakiya Draekojin: Ah! Everything is better with sticky-out bits!
I still haven't read it properly :( I went out and bought a copy, though. I haven't leafed through a Nat Geo magazine in ages, it's great! Some of the zombie pictures are incredible. I might read it through before I go to sleep tonight, but that might be a mistake!
Go ahead and read it tonight, any nightmares you have might just give you some great ideas ;)
There are ideas alright :P
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