You've Got Mail

Even in the suburbs, even in the most densely populated county in Virginia, even right outside your front door--literally--you just never know what wonders of nature you might be lucky enough to find. This amphibious leprechaun is an American green tree frog, which are pretty common in marshy areas (like the one in my backyard). They spend a lot of time loafing on lily pads, but they'll also hang out wherever there's food. Since their food is insects, and insects are attracted to light, it's no surprise that this guy picked a spot on our mailbox right underneath an outdoor lamp.

I like a cute, fuzzy mammal at least as much as the next person, but most wild mammals won't let you get right up in their face to snap a picture. They're much more wary and furtive. Little critters, like bugs and frogs, tend to be more obliging. Still, I was surprised by my visitor's willingness to let me get as close as I did, and to hang around as long as he did. My best guess is that since his main predators include fish and snakes, my form and movements just didn't trigger his instinctive flight response.

Eventually he did decide to get out of Dodge, but he didn't go very far--just to the railing by the front steps. Check out those ET-like fingers--that's some grip. A lot of research has gone into explaining the mechanics of these silicone-like toe pads and how they enable frogs to cling to and hang from the darnedest places. Apparently it has to do with mucous secretions and the unique structure of protrusions on the "soles" of the frogs' feet. According to Scientific American, "understanding the adhesive properties of tree frog feet could lead to better tire design, and perhaps even a nonslip shoe." I don't think all scientific research needs commercial applications to justify itself, but this is undeniably a pretty cool reason to study frog feet.

Apparently these hoppers have become popular pets, and I can sort of see the appeal. You're not going to scratch him under the chin, play fetch, or take him for a walk, but you'd have a chance to watch a fascinating creature in action--provided you like to stay up late, since American green tree frogs are nocturnal. Luckily the pet trade hasn't become a threat to this species' survival. Deforestation, drainage of marshes, and pollution are a fact of life across the species' range but for now anyway, populations appear stable.

I'm not tempted to catch this guy and coop him up in a terrarium, no matter how cute and cool I think he is. I like him just where he is, hopefully eating mosquitoes in my yard. I may never see him again, but I'll think of him every time I get the mail. I wonder who will visit next.