Who Needs Lungs?
Frog skin is pretty amazing! Not only can frogs breathe through their skin, but they also drink through it as well. This is probably why it is so easy to get a frog to shoot milk out of its nose when you tell it a good joke.
When you look, you see.
If you want to get a look at a frog breathing through its skin, grab your grown-ups and head for the nearest pond or stream you can find. When you walk along the water’s edge, you just might spook a frog into the water or spot one already there taking a swim. When that frog is completely underwater for a time, it may well be using its ability to breathe through its skin. This fantastic froggy forte is known as cutaneous respiration.
For those frogs who aren’t up for a dip or who might be hanging out near your porch light waiting for an evening snack, they’ll just be using the regular old breathing method like you and me: Sucking in air and blowing out milk through the ole nostrils, but only if you’ve got a really good joke.
Take a deep breath and drink up some more refreshing frog facts.
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- Here’s a short little audio story you can listen to from Indiana Public Media with a little more on just how frogs can breathe through their skin. https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/frogs-can-breathe-through-their-skin.php
- And while you’re there, you might as well take in another Moment of Science on why milk shoots out of your nose when you laugh and drink at the same time! https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/blowing-milk-nose.php
- Nothing beats a good coloring sheet! This one from education.com shows you each of the general stages in the lifecycle of a frog. https://www.education.com/worksheet/article/color-life-cycle-7/