The frogs called humans

TOPICS DISCUSSED: Anatomy; Animal Communication; Animal Behavior

IN THE PHILIPPINES AT LEAST, seldom would you find a college graduate who in his school days did not experience to dissect a frog in biology laboratory. Being cheap and relatively easier to find, frogs are usually used to teach students about the anatomy and physiology of vertebrates, or animals that have a backbone. Vertebrates as we are, we humans have anatomical and physiological features that basically resemble that of the frog.

To announce their presence and communicate with each other, frogs use a variety of complex calls, including ribbets, croaks, and other sounds. Surprisingly, “they produce these sounds in much the same way as humans speak, by forcing air from their lungs over their vocal cords, located in the throat.” (Osborne, William S. "Frog (animal)." Microsoft® Encarta® 2006 [CD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2005.)

And as if emphasizing one of the functions of communication among humans, “frog communication is particularly important during the mating season, when male frogs call to attract females.” (Ibid.)

But there’s another striking similarity between frogs and humans. Scholar K. C. Cole in her book The Universe and the Tea Cup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty (Harcourt Brace & Company, Orlando, Florida, 1997) informs us that “a frog placed in hot water will struggle to escape, but the same frog placed in cool water that’s slowly warmed up will sit peacefully until it’s cooked.” In the same manner, we people do our very best to avoid anything that could suddenly send us to death, but it is our attitude to often ignore gradual accumulations of risk due to vices or lifestyle choices like smoking or eating unhealthy foods. In many aspects, “we’re in hot water, but it’s gotten hot so slowly that no one notices”—or worse, we just pretend we don’t notice.

How to cite this article:

Jensen dG. Mañebog “The frogs called humans” @ http://www.OurHappySchool.com