Hiding in a Puddle

It is easy to walk straight past this frog. It sits in a muddy pool no bigger than a dinner plate, its mottled green and brown skin almost exactly the colour of the wet ground around it.

Small water, big advantages

Shallow pools warm up quickly in the sun, and frogs are cold-blooded, so a warm puddle is a good place to raise body temperature after a cool night. The water also keeps the frog's skin moist, which matters because frogs take in part of their oxygen directly through their skin.

An instant escape route

The other advantage is safety. With only its eyes and back above the surface, the frog can see danger coming and disappear with a single push of its legs, sinking into the silt where a heron or a fox can't follow.

Shooting at frog level

Pictures like this work best from the frog's own height. Lying flat at the edge of the pool and moving slowly puts the lens at eye level and keeps the frog relaxed enough to stay put.