Just FrogsJust Frogs is published by Bookpx, LLC.

Copyright © 2011 Bookpx, LLC

All photography Copyright © 2011 Nature’s Eyes, Inc

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without prior written permission except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-9829200-7-7

Manufactured in the United States of America

If I were a frog,

what kind would I be?

Would I live on the ground,

or up in the trees?

A Poison Dart Frog,

that’s what I could be!

I’d live in rain forests,

and all would fear me!

I could walk on thin branches,

with hardly a care.

My feet are quite sticky,

so they’d hold me right there!

I could be a Leaf Frog

and colored bright green.

It’s a very flashy color,

if you see what I mean.

I’d lay eggs in clusters,

if I were a girl.

See how I’d bunch them?

Doesn’t each look like a pearl?!

If I were a frog,

I’d be an amphibian.

Toads, salamanders and newts,

would be the family I’m in.

I could be an ambassador

for a place I call home,

like this Gaudy Leaf Frog,

with a charm all its own.

I’d have strong legs,

they’d allow me to leap.

I’d jump 20 times my own length,

for a person, that’s over 100 feet!

I could use my skin to keep me safe

from predators all around.

With stripes and spots and all such things,

I’d blend nicely with my background.

Or I could be bold and issue a warning.

Red means STOP, this is alarming!

If you touch me, you’ll get very sick,

for my skin is poisonous, this is no trick.

And speaking of skin,

mine wouldn’t just cloak.

I’d drink and breathe through it, too,

oh no, that’s no joke!

As a frog I’d rest on leaves or a twig,

they’d hold my weight, I wouldn’t be big.

My length would be short, my weight would be slight,

but for me, I’m sure, it would be just right!

I’d have two great big eyes,

that bulged out from my head.

They’d be a striking color,

bronze, gold, or even red!

My pupils would be one

of several shapes that may be found;

horizontal, vertical, heart-like,

or, in this case, big and round!

I’d leap about the forest,

jumping from leaf to leaf,

with never a worry about falling,

thanks to my sticky feet.

I’d keep an eye out for enemies

that might wish to do me harm,

like snakes and birds and lizards,

who are surely cause for alarm.

I’d listen to sounds around me

with ears that are big and round.

These ears are discs called tympanum,

and though large, they’re not easily found.

You can find them right behind my eye,

do you see that slight indentation?

These special discs connect with my lungs,

and both vibrate from sound waves in motion.

Here’s another cool thing,

if I were a frog.

My skin would be slimy,

like the moss on a log.

This moisture’s important,

it helps me to breathe.

My skin takes in oxygen,

something we ALL need.

If I were a Dart Frog,

there’d be one more thing.

My skin would be venomous,

and cause serious pain.

Perhaps I’ll be a Leaf Frog,

and a gaudy one at that,

with bright orange feet,

blue sides and green back!

There really are so many kinds

of neat frogs that I could be.

One that is poisonous, one that is bright,

and lots that climb through the trees.

I guess I’ll have to think about

the things that I like best.

I think I’d be my own special frog,

and different from all the rest!

Do you know. . .?

. . .There are approximately 190 species of frogs living in the rain forests of tropical Central and South

America.

. . . Poison Dart Frogs are referred to as such because indigenous Amerindians use the toxic secretions from

their skin to poison the tips of their blow darts.

. . . The toxicity of the poison dart frog’s venom is derived from a certain type of ant that it eats. If the frogs

are kept in captivity and deprived of these ants, their skin is no longer poisonous.

. . . Poison dart frogs have no way to distribute their venom—a predator must touch their skin to be

subjected to the poison.

. . . The most poisonous of the dart frogs is the Golden Poison Frog. It has enough toxin in its skin to kill 10-

20 men or about 10,000 mice.

. . . Poison dart frogs are very small, ranging in size from less than 0.6 inches to 2.4 inches.

. . . Despite their small size, poison dart frogs are surprisingly fearless. They will put themselves in close

proximity to animals who could eat them, suggesting that the dart frogs are aware of the protection their

poisonous skin provides.

. . . You should wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling any frog. This protects the frog from

absorbing any unhealthy substances you might have on your hands and you from any toxins that may be

present on the frog’s skin.

. . . Tadpoles (frog babies) are fairly social and can interact and school like fish do.

. . . Frogs can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

. . . A gathering of frogs is called an army.

. . . Some frogs have sticky tongues which they use to catch bugs.

. . . When a frog swallows its food, its bulgy eyeballs close and drop down into its head. The eyeballs apply

pressure on the frog’s throat and help to push the food down.

. . . Some frogs have webbed feet which help them to swim, while others have clawlike feet which they use

for digging.

. . . Frogs shed their skin regularly—some weekly and others every day!

. . . The lifespan of frogs varies—some live just 4 years while others live as long as 17.

Great Ways to Use This eBook

. . .Reading this book to a very young child? Flip through the pages, look at the pictures and have the child

describe what he/she sees, talk about the images, etc.

. . .Read the book together or let the child read to you.

. . .Let the child make up his or her own story about what’s taking place in the photo.

. . .Get a map or globe and find Central America where these frogs live. Point out Panama and Costa Rica,

the two countries where these frogs were photographed.

. . .Get a box of crayons, look through the book and talk about the many different colors and patterns you can

find on the frogs’ bodies, e.g., stripes, dots, squiggles, etc. Have the child choose a frog to draw and color.

. . .Take out a ruler and show the child 1/2” to 2” (the size range of most of these frogs).

. . .Take out a small paperclip and place it in the child’s hand. Explain that it weighs approximately 2 grams,

the same as many of the poison dart frogs.

. . .Get a paper birthday party horn. Blow on it to demonstrate to the child how it unrolls and then snaps back.

Explain to the child that this is how a frog’s tongue works. The tongue is long and sticky. When a frog sees a

bug, it unrolls its tongue toward the bug, grabs it and snaps it back into its mouth.

. . .Take some scotch tape or masking tape, make a loop and place it on your child’s palm. Then have the

child place his or her palm down on a surface and notice how the hand sticks. Explain that this sensation is

similar to the one frogs have when walking along a branch or twig and using their sticky feet disks.

About BookpxJust Frogs is presented by Bookpx, LLC, publishers of environmentally conscious eBooks for children.

This eBook is part of a series of children’s books introducing young readers to the wonders of nature.

Our books are made possible through the collaborative efforts of:

• Lori L. Ferguson, writer and owner of Scribo Consulting.

• Ann-Rhea S. Fitch, photographer and owner of Nature’s Eyes.