The BOG BABY BLOG: Latest News Update
Friday, May 21st.
I have just received some very important news from the United States. Henry Shackleford from Ironwood has found a Bog Baby in Lake Superior.
As you can see by his drawing, it is a blue one, but it has an unusual orange outline- it seems the ones that live in the lakes in America have slightly different markings from their British cousins. I would be interested to know if they have spread as far as China and Japan - has anybody seen one?
As you know, I found some Bog Baby spawn in Blue Bell Wood in spring and the pond was full of Bogpoles. I went down to see how they were developing at the weekend and most of them have now got back legs. They seem to be developing slower than frog tadpoles but that could be because the weather has been cold for the season. Now that it is warming up, I should hope to see some front legs by early June.
Thursday, May 6th.
Great news, Bog Baby watchers! The Bog Baby spawn has hatched. It’s rather late in the season but considering the cold snap, its hardly surprising. The newly-hatched Bog Babies (known as bogpoles) have spherical, slightly sticky bodies and are about three millimeters in length including the tail. When they first hatch they are light green and transparent, rather like lime jelly. As they develop their back legs, they will begin to turn blue. Like chameleons, Bog Babies can change colour to match their surroundings. In the Scottish Highlands, the Crested Bog Baby has been known to camouflage itself against tartan rugs.
Here is the latest on the S.O.B.B SURVEY (Save our Bog Babies):
Vale Nursery School in Oldham are the latest to write in and tell me that they would like to get involved in looking for Bog Babies - Good Luck, Pre-School Team!
Also, I’ve received two lovely paintings of Bog Babies by Asher and Emmie Jordan from Birmingham. Asher found his in the bookcase. It’s favourite food is cabbage and it croaks
.
Emmie found hers on the table. His favourite food is bread and his favourite flowers are lilies.
It’s interesting to note that no one has sent in a drawing of a female Bog Baby yet. It is hard to tell them apart when they are young, but generally females are larger, have stumpier tails and during the breeding season they develop pink spots on their bellies.
