FROGS & TURTLES
FROGS ARE AMPHIBIANS, turtles are reptiles. Turtles are more ancient than lizards and snakes, with which they share membership in Reptilia. But frogs and turtles have this in common: most species require immersion in water for some part of their life cycle, even their daily lives; frogs and turtles often arouse a gentle curiosity, if not a predator's instinct.
One day, I heard a frog before I saw one: a sudden unexpected 'plop', a leap into the presa from the south side. It took no chances on my good intentions, and moved away before I saw it. Caution is defensive, for the frog is vulnerable to the appetite of many - hawk, heron, ibis, snake and stork. The frog escapes birds by being active mainly at night. Whatever possessed the original pioneer, a prototetrapod, to come onto land, with so many exacting dangers? In fact, it came before those dangers were well advanced: frogs were safe for a long while before birds, snakes and little boys evolved.