Frogs and Lily Pads

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When people think frogs, the image of frogs and lily pads often comes to mind. In fact, it's probably no exaggeration to say that frogs and lily pads are one of the quintessential nature images recognized and celebrated by people around the world.

How did this link between frogs and lily pads become so strong and long lasting? The answer is fairly simple. Lily pads are the flat green leaves of plants in the family Nymphaeaceae, better known as Water-lilies.

Over fifty different water-lily species can be found in temperate and tropical fresh water environments around the world, with approximately ten different native water-lily species that grow in the United States. Everywhere they grow, people celebrate them for the color and beauty that their flowers add to the aquatic environment.

Because many frogs are cold-blooded amphibians that also live in the same aquatic environments as water-lilies, they celebrate lily pads as perfect basking platforms.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels