Originally published in Lake of the Woods Area News, Volume 54, Number 2, Spring 2024
The change of season is always apparent if you take the time to look and listen: the sun is higher in the sky, daylight is with us until early evening and bird song has returned. There is an explosive growth of buds, flowers, shoots and leaves. A surge of life is all around us.
Spring is also a great time for you and your kids to see and hear our local frogs in action. And kids love frogs. So, when the weather warms, head down to your local wetland in the evening, just as the sun is setting. Cup your hands behind your ears and push forward. Soon you’ll be greeted with the delightful spring symphony of frog song—from the high peeps of spring peepers to the trill like bursts of toad song; from the gulping of green frogs to later on in spring, the deep sonorous “garomph” of bull frogs. To find out more about what Ontario Frogs sound like, go to musicofnature.com/calls-of-frogs-and-toads-of-the-northeast.
Here are a few activities to help you and your family enjoy spring.
The Great Green Gobbler
Here is a dramatic game that helps kids learn how bullfrogs hunt. You’ll need an open field, and some hula hoops (or some circles of rope about the size of a hula hoop). This game can be played in groups of three or more.
How bullfrogs hunt:
They may look like they are slow and bumbling, but bullfrogs are incredible hunters. They’ve been known to catch birds, spiders, mice, bats, dragonflies and even their own kind. A bullfrog is a still hunter, which means it waits for prey to show up. When it detects prey moving near its territory, it rotates its body so that its mouth is oriented towards the prey. If necessary, it may make a few approach leaps. A bullfrog’s back legs are very powerful, like tightly wound springs. Once the frog is close enough, it extends its back legs and launches itself into the air, eyes closed and mouth wide open. Timing is everything. If the aim is true, a bullfrog will unfurl its massive mucus-covered tongue and fling it outward—often covering up its prey like a blanket.
It then retracts its tongue as its jaws clamp down. If the prey is large enough, the bullfrog uses its forearms to stuff any remaining bits into its massive mouth.
How to play the game:
Half of the group will be bullfrogs and the other half dragonflies. Have the bullfrogs set up their territory using hula hoops (or looped ropes). These represent a hunting platform (a lily pad, a clump of cattails or a marshy shore). Make sure frogs are at least three big steps away from each other. Bullfrogs crouch in their hula hoops, back legs folded and bent, front legs in between back legs. Here they wait patiently for dinner. Dragonflies are busy catching their own prey in and among the bullfrogs. They dart forward; they hover, zigging and zagging—flying backward, zooming forward. The quicker dragonflies are, the less likely they’ll be caught. On a given signal, the dragonflies flit among the frogs, trying to catch insects. Meanwhile bullfrogs try their best to catch a dragonfly. It is all about timing the leap. Can they tag a dragonfly with one of their hands extended, representing the unfurled tongue of a bullfrog? It is more challenging than you might think. Try it!
Calling all water striders
Skating on ice is one thing, but skating on water? How cool would that be? Well, there is an insect that can glide over the surface of ponds, rivers and lakes during the warm spring and summer months. It is called a water strider (not a spider, for it only has six legs—not eight). Water striders take advantage of surface tension to “row” across the water, using their paired legs. They also have small hairs that can both repel water and absorb air. Water striders are predators. When they feel the surface of the water being disturbed, they immediately scoot over to investigate—hoping to find an insect in distress to make a tasty meal.
You can attract a water strider by placing two thin twigs in the water. Hold the first halfway under the surface of the water—don’t move this twig. Place the other twig beside the first, but don’t let them touch. Move this twig up and down like a sewing needle. Your movements will create ripples that simulate a struggling insect. Don’t be surprised if a water strider or two glides over and grabs your twig!
Pond Viewer
Do you want incredible views of the underwater world without the sun glinting off the surface of pond or lake? It is easy to make your own pond viewer. For a simple viewer, use a large coffee can. Remove both ends and stretch clear plastic wrap over one. Secure with several elastic bands or duct tape. For a more solid and longer lasting viewer, use a section of 4-in. (10-cm) or greater PVC pipe. Glue a piece of Plexiglas to one end with GOOP or similar adhesive. Then place the plastic wrap or Plexiglas end under the surface of the water and look through the other end. Move quietly along. You’ll be amazed at how clear the underwater world becomes with your homemade pond viewer. Try taking pictures or even video.
