Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: froglet

We have a seasonal pond that dries up before all of the tadpoles can transform into froglets, so I step in by collecting the stragglers and putting them into a wading pool in our front yard. This artificial pond gives them the time they need to finish growing, and in return, I get to visit the cutie pies every day and take pictures! This was a picture I took back in 2012! :)

This darling baby frog was a rescued tadpole from our seasonal pond. It dries up before all of the tadpoles can transform into frogs, so before that happens, I transfer them to a plastic wading pool and give them the extra time they need to finish developing into frogs. I adore these little guys and what awesome photography subjects they make! :)

3 more pictures above! This morning I went over to investigate the flowers in the metal feed tub which we've turned into a planter. I keep it caged like Fort Knox because if I don't, the deer will mow everything down. I have learned that lesson the hard way more than once. Today I took the mesh off the top so I could take pictures, and as I made my way around to the far side, I discovered one of my favorite things in the world! One of the froglets from Lucky's and Angel's Pond had found its way into the tub and crawled up to sleep on a gladiolus leaf! Here was my Picture of the Day!! Because I have the mesh top zip-tied in place, it was a bit challenging to get the position I wanted, but I finally got there! Say hello to a young Pacific Tree Frog! :D Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was a minister and author (most notably of The Power of Positive Thinking) and a progenitor of "positive thinking". Wikipedia: Norman Vincent Peale Explored on September 12, 2013. Highest placement, page 1 (#21).

6 more pictures in notes above! :) I've been thinking about Lucky's Pond and Angel's pond lately, and feeling a little bummed that I didn't share more pictures of this unfolding event as the tadpoles I rescued turned into frogs and hopped away. Time flies and now it's mid-August! Unlike last year, all the tadpoles in Lucky's Pond turned into frogs and left that pond empty, so I've let it dry up. I want to clean it out so it's not such a mess next year. Most of the tadpoles have transformed in Angel's Pond too, but a few are still taking their time. This morning I went over to take a look and it's almost like these guys knew I was feeling sad because just like that, a froglet hopped onto the dry spot and sat staring at me! I hadn't seen any froglets for WEEKS so I was amazed and delighted! I buzzed into the house and back out with my camera and happily the froglet was still there! I got a few pictures before he hopped behind a rock, but then I saw another one swimming on the far side of the pond, and went around to take pictures of that one too. They are SO CUTE, aren't they?!! I was about to return to the house when I thought, "I wonder if this little guy would let me pick him up..." So I reached a finger under him and gently hoisted him up into the air...and he STAYED!!! YES!!! I took pictures one-handed and hoped I'd get at least one good picture--it's hard to keep the camera still with one hand, AND hard to keep my other hand still too...these shots are tough when BOTH hands are not rock-steady. Suddenly...*BOING*.... *SPLASH*, and my little buddy hopped back into the water and swam away. You can imagine my joy when I found that I got this picture, which turned out perfectly!! (The 8-10 others were either just a bit off to totally blurry!) Hooray for a brave little froglet!! :D I've been smiling all day thinking about this cutie pie! :) (In case you're interested, this is the story of Angel's Pond! ) Sivānanda Saraswati (September 8, 1887 – July 14, 1963) was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivānanda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in British Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism. He lived most part of his life near Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh. Wikipedia: Sivananda Saraswati Explored on August 16, 2013. Highest placement, page 1 (#20).

Here's the second froglet I found this morning, and he was swimming around the far side of the pool, so I walked around and took some pictures before I thought of my idea to pick him up! :)

After I took a few pictures, he was done with me and began to hop away. However, I managed to get this picture first, and you can see the tiny remnants of his tail back there!! Look at that cute little froggy butt! :D

When I ran into the house and returned with my camera, this is the picture I took first! Can you see that only his little nose is sticking out of the water?!! Soooooo adorable!!! :D

This morning I went over to see how the froglets were doing at Angel's Pond, and I found this adorable little fellow sitting on a rock, thinking about life. Perhaps he was wondering how he managed to get up so high? Or, maybe he was looking at the pile o' froglets below and wondered if they would appreciate him leaping on top of them all with a resounding, "CANNONBALLLLLL!!!" Anyway, he's really cute, no matter what he was thinking about!! :D

Would you just LOOK at these adorable little guys?!! Can you believe how many there are?!! When I first noticed them all piled up like this, I got a bunch of rocks to create more room for them to spread out, but as I suspected, they enjoy being in a frogpile! :D It must be for warmth, but it might also be for companionship. I do know that at some point they untangle themselves from the masses and climb up the side of the pool where they sit for a while and then hop out into the grass to find their way in the world.

