National Frog Jumping Day is a holiday observed annually on May 13th. This holiday encourages people to jump frogs on this day and originated from a Mark Twain story about a competition between two men betting on whose frog can jump the highest, featuring a pet frog named Dan’l Webster. Actually, the story did not originate with Twain but was a tale he heard at various mining camps before he wrote it down.

The story was first published as “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” but was later published as “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Since this holiday originated from that story, it is probably a good day to engage in some competitive frog jumping with your friends. Do you agree, or would you prefer to spend the day learning about frogs?

Facts About Frogs

Since this holiday involves competitive frog jumping, we thought it might be appropriate to list some facts about frogs that people might not know. So, without further delay, below are some of the interesting facts we have uncovered about frogs. We hope that you enjoy them.

• Scientists believe that frogs have roamed the Earth for over 200 million years.
• One of the smallest frogs in the world is the Cuban tree frog, which only grows to be half an inch long.
• The largest frog in the world is the West African goliath frog, which can grow up to 15 inches and weigh up to 7 pounds.
• There are over 6,000 different frog species around the world, with new ones being discovered all the time.
• Many frogs can leap up to 20 times their body length.
• The wood frog can live north of the Arctic Circle and can survive with almost two-thirds of its body frozen for weeks at a time.
• The marsupial frog has a pouch, like a kangaroo, that can hold her eggs.

Observing National Frog Jumping Day

Organize a frog jumping competition on this day with friends and family members, or bring your pet frog to one of the many competitions held across the U.S. on this day. You can also use the hashtag #NationalFrogJumpingDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about this holiday far and wide.