Common Frog: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Frogs and Toads · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. A common frog can make its skin lighter or darker to blend in. Black, red and even yellow albino frogs have been found.
2. It has see-through inner eyelids that cover its eyes underwater, a bit like a built-in pair of swimming goggles.
3. In Scandinavia it reaches the Arctic Circle. No other amphibian in that region lives so far north.
4. A female can lay up to 5,000 eggs. Packed in big clumps, the eggs stay warmer than the water around them, so the babies grow faster.
5. Once they hatch, the tadpoles swim together in schools, like little fish. Teaming up helps them feed and stay safe from hunters.

The quiz

1. How does a common frog blend in with its surroundings?

• It covers itself in mud
• It makes its skin lighter or darker (correct)
• It hides inside snail shells
• It glows in the dark

It can make its skin paler or darker to match where it is.

2. What protects a common frog's eyes underwater?

• Long eyelashes
• A layer of slime
• See-through inner eyelids (correct)
• It keeps its eyes shut

Transparent inner eyelids cover its eyes while it swims.

3. How far north does the common frog live in Scandinavia?

• As far as the Arctic Circle (correct)
• Only in the far south
• Only on the coast of Denmark
• It does not live in Scandinavia

It reaches the Arctic Circle, further north than any other amphibian there.

4. Why does it help that the eggs are packed in big clumps?

• They float up to the sunlight
• They taste bad to fish
• They sink into the mud
• They stay warmer, so they develop faster (correct)

The clump is warmer than the water around it, and tadpoles grow faster in warmth.

5. What do common frog tadpoles do after hatching?

• Each one hides alone under a stone
• They climb out onto land at once
• They swim together in schools (correct)
• They ride on their mother's back

They group in schools, which helps them feed and avoid predators.

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