Frogs: A Chorus of Colors at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Story, photos by Tiffany C. DuBois
Perhaps our new favorite exhibit, “Frogs: A Chorus of Colors!” at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University was a journey with frogs from every corner of the world, available to view through May 14th. This is a fun exhibit for kids and families, or if you want to impress a blind date with memorable facts, this is also a good place to go. Tickets can be purchased online and in person. Hours of operation are 10 am to 5 pm, seven days a week.
Now, on to the good stuff! For anyone interested in architecture, the exhibit itself was very impressive. Frogs were placed in their natural habitats, temperature controlled, and there was a theme of color in its varied shades. For example, most of the frogs from Africa, North America and certain regions of Asia were grouped based upon what they ate, the originality of their colors, and my personal favorite, if they were poisonous or not. Carolyn Belardo, the Senior Communications Manager, had some interesting facts and tidbits as to why they arranged everything just so. In addition, the staff of the Academy of Natural Sciences are very friendly, engaging and love to talk to kids.
For example, imagine you’re on safari in the African Jungle. Who would you want by your side to tell you stories of these amazing creatures? The staff of the Academy of Natural Sciences of course!
To highlight, my personal favorite frog was the Dyeing Poison Frog. This frog is part of the Dart Poison Group. As far as what these colorful beings eat, here is what I have for you. They love bugs! How they get their poison is also very interesting. Bugs eat toxic plants and then they are eaten by the frogs. In doing so, the frogs build and store up their poison. They live for between five and 10 years.
In addition to my personal favorite, there are a million and one little known facts about these beautiful creatures. For instance, some of them can sing! One example is the American Bullfrog. Because of their air sacs which inflate when they are singing, they emit a very loud mating call.
Another interesting fact handed out by the museum staff is that of the Tomato Frog. While many of these frogs are bred in captivity, over-collection of this wild frog is still a major problem, especially for those that live on islands or in small populations.
In addition to learning so much about frogs that I do not want to spoil it for everyone, the food at this institution was top notch. Everything was as colorful and fresh as the frogs themselves. A little tidbit: certain frogs can be consumed by humans and they taste just like chicken!