Miracles of Reproduction in Frogs

Many suppose that frogs multiply through hatching eggs and developing "tadpoles". However, there are many other types of frog reproduction of which some are quite surprising.

Frogs have been created with traits that enable them to survive in a variety of environments. Therefore, they can live in every continent apart from Antarctica; there are species of frogs living in deserts, forests, meadows and the Himalayas and Andes, where altitudes exceed 5000 meters. The densest populations are scattered throughout the tropical regions. Approximately forty species of frogs have been identified within a 2 square kilometer piece of rain forest.

In some species of frogs, only males care for the newly born, whereas in others only females do or both partners do. For example, males of the "dart-poison frog" of Costa Rica keep watch, waiting for the eggs to hatch, for up to 10-12 days. Through great efforts, the newly born tadpoles climb and hold on to the back of the mother so tightly that they appear to have been welded on. Then the mother climbs onto a bromeliad in the forest. The flowers of this tree are shaped like goblets pointing skyward, and are filled with water. The mother releases the newly born frogs into these flowers, where they grow safely.

Since there is no food in these waters, the mother frequently lays unfertilized eggs in the flowers for the newly born frogs. The tadpoles feed on these eggs, which are rich in protein and carbohydrates.

The "gladiator frog" is another species that defends the area in which are the eggs. The males of these frogs have been created with pin-like extensions under their thumbs, with which they rip the skin off an intruder male.

The male small African toad (Nectophyrne afra) constructs nests out of mud, which are filled with water to form ponds, on the coasts of lakes or slow flowing rivers. The frog makes a fragile layer of film on the surface of the water to which the eggs attach themselves. This way, the eggs stay on the surface of the water in order to inhale oxygen. Since a minute vibration caused by another frog or a dragonfly's flying past can destroy this film and send the eggs to the bottom of the water, where they would be left to die without oxygen, the male frog guards the eggs. While waiting, it kicks its feet in the water in order to increase oxygen flow through the membranes of the eggs.

Another species, called the glass frog due to its transparency, does not keep watch over its eggs. God inspires another method in these frogs; they leave groups of eggs on the rocks and plants of the tropical lakes or rivers. When the eggs hatch, the tadpoles drop into the water.

All of these various conscious and self-sacrificing behavioral patterns, displayed by different species of frogs as acts of defense for the newly born tadpoles, demolish the fundamental assumptions of Darwinism. The assertion of Darwinism that all creatures are in an individual and selfish struggle for survival comes to an inevitable dead end in the face of the efforts of a single frog to defend its newly born offspring. Furthermore, the intelligent behavior shown by these creatures cannot be explained away as occurring through coincidence as argued by Darwinism. These are clear signs that living things have been created by God and are directed by the instincts inspired in them. God states in Qur'an that there are clear proofs in living things for all people:

And in your creation and all the creatures He has spread about there are Signs for people with certainty. (Qur'an, 45:4)

Frogs Reproduced in the Stomach

The extraordinary reproduction method of a species of frog called Rheobatrachus silus, is another example of the superb design in the creation of God. Female Rheobatrachus frogs swallow their eggs after fertilization, not to eat them but to protect them. The hatching tadpoles remain and grow in the stomach for the first six weeks after hatching. How is it possible that they can remain in their mother's stomach that long without being digested?

A flawless system has been created to enable them to do so. First, the female ceases to feed for those six weeks, which means the stomach is reserved solely for the tadpoles. However, another danger is the regular release of hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach. These chemicals would normally quickly kill the offspring. However, this is prevented by a very special measure. The fluids in the stomach of the mother are neutralized by the hormone like substance prostaglandin E2, which is secreted first by the egg capsules and then by the tadpoles. Hence, the offspring grow healthily, even though they are swimming in a pool of acid.

How do the tadpoles feed inside the empty stomach? The solution to this has been thought of, too. The eggs of this species are significantly larger than those of others, as they contain a yoke very rich in proteins, sufficient to feed the tadpoles for six weeks. The time of birth is designed perfectly as well. The esophagus of the female frog dilates during birth, just like the vagina of mammals during delivery. Once the young have emerged, the esophagus and the stomach both return to normal, and the female starts feeding again.

The miraculous reproductive system of Rheobatrachus silus explicitly invalidates the theory of evolution, since this system is irreducibly complex. Every step has to take place fully in order for the frogs to survive. The mother has to swallow the eggs, and has to stop feeding completely for 6 weeks. The eggs have to release a hormone like substance to neutralize stomach acids. The addition of the extra protein-rich yolk to the egg is another necessity. The widening of the female's esophagus cannot be coincidental. If all these things failed to happen in the requisite sequence, the froglets would not survive and the species would face extinction.

Therefore, this system cannot have developed step-by-step, as asserted by the theory of evolution. The very first frog of the Rheobatrachus silus species existed with this complete flawless system. All of the creatures examined throughout this book prove the same fact: there is a supreme design in creation encompassing all nature. God created all living things with irreducible complexity, in which His infinite power and knowledge are illustrated for those who examine them. The flawless creation of God is depicted as follows:

He is God - the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur'an, 59:24)