Category Archives: Uncategorized

09/11/09

The Frog-O-Sphere Controversy

This past weekend, Susan noticed “Frog-O-Sphere” kits in a Brookstone store. The frogs were barely moving and seemed as if they were dying. She found this very disturbing and asked me to find out about it. Doing a little research, I found out that just this past week, PETA staged protests in front of Brookstone stores against these kits. The Times of Trenton reported that after the PETA protests, a store in West Windsor, New Jersey, was ordered to pull the kits off its shelves after the township health office flagged the company for not having a pet shop license.

PETA protest in front of Brookstone store, Boston (Minneapolis Animal Rights Examiner)

PETA protest in front of Brookstone store, Boston (Minneapolis Animal Rights Examiner)

According to PETA’s website:

Recently, allegations have surfaced that Brookstone employees who see that frogs are languishing on store shelves have been instructed to put them ‘in the back,’ out of sight of customers, instead of contacting a veterinarian to get help for sick and dying animals.

Frog-O-Sphere kits, sold only by Brookstone, contain a plastic aquarium, two aquatic frogs, a bamboo plant, a snail, and living gravel. According to the company website, the frogs won’t outgrow the aquarium and may live for up to 4 years. The snail feeds itself and keeps the tank clean of algae and excess food. Living gravel acts as a biological filter, converting excess food and waste into a soluble form that can be used by the bamboo plant. The bamboo absorbs the waste, then releases oxygen, which helps the frogs and snail.

Keeping frogs as pets is controversial enough—a topic we’ll address in future posts. But I do think the claim that these kits promise a “complete self-contained ecosystem” is overstated. The kits remind me of the many pets I had as a child, such as the little turtle that sat under a plastic palm tree and lived a month or so. The Frog-O-Spheres fall into that category, despite the fact that the kits sound upscale, educational, and eco-friendly.

In the customer reviews on Brookstone, many people clicked “decoration” or “gift” as the reason to buy the kits. Most people also mentioned that the snails died within a couple of weeks. Unless the person who purchased the frogs is motivated to buy new snails (or get replacement snails from Brookstone), the water will soon become cloudy and the frogs will suffer, and the so-called “self-contained ecosystem” will fall apart.

From what I’ve read, African Dwarf frogs are pretty hardy and low maintenance, but they do have certain requirements that these Frog-O-Spheres don’t seem to fulfill. I looked at a frog pet site and found out that, for example, the frogs can live from 5 to 18 years, they need a gallon of water per frog, need a water heater for winter months, are less stressed out if they have artificial lighting for consistent day and night lighting (they are nocturnal), need plants and foliage to hide behind, and so on. If you have already purchased a Frog-O-Sphere, I recommend going online to learn about them or buy a pet care book about African Dwarf frogs.

If you are tempted to buy one of these Frog-O-Sphere kits, please resist. Go outside and enjoy frogs—in real ecosystems.

08/10/09

Photo Contest Update

Susan and I are thrilled by the many entries we’ve received for the Frogs Are Green photo contest! If you haven’t sent in a photo, you still have time: the deadline for sending in entries is September 1st. So as you go off on vacation to the lake, woods, or mountains, keep your eye out for photogenic amphibians. Or if you are having a staycation, consider spending a day checking out your local area for frogs. I hope you will also take a little time to browse through the wonderful photos we’ve received. The thumbnails of the photos are along the right side of the blog. If you click on the photo you will see the photographers’ names as well as additional photos they have submitted.

Wood Frog, White Mountains, NH

Wood Frog, White Mountains, NH

08/4/09

Toad Lit 101 (The Wind in the Willows)

Continuing “Toad Week” at Frogs Are Green, I thought I’d write about literary toads.

I couldn’t find many books with toad characters, except Frog’s best friend Toad in the classic Frog and Toad books, which I wrote about in an earlier post. I do remember one toad character—Commander Toad, an intrepid toad in space. When my sons were young, they loved The Commander Toad series by Jane Yolen. These easy-to-read books for 2nd to 3rd graders are genuinely funny and absurd.

One toad character, of course, is a genuine literary star: Toad in The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, aka Mr. Toad in the Disney version. Toad is an unforgettable character—self-centered, obsessed with motor cars, impulsive, conceited, flying off on every adventure, and constantly getting into scrapes.

It’s possible Toad was Grahame’s alter ego. Kenneth Grahame was a stodgy London banker, who really wanted to be an artist/writer, spending his days in the countryside “messing around in boats” as River Rat so famously says to Mole.

The Wind in the Willows was published in 1908, but without illustrations. I have an edition printed in 1927, inherited from someone in my family. It has only one illustration on the frontispiece:

wind-in-the-willows-frontis

Ernest Shepard, who also illustrated the Winnie-the-Pooh books, first illustrated the book in 1931. Kenneth Grahame approved the sketches before he died, so this is usually considered the definitive edition. Over the years it has also been illustrated by Arthur Rackham, Michael Hague, and others.

mr_toad1

Illustration by Ernest Shepard from The Wind in the Willows

Recently two annotated versions of the classic were published to coincide with the book’s 100th anniversary. One was published by Harvard University Press; the other was published by Norton. Charles McGrath wrote an interesting article in The New York Times, in which he discusses the sometimes questionable 21st-century interpretations of this classic.

Two new annotated versions of The Wind in the Willows

Two new annotated versions of The Wind in the Willows

I received a copy of the book, illustrated by Tasha Tudor, when I was around 8, the summer after 2nd grade. My mother was part-owner of a bookstore and brought home the newly published book. That summer, I remember thinking I could read anything. I wasn’t intimidated by the book’s size or by the Edwardian prose. But I’m not sure I actually read more than a few chapters. Still, it’s on my bookshelf and has survived at least 10 moves in my life. Maybe this summer I’ll try to finish it.

NOTE: Please send along the titles of your favorite frog books (fiction) for future Amphibian Lit posts. Books with salamanders and newt characters okay too!