We have a rain gauge which we have kept for years. The church's development program uses our data. It's the only record that there is, to our knowledge, of the rainfall in the area. It is attached to a wooden post in our garden, about 5 feet off the ground, with no overhanging anything anywhere near it. There is cement (the cover of our septic tank) on one side and our strawberry patch on the other side.
For the last 3 weeks or so, since my husband left for the states, every day when it rains and some days when it does not rain, there has been a frog in the gauge when I check it in the morning. It is always one frog. The appearances of the frogs vary. They are small--about 1 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. There is no way to get them out of the gauge and keep the water in. Hence they compromise our accuracy. One night when it appeared to be dry I put some scotch tape over the top of the gauge. It was undisturbed in the morning and there was no frog.
Do any of you naturalists have a theory as to how the frogs get in there, aside from a prank? Does anyone have any ideas how to ascertain what is happening?
For the last 3 weeks or so, since my husband left for the states, every day when it rains and some days when it does not rain, there has been a frog in the gauge when I check it in the morning. It is always one frog. The appearances of the frogs vary. They are small--about 1 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. There is no way to get them out of the gauge and keep the water in. Hence they compromise our accuracy. One night when it appeared to be dry I put some scotch tape over the top of the gauge. It was undisturbed in the morning and there was no frog.
Do any of you naturalists have a theory as to how the frogs get in there, aside from a prank? Does anyone have any ideas how to ascertain what is happening?