Difference Between Frogs and Toads

#MeritBadgeMonday

REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN STUDY 3c.

Imagine crossing a swampy area in your canoe and you hear the distance rib-it rib-its.  Do you know if it is a frog or a toad?... The hint is in the area where you hear the croaking. Since you are in a swampy area, the chances are extremely high that you just heard a frog.  Even though frogs and toads are of the same animal group they are very different animals.  Below are some ways to identify between a frog and a toad.

Frogs:

• Narrow Bodies
• Eyes are large, round, and high on the head
• Skin is smooth and moist
• Habitat is near water
• Longer hind legs
• Able to jump high and long distances
• Many predators

Toads:

• Do not require their home to be near water
• Wider / flatter bodies
• Hind legs are shorter and less powerful
• Will take small hops and sometimes will run rather than jump
• Skin is dry, bumpy, and rough
• Eyes are lower on the head and almost "football" shaped
• Not many predators. Their skin lets out a bitter taste and smell that burns the eyes and nostrils of its predators.

Awesome Critter Video posted on YouTube by NatureNorth of the 7 week hatching and growth cycle of a frog.

Wolf Adventures: Call of the Wild

1.    While a Wolf Scout, attend a pack or family campout. If your chartered organization does not permit Cub Scout camping, you may substitute a family campout or a daylong outdoor activity with your den or pack.

2.    Show how to tie an overhand knot and a square knot.

3.    While on a den or family outing, identify four different types of animals. Explain how you identified them.

4.    With your family or den, make a list of possible weather changes that might happen on your campout according to the time of year you are camping. Tell how you will be prepared for each one.

5.    Show that you are ready to be a Wolf Scout by demonstrating what to do for the following:

     a. A stranger approaches you, your family, or your belongings.

     b. A natural disaster such as an earthquake or flood happens.

     c. Before eating, you wash your hands properly to keep yourself safe.

6.    On the campout, participate with your family or den in a campfire show. Prepare a skit or song, and then present it at the campfire for everyone else.

7.    Do the following:

     a. Recite the Outdoor Code with your leader.

     b. Recite the Leave No Trace Principles for Kids with your leader. Talk about how these principles support the Outdoor Code.

     c. After your campout, list the ways you demonstrated being careful with fire.

Back To Wolf

Wolf Adventures

As of June 2015

1.    Complete each of the following Wolf required adventures with your den or family:

     a. Call of the Wild

     b. Council Fire

     c. Duty to God Footsteps

     d. Howling at the Moon

     e. Paws on the Path

     f. Running With the Pack

2.    Complete one Wolf elective adventure of your den or family’s choosing.

3.    With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide, and earn the Cyber Chip award for your age.*

*If your family does not have Internet access at home AND you do not have ready Internet access at school or another public place or via a mobile device, the Cyber Chip portion of this requirement may be waived by your parent or guardian.

Wolf Adventures

Required

	Call of The Wild		Council Fire
	Duty to God Footsteps		Howling at the Moon
	Paws on the Path		Running With the Pack

Electives

	Adventures In Coins		Air of the Wolf
	Code of the Wolf		Collections and Hobbies
	Cubs Who Care		Digging in the Past
	Finding Your Way		Germs Alive!
	Grow Something		Hometown Heroes
	Motor Away		Paws of Skill
	Spirit of the Water

Fly Joke

Q: Why did the fly never land on the computer?
A: He was afriad of the world wide web.

Baseball Joke

Q. When is a baseball player like a spider?
A. When he catches a fly!

Knock Knock Honey

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Honey bee.
Honey bee who?
Honey bee a dear and get me some juice.

Knock, Knock Lettuce

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Lettuce.
Lettuce who?
Lettuce in, it’s cold out here.

Knock, Knock. Who

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Who!
Who who?
That's what an owl says!

Knock, Knock. Canoe!

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Canoe!
Canoe who?
Canoe come out and play today!?

How To Make "GAK"

#HowToTuesday Cub Scouts love to cover their hands with sticky, gooey stuff... and then touch your couch and curtains, or rub it into the carpet.  GAK is a fun science experiment that satisfies those needs to have gooey stuff in you hands and produces a fun toy for them to take home (and rub into the carpet at their own homes). You will need the following items per boy:

• 8 oz of white school glue (like Elmer's, but any brand works great)
• 1 tsp Borax (found in the laundry detergent isle)
• 8 oz of hot water
• 4 oz of cool water
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring Cups
• Food Coloring (optional)
• 1 tsp Spoon
• 2 spoons (use separate spoons during the first steps of mixing)

Lets start mixing!

Empty out the glue into the mixing bowl. To make sure that we get all of the glue out I like to fill the bottles 1/4 full of cool water (2 oz) from the tap and shake out the rest.  This is where the 4 oz of cool water comes into play. You should now have 8 oz of glue and 4 oz of water in your mixing bowl.  Place a few drops of food coloring in and start mixing until all ingredients are completely incorporated. Next, measure 8 oz of hot tap water in your measuring cup and add 1 tsp of Borax. Mix these two ingredients together until the Borax dissolves in the water. Don't worry, the water will be a little cloudy and its alright if there are a few particles of Borax floating around in the cup. This next step is when the magic happens.  Pour the Borax water into the mixing bowl of the glue/water mixture and start mixing together.  Instantly as you combine the two mixtures you will see the reaction beginning.  Eventually it will become to thick for you to mix with the spoon... time to get your hands dirty. Complete the mixing process by squishing the mixture with your hands and fingers. Store your newly created slime in a zip baggy for the boys to take home.  

Tips:

If you have been mixing for ever and there seems to still be a large amount of water at the bottom of the bowl. Remove your GAK and pour out the water into the sink. Place your GAK back into the bowl and mix again until it is a smooth / rubbery consistency. Repeat if needed.

Optional food coloring... I would suggest using the food coloring. Especially if you have a large group of scouts.  The boys will recognize which GAK is theirs based on the color they used or even better, what color they created with multiple colors.

Wash your hands after use. Borax has been known to irritate your skin if left on too long.

Keep it away from the carpet. It is somewhat easy to pick it off the carpet... unless someone has stepped on it.  Also, do not let it sit on your clothing.  It will adhere itself to any fibers and will actually try to travel through the fabric (found this one out the hard why with my daughter and her t-shirt).

Most of all - HAVE FUN!