Charge by the Hour? Scottish Volunteers Build Mating Motel for Frogs

In Scotland, earth-conscious volunteers create a safe place for frogs to mate, ensuring their survival against predators.

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Frogs in Scotland are being told to get a room, and for the good of the species, earth-conscious volunteers are helping them. As part of the Action Earth campaign, volunteers have constructed what they describe as an underground beehive to provide a safe place for frogs to mate, since their usual mating location—near ponds or other bodies of water—leaves them vulnerable to predators like foxes and herons. Guests at the frog hotel, an enclosed, two-tiered space made from wood and recycled materials, are first greeted with a complimentary snack in the compost cafe, where insects and bees abound. They are then led up a ramp into the "sleeping area," where they can, er, socialize to their hearts' content, safe from attack and left only in the company of other frogs—up to 20 of them at a time. Now all they need is a separate hotel for expectant mothers to lay their eggs—perhaps one that's a little more child-friendly. Related Content: Discoblog: Bizarro Animal Sex Story of the Day 80beats: Frogs Get a One-Two Punch From Farm Chemicals DISCOVER: Are Frogs Hopping Straight Into Extinction? DISCOVER: Ladies' Night in Animal Kingdom

Image: Courtesy of National Public Radio

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