Marsupial Frog
With Mother’s day fast approaching I thought I would stay within the theme and spotlight some frog Moms that deserve recognition. Warning – don’t try any of these mothering techniques at home!
Frogs can lay thousands of eggs; most species lay them and leave them for natural selection to take its course. But there are a few dedicated mothers that take great care in keeping their eggs safe. The marsupial frog keeps her eggs in a pouch. When the eggs hatch into tadpoles, she opens the pouch with her toes. A Surinam toad carries her young embedded in the skin of her back, where they develop until hatching fully formed. The gastric brooding frog of Australia swallows her fertilized eggs. The tadpoles remain in her stomach for up to 8 weeks, until finally hopping out of her mouth as little frogs. During the brooding period, gastric secretions cease so that she won’t digest her own offspring. What a frog Mom won’t do for her offspring!
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