No one loves Leap Day more than frogs. This is just a fact*.
* That I made up.
Yes, frogs. Those throaty little professional long jumpers who, as 1980s arcade culture taught us, are always trying to cross major highways to their infinite peril.
Leap Day is a day added to the calendar every four years; it's necessary because the Earth actually does a full rotation around the sun every 365.24 days and doesn't seem to care about the nice round 365 number we've come up with. Every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar to catch up. Otherwise we'd actually get ahead of ourselves — there would be snowstorms in June and droughts in November, and New Year's Eve celebrations would be even more disorienting and morally ambiguous than they are now.
In fact, without leap days, right now we would be in the middle of July 2017, by one calculation anyway.
A lot has happened for frogs since the last leap day four years ago.
In the past couple of years alone, six new frog species have been discovered, and conservation efforts have stepped up to save the banana frog in Ethiopia.
Those efforts are just the beginning, and no matter what, the biggest threat to the health of frog species is human activity.
To celebrate Leap Day, here are 29 frogs who just can't stop jumping for joy:
(Oh, and don't worry, we're obviously going to start with the awesome poisonous ones).
1. Golden frog can out-jump and out-poison you!
Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.
This frog, the most venomous species in the world, was photographed at the laboratory in the zoo of Cali, Colombia. The Zoo of Cali has the largest amphibian collection in the country and studies them for conservation efforts.
2. This strawberry poison-dart frog is also brilliantly toxic.
Photo by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.
As with most frogs this colorful, the skin of the Strawberry poison dart frog is highly toxic. They live in rainforest habitats and sometimes in banana groves.
3. This cocoi frog could totally ruin your day (but doesn't want to).
Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.
Also known as the harlequin poison frog, this dangerous little guy is native to Columbia and lives on the rainforest floor. Its bright colors and patterns indicate its ability to totally ruin your day if you pick it up.
4. Check out this Lehmann's poison frog.
Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images
Another frog of the "seriously, don't mess with me, dude" variety, Lehmann's poison frog is native to Columbia and is, unfortunately, critically endangered due to habitat loss.
5. This red oophaga sylvatica is tiny but mighty.
Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.
Sometimes known as "diabilito," meaning "little devil," this species of poison frog is also threatened by habitat loss and deforestation.
6. Here's a black-legged dart frog.
Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.
This species is native to the rainforest and enjoys warm, moist conditions. It also listed as a threatened species, again, due to loss of habitat.
7. These piggybacking frogs in Estonia know to bring company along for long trips.
Photo by Raigo Pajula/AFP/Getty Images.
In 2012, volunteers decided to play real life Frogger and carried over 19,000 frogs across highways in Estonia. Without human intervention, it's estimated that nearly all of the frogs attempting the migratory journey would get run over.
8. Check out this sand frog leaping across the desert.
Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images.
Native to Africa, this particular desert-dwelling sand frog was photographed in the Xiangshawan Desert in China.
9. Recognize this green tree frog?
Photo by Stefan Sauer/AFP/Getty Images.
One of the most common frogs, the green tree frog can actually be found in many American backyards.
10. This Chinese flying frog is a big Leap Day fan.
Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images.
The Chinese flying frog lives in natural lowland forests, and is thankfully not endangered. However, it is cool and blue.
11. This monkey frog though? Not so much.
Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images.
The grumpy guy is native to South America and is a nocturnal tree climber. He's not a huge fan of Leap Day, though. He thinks it's a fake holiday made up by the greeting card companies.
12. This waxy tree frog is pretty cool.
Photo by Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images.
Native to Central and South America, the waxy tree frog lives mostly in trees and vegetation near water sources.
13. Look how tiny this poison dart frog is!
Photo by Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images.
Despite his size, this frog is actually a really big deal. He was the first to be born at The London Aquarium after a successful breeding program for conservation.
14. Here's a gliding tree frog.
Photo by Carlos Julio Martinez/AFP/Getty Images.
Found primarily in Costa Rica, male gliding tree frogs can grow up to 56 millimeters from vent to snout — or, to put it colloquially, ass to nose.
15. OK, wait ... here's that tiny poison dart frog again.
Photo by Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images.
This time he's sitting on a five pence piece! Look how tiny he is!!! So tiny!!! So deadly!!!
16. Did you know there's even a frog jumping competition in Slovenia?
Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images
It's called Frognight, and it's absolutely the biggest and most famous event in the small town of Lokve.
17. These bullfrogs live together on a farm in Singapore.
Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images.
The Jurong Frog Farm started in 1981 and is Singapore's only frog farm. If you're ever in Singapore, you can take a tour of the place.
18. This little baby frog is catching a ride.
Photo by Sena Vidanagama/AFP/Getty Images.
This pair was photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 1999, scientists found Sri Lanka to be the #1 nation for frog diversity. It's home to over 200 species of frogs. Unfortunately, several species have died out since then due to a shrinking habitat.
19. This bull frog is accounted for.
Photo by Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images.
The zookeeper holding up this frog was participating in London Zoo's annual stocktake. Which is an exhaustive and complete headcount of every animal at the zoo.
20. The London Zoo also has a weigh in. A spoon weigh in.
Photo by Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images.
Animals like this mossy frog in a weighing spoon have to be weighed to record the animal's vital statistics. It's all part of the effort to make sure animals at the zoo are well cared for.
21. This tree frog lives in Maryland.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.
Maryland is actually home to dozens of species of frogs and toads. Though as far as scientists know, they don't ride tandem bicycles together Despite what a certain children's book series would lead you to believe.
22. Oh yikes, the Prince Charles stream tree frog is kinda creepy.
Photo by Arthur Edwards, WPA Pool/Getty Images.
23. This frog was just saved from poachers.
Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images.
Although frogs legs are a delicacy in India, the government clamped down on the hunting of frogs in 1985 amid concerns over their falling numbers.
24. Here are some Moor frogs.
Photo by Sebastian Willnow/AFP/Getty Images.
Get it? Moor frogs? These frogs are excellent swimmers and mostly live in water. If found on land, they'll bury themselves quickly in soil or sand.
25. Aww, look, here are a few more colorful poison dart frogs.
Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images.
These colorful characters were on display as part of "Frogs: A Chorus of Colors" at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The museum has one of the largest frog collections in the world.
26. Check out this White tree frog.
Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images.
The white tree frog is unique. It's rather large, ranging in length from 3 to 4.5 inches, and females are usually bigger than males. They can be found in northern Australia and New Zealand, but this one was photographed in Scotland.
27. The coolest little poisonous frog.
Photo by Fredy Amariles/AFP/Getty Images.
As cool as his patterns are, he's also highly poisonous. Also, the species is in danger due to their popularity as pets as well as the disappearance of their habitat.
28. This frog hangin' at a wildlife refuge in San Jose.
Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a wildlife refuge in Costa Rica, is also a popular tourist destination. It also has an aviary that acts as a refuge for wild birds that have been illegally hunted.
29. And, finally, that monkey frog who has still not warmed up to Leap Day. He'll get there eventually.
Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images.
I mean, really. He's just super not into it. If you ask him, he'd say the world is better off letting the calendar just fly off the handle. Who needs all that organization and consistency? Just eat some flies and relax.
In short, Leap Day is necessary and frogs are awesome.
They're colorful, adorable, sometimes extremely badass and dangerous, and there are over 4,700 species of them.
Unfortunately, if deforestation continues, a lot of frogs could lose their habitats. Many species have already died out, and roughly 1,900 species are in a threatened state.
However you celebrate Leap Day, I encourage you to take a moment to think about the world's best leapers. They could really use your help.
