Frogs are natural magnets to snakes because they are a favorite meal for many snake species. A frog usually has a slim chance of escaping from a snake, but occasionally, it does. This video shows this captivating scene of a snake attempting to make a meal of a frog that is not ready to die yet. The scene occurs on a veranda fence, and the video begins with the snake holding onto the frog’s right leg. The snake viciously tries to pull down the frog, but the frog is determined not to be easy prey. So it holds on tightly and does not move an inch despite the snake’s efforts to pull it down. The frog surprisingly pulls the snake upwards, causing it to lose enough grip to allow the frog to make a lucky getaway.
How Did the Frog Manage to Get Away?
The yellow frog’s slippery skin and tight grip saved its life. In addition, tree frogs such as the one in the video have an impressive ability to attach their toes on dry, wet, and smooth surfaces, thanks to their adaptable toe pads. Tree frogs secrete mucus from irregular bristles under their pads that compress under pressure. The mucus at the tips of the glands allows them to work like suction cups, intensifying their grip, even on smooth surfaces such as the metal rod in the video. Frogs also produce mucus from glands on their skins that make them slippery. The frog’s slime makes it difficult for the snake to secure a tight grip, enabling the frog to slip away and escape. Apart from being a defense mechanism, the mucus layer keeps their skin moisturized, enabling them to breathe through the skin when swimming or hibernating underground. Tricky toes and slippery skin are not the only arsenals that frogs can use against predators. Most frogs are agile and small enough to escape predators.
Other Protection Mechanisms
Defense mechanisms differ from one species to another and largely depend on its habitat. Some of these mechanisms include:
Darting
Darting involves diving into a pond or river to escape a predator. Frogs are among the amphibians that can swim quickly to escape danger. Their long legs propel them in water.
Jumping
Frogs’ muscular hind legs enable them to jump up to five feet high instantly. For example, the frog in the video used its hind legs to jump away from the snake when it lost grip.
Changing Skin Color
Some frogs change their skin color to blend into their background, making it harder for predators to see them. Touch and noise are among the stimulants that trigger blanching among frogs.
Playing Dead
Frogs sometimes play dead by lying flat on their backs. The predator will think the frog died long ago and has gone bad. However, the frog will return to normal once the attacker departs.
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