Rat rescued from the middle of a pond after hitching a lift on a frog

Unusual animal alliance photographed in a pond in Lucknow, India
The rat was clinging on to debris but made it to the shore thanks to the help of the frog

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Odd couple: A rat was pictured in India hitching a lift across a pond on the back of a frog

These extraordinary pictures show an unusual animal alliance as a frog carries a rat across a pond, saving the rodent from a watery grave.
The rat had been clinging to debris as it struggled to stay afloat in the pond in Lucknow, in northern India, and welcomed the assistance of a more aquatic creature.
The friendship is reminiscent of The Wind in the Willows, the beloved children's book in which Ratty helps Mr Toad reclaim his ancestral home.

Don't look now! The rodent was struggling to stay afloat before the intervention of the friendly frog

Unusual: The alliance is reminiscent of beloved children's book The Wind in the Willows

Triumph: The pair eventually made it to the shore of the pond, saving the rat's life

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2449461/Im-stuck--I-need-toad-away-Rat-rescued-middle-pond-hitching-lift-frog.html
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It's raining cats and frogs! When it gets too wet even for an amphibian...

By HELEN COLLIS

This tiny little frog was snapped clinging to a leaf to shelter from the rain in a downpour in Jember, East Java, Indonesia

While millions of Brits swap sun hats for brollies today, this resourceful little frog was snapped sheltering from the rain - using a leaf as an UMBRELLA.
Photographer Penkdix Palme, 27, caught the tiny tree frog sheltering from the rain in his neighbour's back garden.
The aqua-phobic amphibian clung on to the stem of the green leaf for an impressive 30 minutes as it was lashed by wind and rain. In this fascinating series of photographs, the two-inch high frog appears to angle the makeshift umbrella towards the direction of the downpour.

The clever little amphibian clung to its 'umbrella' leaf for 30 minutes as the rain fell all around him

Large droplets of water gather at the bottom of the leaf and surrounding branch while the clever frog remains protected.
Penkdix, who only took up photography six months ago, said he was shocked when he stumbled upon the unusual scene in his hometown of Jember, East Java, Indonesia.

He avoided taking a battering by the rain drops, which instead collected on the leaf above him

It seems the frog wasn't too fussy on which style of 'umbrella' to opt for

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2375183/When-things-wet-frog-.html
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Whatever you do, don't kiss it! Scientists successfully breed tiny blue frog that's so poisonous it can kill TEN men

The blue poison dart frog is naturally found in Costa Rica and Brazil
But it is under threat in South America, where habitat is being destroyed
Now experts at Walford and North Shropshire College have successfully bred one of the deadly amphibians in their lab

By RACHEL REILLY

A blue poison dart frog, found naturally in the tropical forests of Costa Rica and Brazil, has been successfully bred at Walford and North Shropshire College

British experts have successfully bred a rare species of frog that is so poisonous it can kill ten men.
The blue poison dart frog is only 2.5cm long and is usually found in the tropical forests of Costa Rica and Brazil. But the species is under threat in South America, where their habitat is being destroyed.
Now animal experts at Walford and North Shropshire College have successfully bred one of the deadly amphibians in their lab.

Despite its diminutive size, the tropical frog can kill ten men with a single dose of its venom

Simon Metcalfe, the animal technician who led the project, said: 'Although eggs were laid on several occasions, the students had been unsuccessful in getting the eggs to progress to tadpoles.
'They had always gone mouldy and not formed. After researching environmental conditions required and their breeding behaviour, a few adjustments were made and we waited for the first clutch of eggs to be laid.

Until now the eggs that had been laid had gone mouldy and not formed properly. But after researching environmental conditions and breeding behaviour, the scientists were able to successfully breed a frog

'Now all our research and effort has paid off and our first froglet was moved out of water and on to dry land, its metamorphosis now complete.'
A male and female blue poison dart frog were donated to the college by a student who left to join the army.
Once the pair had produce a fertilised egg, the team placed it in an inside pond, where it took 12 weeks for the froglet to develop.

The Blue Poison Dart froglet will grow to be just 2.5cm long when it reaches adulthood

The team of four experts set the water's temperature at 27C (80F), and lit it with UV lights, to recreate the conditions of the frog's natural habitat.
But despite the frog's fearsome reputation, the students have nothing to fear from the tiny frog because it only becomes venomous after eating certain toxic tree barks and insects in the wild.

