'Tempting fate....'

When out walking at the weekend I came upon this very large European Common frog or to use it's posh name Rana temporaria, just sitting near the edge of the path, completely static.

It had been heavily raining and the ground was streaming with water. I wanted to take a photograph of her and knelt as low as I could; I had to draw the line at lying down in a deep pool of mud however! I took a couple of photos, and then noticed this small arthropod, a collembola or springtail walking up the frog's leg, then actually across the middle of her eyeball and then over towards her nose. The frog didn't flinch at all.

A springtail or collembola is a very small arthropod, that lives and feeds in the leaf litter. They are only a couple of mm long, sometimes colourless, and are no longer classified as insects for various reasons. There are beneficial to the breaking down process of organic matter within a forest environment.

If you look closely you can see this springtail walking across the frog's eyebrow. I didn't get to see the fate of this tiny voyageur, as the frog suddenly leapt off into the undergrowth.

Hope you like the photo which is a crop of a larger image.

Neil

Camera:	Canon 5d MKII
Recording media:	JPEG (digital)

Title:	'Tempting fate....'
Username:	lobo_blanco
Uploaded:	30 Aug 2009 - 10:28 AM
Tags:	Close-up / macro, General, Wildlife / nature
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Votes:	9