One of the coolest life experiences I've had has been the joy of watching tadpoles turn into frogs and then leave to find their way in the world. I was so happy last year when I made the decision to save the remaining tadpoles in our seasonal pond and I met Lucky. This year it's twice as much fun because there are two ponds now with the addition of Angel's Pond! I spend a few minutes each day at each pool to see how everyone is doing, smiling and giggling at how adorable they all are. The tadpoles wiggle around, coming up to the surface for a bubble of air and then sinking back down to the bottom...or perhaps they will cruise around the surface for a few moments, soaking up the sunshine's warmth on their back. The froglets hang out in big piles where I have rocks placed so they can be out of the water. They've got lots of room to spread out, but nooooo, they like to stack up in a frogpile! And sometimes a froglet like the one above will hang out at the ramp I have which leads out of the pond, and to me, it looks so much like the icon of evolution. The change from tadpole to frog is so amazing to think about. If you have a moment, stop what you're doing, close your eyes and try to imagine what it would be like to have a tail, live in the water and have gills, and then, over the course of several DAYS (some transform slower), to lose that tail and have legs pop out where your gills were (because you breathe air now), and more legs pop out at the base of your tail stump! You used to have rasps in your mouth to scrape off algae to eat, but your mouth has changed too, and now you have a large mouth to eat insects and other animals! It's incredible! All we do is get big once we're born...frogs go through a complete transformation!! Isn't nature fascinating?!! :)

The froglets and tadpoles are coming! The invasion is upon us! Hooray!! :D Our seasonal pond is quickly drying up and will be dust within about a week, so a few days ago I set up another kiddy pool under our oak tree in the front yard and began porting buckets full of tadpoles and froglets up to their new temporary home! They're so cute and naturally photogenic, I have to stop myself from taking a billion pictures of them! I'll be putting up more pictures in the days and weeks to come! Thomas Sowell (born June 30, 1930) is an American economist, social theorist, political philosopher, and author. He is currently the Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. According to Larry D. Nachman in Commentary magazine, he is considered a leading representative of the Chicago school of economics. Wikipedia: Thomas Sowell

Although most of the tadpoles have now grown up and hopped away, Lucky's Pond still has plenty of polliwogs changing into froglets for me to adore. It's hard to find froglets on my daily visits now and there are usually only one or two hiding under a rock's edge or at the side of the pool, but I still see many tadpoles in the water. (HAPPY NOTE!! I just went out for a late night visit and found a half-grown froglet visiting, sitting in the place that many of them lined up for pictures...he looks like he's saying, "HEY! THIS ROCK SHRUNK! :D :D Totally adorable, what a fun discovery!!) Even though I saved them from drying up, these little guys still have plenty to worry about. There are water boatsmen and backswimmer insects and a large water beetle that live in the pond too, and they eat tadpoles and froglets that aren't quick enough! Wasps that come to drink the water will also eat our little friends if they get the chance. If you can believe it, the tadpoles will eat one another too. Adult frogs are known to eat froglets and tadpoles, and they come every night to get wet, and probably to hunt as well. Once the froglets hop out of the pond, they will need to rely on their instincts to survive. There is a garter snake whose home is right next to the pool and it surely eats some of the new hoppers who leave the pool. The environment is harsh and dry, and if their instincts don't tell every new froglet to seek the cool shade under bushes or in a safe hole during the day, they will succumb to the heat and dry conditions. There are ramps leading into the pond, and cool areas for them to easily hop to, but it's up to them to make it to safety. I know that most of them will die because that's just how it is, but if they're Lucky, they'll survive and will hopefully live to start a new family next spring! :) More fun froggy facts tomorrow, along with another picture from Lucky's Pond! :)

Here are a couple of froglets relaxing on a rock and enjoying a lazy day in the pond. It's been 19 days now since I brought the crew up to the new pond under the Oak tree, and so much has happened. Dozens of tadpoles have turned into little froglets, slowly losing their tails and then climbing up the side of the pool and hopping off to seek their fortune! I water the area around the pool every couple of days so it's not quite as dry, but their froggy senses should direct them to the cool shade under the plants 20 feet away by the side of our house. There is a dripping faucet there and water for the animals that stop by. (There are also ramps to get back up to the pool.) In the pond, there are still countless tadpoles, many of which still don't have any legs yet! A few froglets have stayed around and are growing larger with each passing day. I've found full-grown Pacific Tree Frogs visiting the pond at night, and lots of insects and spiders have been hanging around too. It's become quite an oasis for the little creatures in the area, but we do keep a screen over the top because a single thirsty deer could drain the entire pond, which would be a disaster. In short, Lucky's Pond is a total success! Steve and I are planning to make a permanent pond here so there will always be a sanctuary for the late tadpoles every year and a new place to live year-round! :) More fun froggy facts tomorrow, along with another picture from Lucky's Pond! :)

