by Melissa Jaramillo and Julie Snyder
In April, we first hear the rigget, rigget of the frogs down by the river -- a chorus of croaks, twitters, chirps, and trills! How timely that April is National Frog Month!
Below are instruction for making a frog-friendly garden and for watching your own tadpoles turn into frogs. We've also described a few unusual frogs and added little-known frog fact. Enjoy!
A Frog-friendly Garden
Make your garden attractive to frogs because they are wonderful natural pest eliminators. There are a number of factors that will help:
- Insects to eat. You can attract insects that won't harm the plants to your garden by keeping a compost heap, mulching garden beds and planting a variety of local native plants.
- Humidity and shade. Your garden should be well vegetated if it is to retain moisture and provide shade for frogs. It should contain ground cover, small plants and bushes and small to large trees.
- Sheltered areas. Vegetation, rocks, logs or artificial garden ornaments provide frogs with a place to hide.
- Places to breed. Ideally, this should be a shady pond with underwater aquatic plants. However, even a temporary pond that fills after rain will be enough for some species.
- Keep your garden free of chemicals (e.g. insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers). Frogs succumb to environmental poisons because they have very thin skin that absorbs chemicals. They also become sick and die by eating insects that have been poisoned.
- Frog ponds. Frog ponds are an ideal way to encourage frogs to breed in your garden.
From Tadpole to Frog
Tadpoles are popular pets! They're easy to care for, quick to develop, offer an opportunity for learning and fun to watch. Here are some tips to make your tadpole adventure a success:
