Actors: Narrator 1 & 2, Frog, Tadpole, and Toad

PPresents Frogs

Narrator: It is springtime at a pond.

Frog 1: A jellylike cluster of eggs floats among the waterweeds at the pond’s surface. These eggs are the beginning of…

All: Frogs.

Tadpole 1: A breeze ripples the surface. The floating clump of eggs is called frog spawn.

Frog 2: Frogs lay their eggs in water or wet places.

Tadpole 2: Otherwise, the eggs could dry up and die.

Frog 1: These eggs do not have shells. They are inside jellylike coverings.

1 Narrator: As they float, the jelly lets the sun’s warmth come through to the eggs inside.

Frog 2: Not all the eggs will survive.

Tadpole 1: Most of the time the large and slimy mass of eggs is too slippery and too big to be eaten.

Frog 1: This is nature’s way of protecting them.

Narrator: But some of the smaller clusters of eggs will be eaten by creatures living in or near the pond.

Tadpole 2: The tadpoles are about three months old. Again, they look different. They have front legs.

Frog 2: Their tails are even smaller. They have shed their tadpole skin and lips. At last, they have the wide mouths of frogs.

Frog 1: The tadpoles have become tiny frogs. They climb out of the pond and onto the land.

Frog 2: Their tails will become smaller and smaller until they finally disappear.

Narrator: The tiny frogs begin to eat insects and worms. They aren’t vegetarians anymore.

Tadpole 1: Frogs are amphibians. The word amphibian comes from a Greek word that means “two lives.” Tadpole 2: An amphibian can live on land or in the water.

2 Frog 1: Frogs are cold-blooded. That means their inside body temperatures are about the same as the outside temperature.

Frog 2: During the next few years, the tiny frogs will grow to be mature frogs.

Tadpole 1: Then they will be able to make their own frog spawn, and there will be new baby frogs.

Narrator: Frogs have many body parts.

Frog 1: (Point to the body parts as you call them out.) Skin… Back leg…Five Toes… Webbed Feet… Ear…

Frog 2: (Continue to point to the body parts as they are read.) Eye… Nostril… Teeth… Front Leg…Four Toes…Tongue

Narrator: The tongue is attached to the front of the mouth. It is sticky.

Tadpole 1: Frogs don’t hunt for food. Their big eyes are on top of their heads so they can see all the way around.

Tadpole 2: They stay very still. When something flies or crawls nearby, their long, sticky tongues dart out to catch it.

Narrator: They swallow their food whole.

Frog 1: Frogs that swim use their powerful hind legs and webbed feet to push them through the water.

3 Frog 2: Frogs have two sets of eyelids. One set is transparent so they can see through them.

Tadpole 1: When frogs dive, they close these eyelids to protect their eyes.

Narrator: On land, the frogs hop about. They use their very strong hind legs to leap.

Tadpole 2: Most frogs can jump ten times their body length.

Frogs 1 & 2: They are wonderful jumpers!

Narrator: There are differences between a frog and a toad.

Frog 1: Frogs have small teeth in their upper jaw.

Frog 2: Toads don’t have teeth.

Tadpole 1: Frogs have large, round ear membranes.

Tadpole 2: Toads have small round ear membranes

Narrator: Frogs have ridges down their back, and toads have ridges on their head.

Frog 1: Frogs have a narrow body…

Frog 2: Toads have plump bodies.

4 Tadpole 1: Frogs have a smooth, moist, soft skin.

Tadpole 2: Toads have a thick, dry, bumpy skin.

Narrator: Frogs have long hind legs and have long leaps.

Frog 1: Toads have short legs. They move slowly with short leaps.

Frog 2: Frogs lay clumps of eggs in water. Toads lay their eggs in strings.

Narrator: Frogs live in or near water, and toads live on land.

All : Croak…Croak…Croak

Frog 1: Frogs lived 230 million years ago, even before dinosaurs lived on Earth.

Tadpole 1: An African bullfrog can be as big as a football.

Frog 2: Frogs protect gardens by eating huge amounts of insects.

Tadpole 2: Some people eat frog legs, which they consider a delicacy.

Narrator: A dwarf puddle frog can eat 100 mosquitoes in one night.

Frog 1: Frogs have different kinds of feet. Some have sticky toes for climbing. Frog 2: Some have painted toes for digging. Others have webbed feet for swimming.

5 Tadpole 1: Some tree frogs spend their entire lives in tree tops and never come down to the ground.

Tadpole 2: The glass frog has strange skin. You can see through the skin to its insides.

Narrator: Some very big frogs can eat mice and rats.

Frog 1: Some species of frogs are becoming extinct.

Frog 2: Herpetologists are trying to find out what is causing this.

Narrator: We must learn to take better care of life on our planet.