Comments on: frog egg afternoon

By: Kristin

Kristin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:43:41 +0000

It’s so easy to learn and enjoy science with kids, especially when you make it real like you have done with T.

By: patricia

patricia — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:20:12 +0000

Actually, now I think you were right, Carrie! I think we have newts–which are a type of salamander, a fact I just learned this morning. Mr. T and I did some research. I found a link to a newspaper article on newts, and it says they lay their eggs in a “ping-pong ball-sized cluster”–which is precisely what we have! And just this morning we could see one of them, very tiny, swimming in its clear egg. I’m pretty sure they’re not frogs, since they’re taking longer to develop.

You have lots of good questions for us. If they are indeed newts, I do know that they start out much like tadpoles, developing legs as they go. I’m not sure that they all have the feathery gills. We’ll keep watching and researching, and we’ll keep you posted. And if things go well, you will definitely have to see them!

By: Carrie

Carrie — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:00:49 +0000

Ooh! Salamanders. What did you find out? Are they still called tadpoles?Or just juveniles? Do they start with no legs like tadpoles? Will they have feathery gills?

I hope they are a successful hatch. We would love to see them.

One year I managed to get Nathan to draw his eggs every day- to record the changes. Then he was drawing his tadpoles too. Of course, that was the year that one of our grown-up toads turned cannibal and ate all the tadpoles…but it was a cool “project” while it lasted.

By: patricia

patricia — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:46:55 +0000

Yep, I did a little research and thought that these might be salamander eggs. They get a little squiggle shape inside the egg, rather than the spot you see with frogs. And they take longer to hatch than frogs do, which would make sense because I don’t notice much going on after five days.

Mr. T has decided that salamanders are cuter than frogs anyway. We’ll keep watching and waiting…

I should have thought to ask your opinion, Carrie. You know your amphibians!

By: Carrie

Carrie — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:06:59 +0000

How fun! Definitely eggs, most likely amphibious…I’m going to guess those are newt eggs. You’ll have to keep us posted.

The firebelly toads we raise are only about 2 weeks from freshly laid to hatching- so you could have babies to identify pretty soon.

By: patricia

patricia — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:47:21 +0000

Oh, I didn’t mean to sound all gloomy and doomy. H will gladly watch films with me and discuss them in great detail, and Lulu will always accompany me to musicals and sing with me to the soundtracks. I suppose nature-trekking just doesn’t hold the same allure for them, so they don’t enjoy it as much as they used to. Who knows–maybe when Mr. T is a teenager he’ll still be walking along a trail with me, chattering all the way.

By: melissa s.

melissa s. — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:17:54 +0000

I’m holding my hands over my ears and singing la la la la la. I’m not ready to let my little nature-walk buddies grow up (I did hear the part about the book, though — off to check my library).

By: stefaneener

stefaneener — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:15:35 +0000

Yeah, my oldest will go, but somewhat begrudgingly.

Keep us posted on the outcome. Great book recommendation. We should go look at our pond here.