The striking frog took 12 weeks for to develop. During this time it was kept in a pond heated to a constant 27C and lit with UV lights



source: dailymail
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Halfway down the stairs... Real-life Kermit the Frog lookalike is happy to sit like a human

By GARETH DORRIAN

The Kermit the Frog lookalike is filmed sitting up, exactly like a human

It's not easy being green; or so the song goes.
But the only thing this jumping amphibian seems to be missing in life is a top hat and monocle. Bizarre footage unearthed on Youtube shows this giant Kermit the Frog lookalike sitting bolt upright on a bench with legs dangling and his webbed toes resting on his thighs; just like a human taking a breather.
The extraordinary scene has only been watched a few hundred times but is surely set to become an internet hit. The 43-second clip's cameraman uploaded the clip on Monday. No clues are included about where the video was shot; it merely includes the caption: 'Never seen nothin (sic) like this before.'
He simply watches the frog in stunned silence as his boggle-eyed subject appears deep in thought.
The scene is reminiscent of the Muppets' UK chart hit Halfway Down The Stairs; which climbed to number seven in 1977.
Youtube visitor thugnificent21 said: 'Where is this guy's hat and monocle?'.

The froggy antics are apparently nothing to do with a new Budweiser advert

Other users have pointed out how relaxed the frog looks and that he resembles a pensioner waiting for a bus.
It's thought the frog's antics aren't a publicity stunt to promote the latest Muppets film.
It also isn't likely to be a long-awaited sequel to the mid-90s beer adverts starring life-like puppet frogs 'Bud', 'Wise' and 'Er'.

source: dailymail

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Why can't I eat them? Hungry frog nips at touchscreen insects (and then its owner) in hilarious video

By BETH STEBNER

Virtual dinner: A Pacman frog catches its supper on a smartphone

Animals and technology don’t always see eye to eye.
That is exactly what happened when a hungry Pacman frog tries to nip at some tasty-looking bugs crawling across the screen of a smartphone, and became confused when he couldn't eat them.
The frog observes the bugs for some seconds, calculating its plan of attack.

Game on: The owner starts the Ant Smasher game while the frog looks on curiously

First attack: The frog lunges for what he thinks is his lunch

It then lunges for a particularly large ant, sticking its long pink tongue out to catch its dinner.
When it realises the ant is still on the screen, it sits back and watches for a second or two before again making an attack.

Regrouping: The frog calculates its next move as insects crawl down the screen

When the man goes to touch the screen again, the frog – most likely irritated by its lack of supper – attacks his thumb, causing the man to yell out in pain.
He then laughs it off before the video ends.
The frog’s owner is using the Ant Smasher app, a free game that allows users to crush the arthropods with a satisfying squish.
The frog’s owner – Youtube user rlawhdgs3 – is laughing throughout the animal vs. technology encounter.
At one point, the frog’s tongue actually crushes one of the touchscreen insects.

Technical difficulties: It gets frustrated when none its attacks yield a tasty bug

The goal, of course, is to keep them away from a tasty digital picnic.
Players squish the unsuspecting ants while simultaneously avoiding bees.
When the bugs are smashed by a person’s finger, they emit a satisfying, if not disgusting, squishing noise.
Pacman frogs – also known as South American horned frogs – have incredibly large mouths and often eat insects and small animals like mice and other frogs.
They can live as many as ten years in captivity.

Grabbing a bite: When the owner goes to start a new game, the frog decides his thumb makes a tasty treat



source: dailymail

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Mother almost gets a frog in her throat... after finding creature in a bag of Tesco SALAD

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Croaky! Sara Eason holds the bag of Tesco salad which contained the live frog

Sara Eason was looking forward to a healthy lunch – until it croaked.

The TV worker was surprised to find a live frog in her bag of Tesco Mixed Seasonal Baby Leaf Salad.

Mrs Eason, 37, said she had been putting the contents of the bag on to her plate when her fingers touched something slippery.


