By: Preesha Soogrim
To most people the thought of frogs elicit a response which usually goes along the lines of eew! Frogs are not seen as cute and cuddly animals by any means, perhaps it’s their cold-blooded nature or lack of skin covering, or perhaps the way they hop around; whether you love frogs or hate them, we all have to admit they are an essential part of our environment.
At Dangerous Creatures, situated in the Village Walk at uShaka Marine World, we feel that frogs shouldn’t be feared, but celebrated.
South Africa is home to 115 species of frogs and about half of these are not found anywhere else in the world. This means we have a great responsibility as South Africans to conserve these incredible animals, many of which are threatened.
South African frogs come in all shapes, sizes and colours from the tiny micro frog which only grows to 18mm to the giant bullfrog which can weigh 1,5kg. From the (cute but) drab sand frogs all the way to the colourful painted reed frog which resembles an artist’s palette.
On 24th and 25th February 2018, our education team will be set up in the Village Walk outside Dangerous Creatures to show you some of our favourite local amphibians, come on by to see how many you can recognise. We encourage you to take a closer look and marvel at the beauty of our frogs and dare you to not fall in love.
Visitors to Dangerous Creatures will be treated to an entry fee of only R35 all weekend. You will have the opportunity to see many more frog species from all over the world, and get up close to some iconic snakes, scorpions, spiders and lizards. The little ones can take part in our frog treasure hunt, where a visit to uShaka Sea World for a family of four can be won.
By celebrating frogs we are celebrating a healthy environment. As indicators of biological health, finding a frog in your garden is nothing but a good sign. We should be afraid if we don’t see frogs.
