YOU WONT BELIEVE: Funny frogs - What They Never Told You

In case you’ve got a garden and want to make your local frog populations happier, there are some steps you can take. For instance, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) suggests creating a pond with gently sloping sides. Then, allow vegetation to develop around the pond’s edges so that there’s enough damp cover for young amphibians. The charity also invites garden owners to allow their grass to grow longer and to create a compost heap, as well as a log pile. This is where frogs and other amphibians like to live.

Dr. Wilkinson from ARC explained that setting up a garden pond, as well as not using chemicals, is the "single most important thing you can do for garden life." You can still get a lot done for herpetofauna (that's reptiles and amphibians) even if you don't have much space.

"In a small garden, even an upturned dustbin lid or bowl will provide a place for animals to drink," the Regional, Training, and Science Programme Manager at ARC told Bored Panda that even this is enough if we don't have enough space for a compost heap or a log pile. ARC also has a whole bunch of imaginative ideas for creating habitats for frogs, amphibians, and reptiles which you can download right over here, as well as over here for free. (And with one of the handbooks being titled 'Dragons in your Garden,' how can you not be curious about what's inside?) 

Dr. Wilkinson warned Bored Panda about the impact that climate change is having in the UK and elsewhere. Warmer winters and ponds that dry up too quickly are real problems.

"Climate change can be a very negative factor for frogs, toads, and newts. Ponds can dry up too quickly, meaning their tadpoles don’t have enough time to develop. Also, warmer winters affect hibernating frogs. They use more energy during hibernation and partially wake up, meaning they are in poorer condition for breeding. This is particularly hard on the females who put a lot of energy into making eggs (spawn)," the expert from ARC explained.

Those of you Pandas currently living in Britain might want to take part in ARC's Garden Dragon Watch (again, what a cool name!), the organization's herpetofauna survey, right over here. "UK folk can record amphibians and reptiles they find in their gardens and it will help us work out how they are doing. Natural habitats are disappearing and becoming fragmented fast—meaning gardens are increasingly important to wildlife!"

At its core, frogposting is about a very simple yet relatable feeling: looking at photos of frogs is… nice. You might dress this fact up a bit, try and find some refined words to describe exactly why this is so, but at the end of the day, frogs are simply nice to look at. Nice to post. And nice to share with your friends. Toads, too! We can’t forget our lumbering, croaking pals either, can we?

Meanwhile, other internet users find looking at photos of frogs to be comforting and, on some level, they even relate to the critters.

In our humble opinion, within the past two years, they’ve become nearly as popular as cats have when it comes to meme potential. Sure, they might not be quite there yet, but they’re on their way. Anecdotally, we can tell you that many of our closest friends are completely obsessed with sharing frog pics on a regular basis (I have 7 people who do that daily and I feel happy that I do).

Frogs are cold-blooded, carnivorous, tailless amphibians that make the internet a far better place. The prehistoric ancestor to the modern frog, Ichthyostega, lived 370 million years ago while the earliest known ‘true frogs’ date back to 175 million years ago. Researchers note that there was an explosion in frog populations 66 million years ago, around the time that dinosaurs went massively extinct after an asteroid struck our planet.

Scientists don’t tend to make distinctions between frogs and toads, unless we’re talking specifically about the Bufonidae family whose members have dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps on their parotoid glands.

Distinguishing between frogs and toads is far more commonplace in popular culture: toads are bigger, squatter, rougher, wartier, and more terrestrial. So an amphibian might technically be a frog but also a toad in our eyes, warts and all.

Earlier, Bored Panda spoke to a member of ‘Help Wildlife,’ a British charity-run advice website, about critters in the wild and what we can do to protect them. According to Sarah from ‘Help Wildlife,’ we ought to do everything in our power not to disturb them in their natural habitat. Her advice applies to all small animals, whether they’re rodents, birds, or frogs.

“To avoid disturbing small animals when in nature, it's best to stick to established pathways where possible. If you see a nest or other animal habitat then only observe from a distance, never try to touch or interfere,” Sarah said that we should avoid interacting with their habitats as much as possible and leave the animals and their homes alone.

Sarah suggested that if you have a dog walking with you, you ought to make sure they’re kept under control so that they don’t disturb or harm wildlife. She added that traffic has “a very big impact” on wildlife of all sizes. “As well as the obvious accidents, roads also divide and reduce their natural territories," she said.

Though, luckily, there are projects like ‘Toads on Roads’ in the UK that help protect these amphibians as they migrate.

"Some forward-thinking countries create wildlife crossings when building new roads these days which can be helpful. Otherwise, the best way to prevent the loss of life is to drive carefully, especially in areas with lots of wildlife or where there is undergrowth at the side of the road which animals may dart out from. If an animal comes into contact with your car then always stop and check on them and try to find them help," Sarah from ‘Help Wildlife’ explained.