bull frog in the canal of macritchie

when we were growing up, our parents, especially our mothers, painted an environment which we had always to be wary of. that toads had toxin and we had to keep our distance, so we ended up pelting the toads in our sight with stones because we regarded them as our enemies. we had to make the first move before they poisoned us.

before we went to school, all those creatures that sang or croaked after a night of rain were toads. we did not know the difference between toads and frogs until we studied about them in science. the sounds that they made were actually mating calls, with responses sometimes in the form of a chorus.

now, i know a bit more. generally, toads have short hind legs and their skin is dry and warty whereas frogs have strong, long webbed hind feet and they are usually wet and slimy. so, frogs jump and toads hop. in collective term, we say an army of frogs but a knot of toads. we eat frog legs but not toad legs.

today, after our walk at macritchie park, we saw a bull-frog in the canal of macritchie where the over-flow water drains off. the frog was sitting in the water in the middle of the canal. it did not react when i approached it, near enough to take a close-up picture. my fellow-walkers told me to catch it, saying it was worth about $5.00.

now that i know better, i decided to let it be. no stoning and no catching; just picture-taking.

if you want to visit a frog farm in the lim chu kang area to get closer to these amphibians, go to this website.