For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:15
Not sure why, but I’ve always liked frogs. Perhaps they remind me of summertime – school was out and I was relatively free to roam the woods and fields and lakes and streams – searching out critters to investigate.
I recently found this frog hiding in my garden hose reel. Not sure why he decided to climb about five feet off the ground and worm his way under the coils of hose. It had been very hot and dry, so perhaps he could smell the water inside the hose, or perhaps it was the coolest, dampest place he could find. This particular frog wasn’t much bigger than a quarter. I’m glad I saw him, as I could have easily mashed him with the hose had I not been aware.
Frogs eat lots of bugs, including mosquitoes if given the chance. That’s probably one of the reasons I like them. This little guy was so small, a couple of king-sized mosquitoes around my house would probably fill him up for the day. You go, buddy.
Note how flat the tip of the frog’s toes are. This is a good clue that this is a tree-climbing frog. Although the surface looks flat to our naked eye, there are in fact hexagonal cells surrounded by grooves filled with mucus on the tips of his toes, and numerous, tiny dimples which create a lot of friction on the surfaces that they touch. The material is very soft, like silicone rubber. This allows the foot to conform to the surface underneath it. The mucus on the tips of their toes helps serve as a wet adhesive, so that they can climb high trees, or hose reels, with ease.
Man is studying this remarkable adhesion/climbing ability to see if it can benefit us in making non-skid shoes, and tires that can stop a vehicle in far less time than the ones we use now, as well as a myriad of other things we use adhesives for.
As we continue to discover the mysteries of God’s creation, we do well to give Him all the glory.
Getting to touch another of his creatures just makes my day. Hope you have a great day as well.
Horned Puffin
I think I like them a little more now that I know they eat mosquitoes. 😁 Thanks for the good word.
Hi Faith. Anything that eats mosquitoes and/or ticks gets my utmost approval. Had a few of these frogs serenading me this week as I worked on a backyard project. Thanks for taking time to write again.