New home: Mrs Eason only discovered the frog, which can be seen through the plastic bag, when she reached in to pull out some leaves


‘I thought some of the leaves had gone slimy, so I had a look inside,’ she said. ‘I saw a little frog looking out at me, which then croaked. I jumped about a foot in the air.’

Her husband Francis, 36, had bought the salad from a Tesco Metro petrol station in Wimbledon, South-West London, four days before and the bag had remained unopened in their fridge since then.


Slimy: The frog had been in the fridge for four days before being discovered


Mrs Eason was about to eat lunch at home in Morden, Surrey, on Thursday before heading to work as a script supervisor on Channel Five’s Big Brother show.

‘I didn’t want the frog jumping around the house when I was out so I put it in a bag and took it to work,’ she said. ‘My production manager gave it some water and it now seems to be the office pet.’

A Tesco spokesman said: ‘We can only apologise. We take the quality of our produce very seriously, and we will investigate this with our supplier.’

source: dailymail

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Hanging around: Tree frog has a go at some pull-ups as he leaps out of algae covered pond

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Hanging out: This frog is was pictured attempting to do some chin ups during the spawning season

This frog is adamant he won't croak it - as he attempts to do some pull-ups.

The bizarre moment was spotted by German snapper Heinz Buls as he photographed Tree frogs during the spawning season.

The frog leapt out of the algae covered water to grab hold of the branch perched just above the water line - before hanging there for a few moments.

But the creature couldn't even manage one as he gave up and flopped back into the water.

The stunning shot was captured as Heinz sat on the banks of a river flowing through Illertal, in Bayern, Germany.

The 60-year-old teacher said: 'I was photographing other frogs during the spawning season and suddenly noticed this rare situation.


Cooling off: The stunning shots was captured as Heinz Bulz sat on the banks of a river flowing through Illertal, in Bayern, Germany


'This tree frog climbed on to the stick and hanged there for a couple of seconds.
'I only had enough time to make this single shot.'

The amateur photographer, who has been taking wildlife pictures for over 30 years, added: 'I am not sure why this frog climbed the stick.

'But a couple of seconds afterwards a snake appeared right near to the spot the frog had leaped from.

'So I think it was probably trying to escape from the snake this way.

'These frogs are said to be good climbers but I've never in my long wildlife photography career seen anything like this before.'

source: dailymail

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The snake escape: Screaming frog hops to safety after 20 minute struggle with serpent

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Fight for survival: The frog holds on for dear life as the snake tries her best to wolf him down

When this snake fancied frog's legs for tea, he didn't reckon on a lengthy struggle with an amphibian who refused to let himself become a fast food snack.

These pictures show how a hardy frog battled with the ravenous reptile for 20 minutes before finally kicking himself free and hopping to safety.

The frog, who had been sunning himself in a back garden in Indonesia, grabbed hold of a branch and held on for dear life after the snake pounced from behind.


Survival of the fittest: Although the snake managed to almost entirely swallow one of the frog's legs, the tenacious amphibian still managed to escape


It seemed the frog's fate was sealed when the red, yellow and black snake wrapped her mouth around his leg and clamped down.

But he somehow broke free and hopped away - bloodied and bruised.

The snake, her fast-food fancy foiled, slunk back into the bushes.

Alerted by the frog's terrified scream, photographer Brizadly Arifin captured this attack in his back garden in Jakarta.

source: dailymail

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Tree frogs could hold key to new self-cleaning bandages, long- lasting glues and grippier tyres

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Hanging on: Orange thighed Tree Frog, Litoria chloris, in the Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia, has a secret to its foothold


The biology of tree frogs could provide us with tyres that literally stick to the road, according to a Scottish academic.

'Tree frog feet may provide a design for self-cleaning sticky surfaces, which could be useful for a wide range of products especially in contaminating environments - medical bandages, tyre performance, and even long lasting adhesives,' Niall Crawford told the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Glasgow.

But although it has been known for a long time that tree frogs had sticky feet covered in mucus, the secret of how they keep them sticky has only just been discovered in the laboratory.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow placed the frogs on a tilting, rotatable platform to measure the angles at which the frogs lost their grip.

Adding dust caused them to slip sooner, but the frogs would take a few steps and regain their footing.

