Dmmetler Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 About 5 years ago, DD rescued a bunch of tadpoles from a soon to be drained swimming pool that had collected water over the winter. She raised them to frogs, and, since by that point she'd discovered that tadpoles taken from the wild should not be returned to the wild, kept them. As it turned out, they were Southern Leopard Frogs, a difficult species to keep alive in captivity even for expert keepers (The only ones considered harder than semiaquatic ranids are the tropical Dendrobatids). She did it. I would never have expected, when she brought home those doomed tadpoles 5 years ago, that she would be researching frogs and presenting on them at herpetology conferences and that her inbox would be filled with frog questions and photos as she involves others in her explorations. I would never have expected the learning and discovery that has come from exploring and being involved with and tightly connected to a little tiny animal that eats bugs, imitates a rock or floating leaf, and can't even be held because the stress is likely to kill it. I never expected that the single greatest purchase that had the most benefit and impact on our homeschooling would be a plastic terrarium. And I would never have expected to be crying so hard over a dead frog, as opposed to being relieved that we no longer have to keep live insect feeders. 32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Awww, poor kid. Five years, though -- very impressive. She's got a real future in live insect-feeding husbandry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 O.k. I'm teary-eyed, too. I know this is sad for you both but I wanted to also mention you are such an inspiration. This is a large part of what learning and life should be about. What an amazing/exhausting/stressful/fun/eye opening/incredible educational journey you are both on. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I'm guessing 5 years is, like, 100 frog years so it died at a ripe old age after a rich and fulfilling froggy life. That's quite an accomplishment! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 It's a pretty long time for a captive semi-aquatic frog. The ones that can seemingly live forever are the truly aquatic ones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 What a lovely frog! I am so sorry for her loss. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Thanks for sharing the beginning of her journey. I look forward to reading about her experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Is she going to get more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 I'm hoping the frog ponds are enough to feed the frog desires, but I'm guessing we'll be putting something in that terrarium. I would prefer something that doesn't require live insects, or, at least, not crickets! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Aw, what a beautiful frog it was! I'm sorry. 5 years does seem pretty long for a frog. What a nice pet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 Yes, Southern Leopard frogs are in part of TX. So are Pickerel frogs, which look similar, but have more square markings. Usually you see one or the other. The same is true for Fowler's toads and American Toads, and Grey Tree Frogs/Cope's Grey Treefrogs. All three sister species pairs are basically identical visually, occupy the same ecological niche, but are, genetically, different and have a unique call. Ah, the things you learn after your kid brings home a cup of unidentified tadpoles... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Aww, what a little sweetie. Sympathy to you and your daughter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne115 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Sorry for her loss. It sounds like she had an awesome learning adventure. Suzanne 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 It's beautiful! I'm with your dd - I just love amphibians. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 :grouphug: I'm so sorry for the loss of your pet. True friends help us broaden the scope of our minds in so many ways if we listen and learn from them. I'm so happy your dd opened her heart to learning how to tend and nurture those little tadpoles, and that you encouraged her. Those little frogs have left quite a legacy behind, haven't they? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 dmmetler, you made me cry. I hope that you and your lovely daughter have many lovely memories. About 10 years ago, I was working at a school that had a pond. I arrived at work early enough to hear the doonk doonk froggy calls (Striped Marsh frogs - QLD, Australia) that sound like a tiny game of tennis. So lovely. I absolutely LOVED hearing that sound as I walked into work. Anyway, the powers-that-be decided that the pond needed to go and arranged to have it filled in. Oh, did I raise some noise in staff meetings! There are LIVE FROGS AND FISH in there! How can you fill it in?? I'm pretty sure I quickly became thought of as the 'crazy frog lady' (and a trouble-maker) but I was determined to do what I could. The ever-so-lovely groundsman gave up his weekend and the two of us spent many, many hours bucketing out the pond and straining for frogs, tadpoles and fish. No one else turned up to help my 'save the frogs' project. I don't think we caught any actual mature frogs (and I still optimistically hope they bounded away to safety), but we got buckets and buckets of tadpoles and fish and all of these were transported to my parents' pond. 10+ years on, my parents' pond is still teeming with life - all descendants from that original saved group :) Thank you for reminding me of this. I hadn't thought about it in a while. And thank you for sharing the stories about your daughter. I hope she has many more lovely froggy moments and memories. PS My daughter is loving Pocket Frogs - thanks for the suggestion 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 6, 2016 Author Share Posted April 6, 2016 We spend a lot of time in the Spring, checking mud puddles that are on the verge of drying up, and moving tadpoles into bigger bodies of water. I don't know how much it really helps, but it makes US feel better. We relocate a lot of lizards, frogs, and the occasional snake that ends up in someone's garage or utility shed. And DD is the designated spider/insect/invertebrate relocator at co-op. She got to save a 15 yr old boy from a tiny house spider who's fangs can't even penetrate human skin today ;). Thanks for saving the frogs and fish! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 chocolate-chip chooky, I loved your story! What an awesome thing for you to do. Welcome to the forum! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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