Yesterday, I startled this Pacific tree frog while mowing the lawn. I was very excited to see it, a sign of spring and of ecosystem health. I sent a snapshot to my herp-loving son, who responded with “whoa, that’s a VERY pregnant frog!” I was oblivious, but he assured me as wide as the body is, it must be a pregnant female.

I was jubilant, having visions of additional frogs appearing in our backyard to help reduce the slug populations, my main nemesis since they chomp everything I am growing! I wondered if this was the same frog I first spied in the extreme heat last summer, the one who hung out on my hose reel, obviously seeking water.

I was fascinated by the color variations between the critter I saw last summer and the one I recently spied. And was gratified to discover that they, indeed, can change their coloring to reflect their environment.

My pleasant vision came crashing down when my husband commented that the birds of prey who inhabit the area will undoubtedly enjoy munching on the newly-hatched frogs.  As I read more about this species of frog, I learned that they do eat slugs, insects, and a variety of other arthropods. On the flip side, “most treefrogs die at the egg or tadpole stage.” Their predators include everything from diving beetles to foxes.

This is, after all, the cycle of life. Most animal species are both predator and prey. And when humans leave everything in balance, it works well, and our planet flourishes. When we try to control, when we decide what is “good” or “bad” and propagate or annihilate accordingly, our planet suffers.