Charge by the Hour? Scottish Volunteers Build Mating Motel for Frogs

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froghotel.jpgFrogs in Scotland are being told to get a room, and for the good of the species, earth-conscious volunteers are helping them. As part of the Action Earth campaign, volunteers have constructed what they describe as an underground beehive to provide a safe place for frogs to mate, since their usual mating location—near ponds or other bodies of water—leaves them vulnerable to predators like foxes and herons.

Guests at the frog hotel, an enclosed, two-tiered space made from wood and recycled materials, are first greeted with a complimentary snack in the compost cafe, where insects and bees abound. They are then led up a ramp into the “sleeping area,” where they can, er, socialize to their hearts’ content, safe from attack and left only in the company of other frogs—up to 20 of them at a time.

Now all they need is a separate hotel for expectant mothers to lay their eggs—perhaps one that’s a little more child-friendly.

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Image: Courtesy of National Public Radio

March 23rd, 2009 12:18 PM Tags: , , ,
by Rachel Cernansky in Sex & Mating, The Wide (& Strange) World of Animals | 2 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >

2 Responses to “Charge by the Hour? Scottish Volunteers Build Mating Motel for Frogs”

  1. 1.   Christina Viering Says:

    What a novel idea! I never would have thought frogs would conside using a hotel, but it makes so much sense.

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