Welcome

Welcome to issue 22 of Green Kids. For this issue we visited the local wildlife pond to find out about frogs and other amphibians. You can find out how to attract frogs and toads to your garden, make your own origami hopping frog and do some colouring on the back page.

Contents:

3 All about frogs 4 Origami Frog 5 In the kitchen 6 Your Letters 8 Colouring

fact

There are

around 474 0

species of

frog!

What is an amphibian?

A creature that can live on water and

on land. Frogs are amphibians, so are

toads, newts and salamanders.

What’s t hediffere nce betwee n frogs and toa ds? Most frogs have teet h (in the u pper ja ws only) b ut toads d o not have any tee th. Frogs lay their e ggs in clu sters w hile toads lay their e ggs in a lo ng stra nd. The sk in of frog s is differe nt to o, it is slim y and smo oth, and toads usu ally have dry warty skin. F rogs have strong w ebbed bac k feet fo r hopping , while to ads have short legs, suit able for w alking.

Editor Melissa Corkhill Design Jez Harris. Green Kids is printed on recycled paper using vegetable based inks. To write to us: Green Kids, PO Box 104, Lewes, BN7 9AX Tel: 01825 872858 Website: www.thegreenparent.co.uk With thanks to www.papercrane.org for origami How does a tadpole become a frog?

Like all amphibians, frogs spend their lives near water because they must return to the water to lay their eggs. Frog eggs are laid in the water. When they hatch into tadpoles, they breathe with gills and swim using a tail. As they mature, they lose their tail, and they develop lungs for breathing air. In harsh climates, frogs bury themselves in sand and mud and hibernate (sleep very deeply) through the cold winter. What do frogs like to eat? Frogs eat insects, catching them with their long, sticky tongue. They also eat small fish and worms.

How to attract frogs

to your garden

Provide some water. An upturned bin-lid or a sunken washing bowl can be useful or if you have room dig a pond. Make sure ponds have one sloping side to allow creatures an easy way out. Leave a pile of dead wood in a shady spot. Big logs are best and can make a home for anything from beetles to frogs and toads.

fact

Frogs lay 3000

to 4000 eggs at

any one time.

Did you know? Frogs shed their skin when they get too big for it ... then eat it!!

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