Note: This post is part of our series, "Netflix Academy: The best educational videos available for streaming." Be sure to check out our previous Netflix Academy posts on dinosaurs; aquatic life; insects; Ancient Asian Cultures; the Maya, Inca, and Aztec; Native American cultures; Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery; the American founders; movie adaptations of classic children’s books; and American folk heroes. Thanks to research interns Melissa Reynolds and Singer Crawford for their help in compiling these lists.
Who doesn’t love frogs? And not just Kermit the Frog and Frog from Frog and Toad are Friends, though they are great too. The real-life, breathing, swimming, kicking amphibians that amaze us all as they morph from tadpole to adult. For a little kid, not much beats the thrill of hunting for tadpoles in a summer stream or watching them grow in a classroom aquarium. But for times of the year when that’s impractical, here are some great, free videos that will allow your children to bone-up* on frogs, toads. salamanders, and other amphibians.
The best streaming videos on frogs and other amphibians
1. Creepy & Crawly Critters Collection, Episode 5: Prince of the Pond
You may not be able to turn one into a prince, but Frogs are certainly royal in their ability to adapt to many types of habitat. Commonly seen, yet little known, these water-loving amphibians are usually smooth-skinned, sleek, and speedy. We examine the surprising life cycles of the leopard and bullfrog, the tiny tree frog nicknamed the "Spring Peeper," and other croaking creatures.
Length: 29 minutes
Rating: TV-PG
2. Nature Tracks: Toad in the Hole
Frogs and their amphibious relatives represent an evolutionary landmark, both literally and figuratively. Some three to four hundred years ago, these intrepid creatures took their first pioneering hops out of the sea and onto terra firma. Thus, the stage was set for a new era in evolution, and all land animals, including man, have them to thank.
Length: 27 minutes
Rating: NR
3. The Jeff Corwin Experience: Season 1, Episode 12: "Madagascar: The Land That Time Forgot"
Madagascar is an island whose plants and animals have evolved in isolation for more than 150 million years. In these pristine rain forests, Jeff discovers a plump, blood-red tomato frog, a turquoise chameleon, and a jewel-eyed gecko edged with frills.
Length: 45 minutes
Rating: TV-G
4. Animal Survivors, Season 1, Episode 4
What do the red panda, poison arrow frog, and ne-ne Hawaiian goose have in common? Each of these three species is an animal survivor. Animal survivors share the remarkable recovery of these species from near extinction, capturing their fascinating evolutionary strengths, as well as the rehabilitation efforts that enabled their return to the wild.
Length: 45 minutes
Rating: TV-G
5. MicroPlanet
Stunning macro filmmaking takes viewers on an unforgettable journey, from lake bottom battles for territory to lovelorn toads searching for a mate to lizards prowling the forest for a meal. We humans are but lumbering, clumsy giants striding through these miniature ecosystems that thrive without us...even in spite of us.
Length: 42 minutes
Rating: NR
6. Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr Season 2, Ep. 4: "Clash of the Giant Salamanders"
Typically they fit in the palm of your hand, but some salamanders grow to human-sized proportions. To determine the king of all salamanders, Dr. Brady Barr goes in search of the "big four" of giant salamanders.
Length: 46 minutes
Rating: TV-PG
7. Frogs & Amphibians: Crisis & Csi
Typically they fit in the palm of your hand, but some salamanders grow to human-sized proportions. To determine the king of all salamanders, Dr. Brady Barr goes in search of the "big four" of giant salamanders.
Length: 30 minutes
Rating: NR
8. Frogs: The Thin Green Line
It is the greatest mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Population by population, species by species, amphibians are vanishing off the face of the Earth. Scientists are taking desperate measures to try to save those frogs they can, even bathing frogs in Clorox solutions and keeping them in Tupperware boxes under carefully controlled conditions to prevent the spread of a deadly fungus.
Length: 50 minutes
Rating: TV-PG
9. Frog Hunting at Night
Determined to see frogs that he may not see during the day, Jeff Corwin heads in to the Ecuadorian rainforest in the middle of the night.
Length: 2 minutes
Rating: TV-G
* Yes, amphibians, as vertebrates, do have bones!
