V is for Venezuelan Pebble Toad
This is rather an endearing little toad, photographed by Gérard Vigo – one of the differences between frogs and toads is that toads do not have such long, strong, back legs as frogs, and move by small hops or walking.
This little toad has found a way to escape from its predators (mainly the toad-eating tarantula) without having the ability to jump clear.
Here is my poem, which explains:
.
Pebble Toad
.
To the Venezuelan
pebble toad,
climbing on
its stony road,
the fierce tarantula
(toad-eating),
would not make a
happy meeting,
so it tucks its limbs
to pebble shape
and jumps off cliffs
for quick escape –
it is so tiny,
weighs not much,
every knock
is but a touch,
despite its bumpy
downward fall,
it bounces back
like a rubber ball!
The toad also clenches its muscles so that it is more likely to protect them.
Amazing.
This film appears on the BBC website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Oreophrynella_nigra#p004rqt3
.
All material © Liz Brownlee except where stated.
Poem © Liz Brownlee
Information from Wiki.
If you would like to blog-hop to the next A-Z Challenge blog, please click here.
If you’d like to read about or buy my book, Animal Magic, full of animal poems and fascinating facts, click here.
- Posted in: A-Z Blog Challenge 2015 ♦ Animals ♦ Poems ♦ Sustainability
- Tagged: animals, frogs,, nature, photography, poetry, science, spider,, sustainability, toads, Venezuela, wildlife
lizbrownlee - poet 
I’ll be quite sad when this month is over – I’m really enjoying your poems, and the interesting narrative that you’ve prepared to accompany them!
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Oh, Al, thank you! I do this professionally though, so I should be good at it!
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Those two elements don’t always go together 🙂
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I have not heard of this toad before and I love your poem-you explained it wonderfully
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I never knew the difference between Toads and Frogs. Love your posts and pictures. I learned something new.
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What a joyful surprise! i really enjoyed this. Thanks for visiting me…. and what is this blog hop thing? Looking forward to taking more of a look at your site when I’m not running out the door… Jeri from storytellingmatters.wordpress.com
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Ah – just being able to hop to another blog in the A-z! And thank you!
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Hi Liz, came to visit yours after you visited mine and so glad I did. Poetry as fun. Blogging as fun. all lovely, anne stenhouse from Novels Now.
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Thanks, Anne!
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