Sometimes the timing works out perfectly!! Our kiddy pool has little pictures all over it, and this tiny froglet happened to swim to just the right spot for a perfect picture! :D (Sorry about the stuff on the side of the pool, it's from the mud I brought up from the seasonal pond and is important for their environment, as it grows bacteria and algae that the tadpoles eat!) Pacific Tree Frogs have a average life span of only 1-2 years in the wild (up to 6 years in captivity), but most will die as tadpoles or froglets, eaten by predators or killed by a variety of environmental issues. It's a hard life to be a frog, and that's why there are so many babies! Females lay eggs in clumps of 10-90 and put them in shallow water on or under leaf litter, where they will hatch in 7-21 days. She may lay as many as 500 to 1250 eggs in a single season!! With so many babies, the odds are in her favor that at least a few of her offspring will live to be adults and raise families of their own! More fun froggy facts tomorrow, along with another picture from Lucky's Pond! :)

I thought this was a fun picture! Here we have the froglet from yesterday's picture at the surface with a large tadpole lurking underneath! Aren't they adorable?! :D It's so much fun to visit with the "kids" every day. The first "wave" of froglets are almost all gone now, but many tadpoles will be growing legs soon and turning into froglets as summer progresses! I never imagined the fun I would have with my little friends! :) Pacific Tree Frogs are nocturnal for the most part, though males will sometimes be active during the day as well. They hide under rocks and vegetation where it's cool, and come out at night to hunt for insects, spiders and arthropods like pill bugs. When a potential victim is close, they will sometimes wiggle a toe to attract their attention before they grab it with their sticky tongue! They can eat prey that's nearly as large as themselves, stretching their stomach to accommodate the large meal! More fun froggy facts tomorrow, along with another picture from Lucky's Pond! :)

Here's another picture from Lucky's Pond that I took a while back. It's been three months now since I rescued the tadpoles from our seasonal pond, and nearly all of my little friends have grown up and hopped away. Yet, there are still a few who refuse to grow up and don't even have legs yet! This happens sometimes when a tadpole stops its transformation to frog, but this usually happens if it's getting too cold, so I'm not really sure why they stopped their metamorphosis. When the days get close to freezing, I'll gather up the last of the babies into a bucket and bring them inside. I thought about putting a heater in the water but the pool is plastic and there are already problems with leaking and this will give me the chance to fix the pond and hopefully build a better, more permanent home for them. By the way, you should see all the froggies everywhere! Steve and I laugh when we find them because we know most are from Lucky's Pond! They gather around the hose on our upper deck (how they know to climb up there, I couldn't tell you!), they find their way into our shop and arrange themselves on the sink, wall, and faucet, and we find them hopping around on the floor there too! What fun to know that I helped to raise so many of these happy little hoppers! :) :)

I was really happy when I found these two cutie-pies side by side at the edge of the pool, because you can really see the differences in their appearance between tadpole and froglet! It's kind of hard to believe that the tadpole will look like that froglet, and equally hard to imagine that the froglet once looked like the tadpole!! They change so quickly, it's really an amazing transformation!! Here are some fun froggy facts! A group of frogs is called an 'army,' and a group of toads is called a ‘knot’! Frogs don’t drink water! They absorb it through their skin! Frog bones form a ring when the frog is hibernating, just like trees do! Although it's morbid to think about, these rings can be counted to find out how old it was when it died. More fun froggy facts tomorrow, along with another picture from Lucky's Pond! :)

There's just no end to the adorable photo ops here at Lucky's Pond! I came to visit the other day and discovered the froglets were putting on a modeling show, complete with a runway! Let's all give a big hand to Cindy Crawfrog and Claudia Shiffrog, who are modeling the season's finest in glamorous pond decor and foamy suds! WOOOOOOOT!!!! *cat call* :D :D Did you know that frogs have homing instincts?! Pacific Tree Frogs will find their way back to their original pond even if they are placed into a larger pond nearby. After the breeding season, frogs move away from their pond but come back to it next season by using their homing instinct! More fun froggy facts tomorrow, along with another picture from Lucky's Pond! :)