That ability to clean their feet so quickly, which scientists now understand, could lead to new self-cleaning surfaces and adhesives.


Key grip: The microstructure of the pads on the frog's toes allows it to stick like glue


'When the frogs did not move the adhesive forces recovered much more slowly,' said study researcher Niall Crawford at the University of Glasgow.

'Interestingly the same factors that allow tree frogs to cling on also provide a self-cleaning service. To make their feet sticky tree frogs secrete mucus.

'They can then increase their adhesion by moving their feet against the surface to create friction.

'We have now shown that the mucus combined with this movement allows the frogs to clean their feet as they walk,' Crawford said.

'Just taking a step enables frogs to clean their feet and restore their adhesion ability.'

The White's tree frogs he used also have tiny hexagonal patterns on their feet, which allow some parts of the pad to remain in contact with the surface and create friction, while the channels between allow the mucus to spread throughout the pad.

This mucus at once allows the frog to stick and then, when they move, also carries away any dirt.

If this can be translated into a man-made design it could provide a re-useable, effective adhesive

source: dailymail

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Who let the frogs out? Tiny amphibians dazzle in a ribbiting display of colour

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Small is beautiful: This amazing pic is likely to make other photographers green with envy


A British photographer has spawned a dazzling collection of photos capturing her favourite creature - the humble frog.

Photographer and reptile enthusiast Angi Nelson began taking pictures of frogs from her own collection after a diagnosis with the debilitating disease ME left her housebound.

Angi, 42, has turned her living room into an amphibi-theatre where the frogs perform their unique form of acrobatics for the camera. The result is a ribbiting gymnastic performance where the scaly creatures hide out in petals, peer out of buckets and dangle precariously from the tiniest of branches.


Splits decision: This little fella is amazingly supple


Unable to explore the outside world for subjects, the formerly active Angi needed an outlet for her creative urges and instead used the tiny creatures as models.

During a shoot, she spends hours painstakingly setting up the lighting and props for the frogs before placing them in front of the lens. She then takes the photos as quickly as possible to avoid distressing her amphibious friends.



Hello, petal: This tiny frog clings on to a bright pink flower with his amazing orange feet


Former nurse Angi, 42, from Bristol, said: ‘When I first got ME four years ago I was completely bed-bound, but as I slowly recovered I was able to do a bit more and was desperately looking for a hobby I could do about the house.

‘I already loved keeping pets and as my partner owns a reptile shop I started photographing the animals as they came in and it all started from there.


Feeling clingy: It looks a bit precarious, but judging by the smile on this little critter's face, it's actually all fun and games


Looks like Ms Nelson forgot to turn on the anti-red-eye function on her camera for this one


This tree frog likes nothing better than hanging around


Feeling blue: A pair of milk frogs, which in the wild can be found in the Amazon Rainforest



Branching out: The red-eyed tree frog has sticky pads on its feet to stop it falling off


source : dailymail

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The lazy amphibian who hitched a lift with a goldfish

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Lazy: This frog was too tired to swim across the pond... so hitched a lift on board a passing fish


A gardener was stunned when he found a frog getting a piggyback from a goldfish in his pond.

Pensioner Tony Butler rushed for his camera and captured the pair gliding across the water in his garden in Paignton, Devon.

He snapped a picture of the bizarre scene and then used a net to haul both out of the pond and separated them because he was worried the fish may be injured.


Hop on: Surprised owner Tony Butler thinks the frog hopped its way into the garden in search of a mate


Mr Butler, 75, and his wife Joyce have two ponds at their home in South Devon, one for fish and one for newts and toads.

He thinks the frog had hopped its way into the garden and moved to the wrong pond in search of a mate.

Mr Butler said: 'I had heard the frog croaking for a fortnight before this happened so I guess he was looking for a mate.

'I went to look at the pond and saw it on top of my biggest goldfish.

'I've heard that frogs can attack fish in this way but I've never seen anything like it before.

'The frog was there for quite a while and I began to worry about my goldfish so a pulled them both out with a net and found the frog had clamped himself on top of it.

'I've no idea where the frog came from. We live in the middle of Paignton and somehow it found our garden and found the pond.

'I put the fish back into the pond and she looks none the worse for the ordeal although if we hadn't done something she could have croaked.'

source: dailymail

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It's a frog's life!

