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A South African Sharp-nosed Grass Frog holds the world record for jumping the longest jump.

On the 21st of May 1977, 'Santjie the Sharp-nosed Grass Frog set the standing world record of 10,3 meters.

nothing to add...........

Siobain, you are right. Extra points for also knowing the name Santjie

Looking forward to your question, because you are IT

Siobain The poor thing must have been scared out of its wits.

Thanks HF and OWN!

Which frog is sometimes called a 'Pixie' frog, and why is it called this?

Ahum Siobain...Maybe you should check out page 45............

.....and it seems page 5.......So, MD has also been reading old Q's.....

Seeing as you are so astute HF, I'll hand it over to you!

All over the world frogs are associated with powerful superstitions and beliefs. Name 5 (at least one of them from South Africa)

Great Q, HF.

- In Egypt, Heqet, goddess of fertility and childbirth, was depicted as a frog or a woman with a frog's head. She was seen as protectress of childbirth, possibly because, at certain times of the year, thousands of frogs would arise from the Nile River. This created the belief that this portended of fruitfulness.

- In Greece and Rome, the frog was a symbol of Aphrodite or Venus respectively, both of who were goddesses associated with fertility; so, the frog there came to represent harmony between lovers.

- Hindus: In the Rig Veda, the Great Frog supports the universe and is representative of the matter from which all is created. In Vedic traditions, frogs are seen as deities that chant by croaking for rain in a time of drought.

- In early Christian myth, the frog symbolized resurrection and a higher stage of spiritual awakening.

- European tales of old suggest that it is good luck to have a frog arrive in your home and, if heard outdoors, it signified coming rain. The Aborigines and Vietnamese also believed this. But, another European myth told that it was bad luck to kill a frog because they housed the souls of dead children.

- Then there is the popular, but false, idea that you can get warts from touching frogs and toads.

- In medieval Europe the frog was a symbol of the devil due to the Catholic church associating the frog as one of the animals witches use in their spells.

- The Nguni people believe that you should not collect water from bodies of water where frogs dwell. Frogs are eaten by hammerkop birds, which are known as “lightning birds” or “birds of witches”. The frog's association with this bird make it a harbinger of bad tidings.

- The Xhosa think that frogs are used as muthi. If a frog enters your house, it could be carrying a curse, which someone has cast on it to do you harm.

- And, finally, there is the age-old myth (derived from the fairy-tale, The Frog Prince) that a maiden kissing a frog can turn it into a prince.

Some the same - some different - enjoy

•Frogs and the lightning bird. The Nguni people believe that you should not collect water from bodies of water where frogs dwell. Frogs are eaten by hammerkop birds, which are known as “lightning birds” or “birds of witches”. The frog's association with this bird make it a harbinger of bad tidings.

•Cast a spell. In Xhosa tradition it is thought that frogs are used as muthi. If a frog enters your house, it could be carrying a spell/curse, which someone has cast on it to do you harm. Frogs are also closely associated with snakes – the Xhosa people believe that if you see a frog, a snake will appear shortly afterwards.

•Children of rain. In some of our communities frogs are viewed as God’s children of rain – they believe that the appearance of a frog is a sign of rain. It is believed that killing frogs will result in severe drought.

•Fertility, birth and resurrection: In ancient Egypt, the frog-headed Hekt was the goddess of birth and fertility and later of resurrection.The Egyptians mummified frogs with their dead.

•God of water: In Maori mythology, the frog was the god of water and it was believed that killing a frog would cause downpours and floods. A frog in dreams or on one’s path was a warning of floods or very heavy rain.



•Toad in the moon: The Chinese don’t see a man in the moon – they see a toad in the moon. A lunar eclipse happens when the toad in the moon tries to swallow the moon itself!

•Frog Atlas: Legends from China and India say the world rests on the back of a giant three-legged frog. If the frog moves, it causes an earthquake.

•Good luck: Frogs are symbols of good luck in Japan. In Britain it is believed that a frog will bring good luck to the house it enters.

•Trickster: The people of Ireland believed that frogs were closely related to the leprechaun and capable of playing tricks when least expected.

•Warts and all People around the world believe that warts develop from touching frogs and toads. This myth probably comes from the fact that many toads have wart-like growths on their skin for camouflage. Some people are allergic to certain kinds of toads and develop wart-like rashes after touching them.

OWN and MD I think you found the lot.





Didn't think of that one and that's the most important.

OWN, you are IT

Nice Q, HF!

OWN!

Thanks HF ... outstanding Q ... was lots of fun to research!

Who was considered as the pioneer of documenting, studying, and describing frogs in South Africa?

Andrew Smith - 1838 listed 26 species of frogs from South Africa - pioneer of frog biology - But not sure if he was considered the pioneer of documenting , studying and describing frogs.