One of the first signs of spring in North America is a chorus of peeping from ponds and marshes, announcing that the little peeper frogs are coming out of their winter hibernation. Peepers come out soon after ice melts on the wetlands. The males appear first, soon followed by the females that have been attracted by their pretty song. Tiny tadpoles soon hatch from eggs laid in great numbers in the water. The tadpoles take most of the summer to change into mature frogs.
The coqui frog of Puerto Rico is common in that country. Their name comes from their call, which sounds like “co-kee.” The coqui frog lays its eggs on the land in plants rather than in water. The male collects up the eggs and keeps them safely in a nest, going into the water at times to gather moisture in his skin to keep the eggs moist. The eggs hatch as tiny froglets with a short tail instead of as tadpoles.
Ecuador is the home of several pouched frogs. The female Andes marsupial frog has a pouch on her back where her male companion tucks in the ten or so large eggs she has laid. Here the eggs develop into juvenile frogs. After three to four months, fully developed froglets leave their safe home to hop away and start life on their own.
Small and colorful poison dart frogs are also found in South America. The poison that comes from their skin is strong enough to kill several humans. (Those in zoos eat different diets, so they aren’t poisonous.) Brightly-colored skin warns predators that these frogs are poisonous. Probably because they don’t have many enemies, they are active during the day, unlike most frogs. The eggs of these little frogs are laid on the forest floor. The male guards them until they hatch into tadpoles, and then he carries them on his back to what he considers a good water source. This is not necessarily the closest pond or stream, but sometimes up to a third of a mile away — quite a journey for a tiny frog with a burden on his back. A very strong pain killer comes from poison dart frogs, so they can be used both to kill or to help heal.
This reminds me of our tongues. As our opening verse says, both death and life are in the power of the tongue. When you look at your tongue, you won’t see any sign of poison, but it spills out what is in our hearts, and sometimes that can bring death ... the death of a friendship, among other things. But life is also in the power of the tongue. We can use our tongues to let people know how much God loves them, or to encourage or help them to grow in the Lord. If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, He will help you use your tongue for life, not death.
Did You Know?
A very strong pain killer comes from poison dart frogs.
Messages of God’s Love 2/2/2025