The Ear of the Frog

Have you ever wondered where the heck a frog' ears are? If not...just enjoy this shot of a Green Frog who lives in our pond and move on. But if you are curious about those FrogEars...The large light colored circle you see in my photo is called the tympanum. It covers and protects the frog's external ear opening. Some frogs don't have this external ear opening and actually hear through their mouths. Cool right? But you'll need to google that little tidbit of info for yourself!  Frogs' ears are connected to their lungs and the purpose of that nifty bit of evolution is really fascinating...check HERE for more on that. I seldom see photos of amphibians on Blip. I'm hoping that it's because they're secretive and not so easy to spot. But I know that amphibians are in great danger all over the planet because of habitat loss, extensive use of pesticides and climate change. Now...if Mr. Frog here can just stay under the radar and out of sight of the Hawks and Owls!