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May. 11, 2009
Nature Study--Frogs
It's just that time of year when nature study is a lot more enjoyable around our home. In the winter, we do it, but not as faithfully as we should. That's why I've been posting so much about nature study lately. We've just really been having fun with it. (Besides the fact that it's a lot more fun to take pictures of nature study than of math books!) Sometimes impromptu nature study is the most fun. Something just surprises you and so you take the time to appreciate it, observe it and learn about it. That's what this study was--impromptu.
My husband found this special little critter while he was rototilling our garden, so he brought it to the kids for their inspection.
We identified it as a Pacific Tree Frog, which is the most common frog on the West Coast of North America. It can be brown or green or both. The identifying marks are the size and the black patch on the eye. They are mostly nocturnal, so it's a privilege to find one in the day. They have sticky feet which makes it so they can climb on slick vegetation. They catch they're prey by ambushing the insects.
JD boy even got to hold it. This can give you an idea of the size of the frog as compared to a six-year-old's hands. I think this one is a a female too and the males are supposed to be even smaller. I don't know for sure that it's a female though, but the markings are slightly different and from what I can see the markings match the female rather than the male.
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May. 11, 2009 - Pacific Tree Frog
I lifted a big leaf one day that was hanging over the leaf below it, something like these leaves. I found myself eyeball to eyeball with a frog just like this one. I had a tiny micrscope in my pocket and was able to slowly bring it out and pull that leaf closer and closer to my eye. I was astonished! The gold was glittering like he had been painted with it. After our 5-inches-from-my-face meeting, I eased the branch and leaf back to its original location and place the other leaf over him as it had been before. He had not moved an inch! What a treat! EGD