This is the beginning of the frog-mating season. I write this newsletter early, and by April 9 we already have eggs in the stream in spite of late rain and cold weather. The animals know the time has come and they are busy at it. Frogs live in damp grass and vegetation near fresh water and now is the time when food is plentiful. During mating season, the male croaks loudly to attract females by inflating his throat.
Every frog starts as a tadpole.
For the first eight weeks of life, they breathe under water through gills located behind their heads. They are vegetarian and feed on algae. At 8 weeks their hind legs are fully developed, they have functional lungs, must visit the surface for air and their diet becomes more varied. Suction cups near their mouth help them stay anchored in place. They have flattened tails to swim and rasping lips to scrape algae off rocks.