Frogs Use Hilarious Belly Flop Technique to Walk on Water

A new study reveals how frogs can seemingly walk on water using a unique belly flop method

Frogs Use Hilarious Belly Flop Technique to Walk on Water
Frogs Use Hilarious Belly Flop Technique to Walk on Water

Blacksburg: You won’t believe how frogs are getting around on water! They look like they’re skimming across the surface, but it’s all about their belly flops.

Instead of just hopping, these little guys do a series of quick belly flops. They sink a bit but then spring back up before they’re fully submerged. It’s a wild way to travel!

Talia Weiss, an engineer at Virginia Tech, explains that this behavior, called “skittering,” has been around for ages but needs a clearer definition. They’re studying how these frogs, especially the northern cricket frog, manage this cool trick.

Using high-speed cameras, they recorded the frogs jumping on land and water. Turns out, every time they land, they dip under the water, similar to how dolphins leap in and out. They call this “porpoising.”

It looks like a belly flop, where the frogs push off with their legs to launch themselves back up. It’s like they’re secretly dunking themselves while appearing to glide across the water!

But there are still questions. Jake Socha, another engineer, wonders why only some frogs can do this. Is it their jumping style or just their small size? More research is needed to figure it all out.

This fascinating study was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, and we can’t wait to learn more!

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