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Having a vine time: A tomato plant is a great place to hang


They're not everyone’s idea of the perfect model — but these frogs have spawned a brilliant set of photographs.

It’s all the work of amateur photographer Bob Garas, 53, who patiently snapped the tiny amphibians at his home in Orlando, Florida.

‘We have lots of frogs around here,’ he says. ‘After it rains it’s not unusual to find dozens of them at the doors and windows.'


Cracked it: This little fellow felt he needed to come out of his shell


By the book: But is this chap in the frame for a bestseller?



One for the toad? Perhaps this frog's been on the bottle a little too long


In search of the perfect shot, he will often spend hours working with his unusual subjects.

Bored of humans and more obvious pets he turned his talents to frogs, but admits the the task takes a great deal of patience.


Tricky treat: Two scamps climb inside a pumpkin ready for Halloween


'I love animals and so I decided to try and do something a bit different with the frogs which were paying me a visit.

'Every now and then I will just take a frog into the studio and sit it on a a prop, I just choose things which I believe will make for an interesting photograph.

'Of course it's not always easy. Sometimes I strike lucky and I get one which is happy to co-operate with me, but other times they just end up jumping everywhere including half way up the walls.


Hello petal: This tiny Kermit's found a really daffy place to hide


Getting it taped: Inch by inch, this frog has the measure of this obstacle


'Once I have captured the shot I simply put the frogs back outside.

'I have been taking pictures since I got my first digital camera ten years ago and I've worked with lots of other animals before including chickens and dogs.

'I have to admit frogs are the biggest challenge but the result is definitely worth it.'

They’re not harmed, of course, and after they’ve had their close-ups, Bob makes sure they hop it, safely, back into the wild.


Budding climber: Hanging on by his fingertips, he's determined to conquer this heavy plant


source: dailymail

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It's a frog eat frog world out there! Giant amphibian devours his smaller companion

By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE

Bullfrogs don't mess about when they're hungry - and even cannibalism isn't ruled out.

This huge chap appeared out of a swimming pool duct in Maryland, USA, with a pair of legs sticking out of his mouth that quite clearly belonged to one of his cousins.

Husband and wife Tad and Karen Bacon saw the greedy amphibian swallowing a smaller member of his species while cleaning their pool.

And they quickly managed to capture the bizarre sight on camera before the bullfrog jumped back into the water to devour the rest of his meal.

Karen, 50, said: 'I heard my husband screaming 'Get your camera, you are not going to believe this!'

'When I go over to him I was stunned by what I saw. It made me a bit squeamish and totally fascinated at the same time. I still have a hard time looking at the picture.
'All I kept thinking was how did he get something that large in his mouth.

'I was only able to get off a few shots before he jumped into the bottom of the pool.'


source: dailymail

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Hop on! Snake gives frog a piggy-back to beat Australian floods

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Snakes alive! The frog is pictured getting as helping hand from the snake in the swirling floodwaters of Queensland


In an apparent re-run of the famous fable The Scorpion and the Frog, this 'I can't-believe-my-eyes' moment came as a snake is caught on camera giving a frog a lift on its back to escape the Australian floods.

Real life played out backwards though, as the frog was the animal hitching the ride this time around.

But whereas in the fable the scorpion stings the frog causing them both to drown, this story had a happy ending as the two plucky animals put aside old differences to fight the elements.

Amid the photos of catastrophe, despair and destruction that beset the eastern state of Queensland, computer technician Armin Gerlach snapped the green frog hitching a ride on the back of a brown snake through the floodwaters near Brisbane.

'It's quite common when you have animals in floods or fires or disasters, they actually get together. But this was amazing. I just couldn't believe it.'

The floods have taken a terrible human toll, however, and in the Brisbane suburb of Toowomba today Donna Rice, 43, and her 13-year-old son Jordan became the first of Queensland's flood victims to be buried.

Red roses were scattered over their white coffins as the funeral brought home the tragic consequences of the floods that engulfed Australia’s northeast earlier this month, claiming the lives of 26 people so far.

The estimated cost of the flood damage stands $5billion Australian dollars (£3.1billion).


source: dailymail

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