Nature in Mating-Harbingers of Spring

[mdengraver]

I took a hike yesterday and watched the frogs mating. Here's two inspiring pics that might lead to some interesting engraving. Whose game enough and passionate enough about engraving to take this challenge on. Perhaps a little bulino or scrimshaw. What about Katherine Plummer?

 

[Dulltool]

These are Toads!

 

[mdengraver]

At the Nature Center

At the nature center I was told toads are a type of frog?

The use of the common names "frog" and "toad" has no taxonomic justification. From a taxonomic perspective, all members of the order Anura are frogs, but only members of the family Bufonidae are considered "true toads". The use of the term "frog" in common names usually refers to species that are aquatic or semi-aquatic with smooth and/or moist skins, and the term "toad" generally refers to species that tend to be terrestrial with dry, warty skin. An exception is the fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina): while its skin is slightly warty, it prefers a watery habitat.

Frogs and toads are broadly classified into three suborders: Archaeobatrachia, which includes four families of primitive frogs; Mesobatrachia, which includes five families of more evolutionary intermediate frogs; and Neobatrachia, by far the largest group, which contains the remaining 24 families of "modern" frogs, including most common species throughout the world. Neobatrachia is further divided into the Hyloidea and Ranoidea.[3] This classification is based on such morphological features as the number of vertebrae, the structure of the pectoral girdle, and the morphology of tadpoles. While this classification is largely accepted, relationships among families of frogs are still debated. Future studies of molecular genetics should soon provide further insights to the evolutionary relationships among Anuran families.[4]

 

[mtgraver]

Yeah what he said! lol
Had a flashback to high school bio class. Enjoyed the clarification.
Mark

 

[mitch]

maybe Janel Jacobson could do a carving. www.janeljacobson.com

 

[qndrgnsdd]

You are aware, of course that those things give you warts!

 

[Kevin P.]

Well, I guess you told him!
Seriously, it just might be a universal sign of Spring. It was a very powerful image for the Mayans. I have a reproduction of a carving that's very like your first photo.
Kevin P.

 

[monk]

i'd say getting back to the initial thought here: with the very delicate nature of the reflections in the water, ray cover. for his ability to create beautiful, and yet very mysterious looking backgrounds, lee griffiths. he does backgrounds that are an expression all by themselves.