For my latest MOC (LEGO®-fan lingo for “my own creation”), I decided to try my hand at something a little different. I usually like to build landscapes and buildings. But this time, I decided to try and build an animal. Three main reasons led to this MOC. Firstly, my recent modifications of the LEGO® Majestic Tiger set inspired me to try and build another of my favourite animals, the frog. However, unlike the tiger, I did not follow any set template for this. Instead, I spent an entire weekend tinkering in my LEGO® room to create my adorable anuran. Secondly, I wanted to enter the 2024 Level It Up LEGO® Building Contest, and I needed an original entry. One of the categories for the contest is Animals, People, and Plants, and my frog fits the bill.
If you would like to support my adorable anuran in the Level It Up LEGO® Building Contest, and help my chances of winning a $500 LEGO® gift card, please click here to go vote.
The third reason for building a frog is because today is World Frog Day. I wanted to commemorate the event. In case you didn’t know, World Frog Day takes place annually on March 20. It has done so since 2012. Frogs are amphibians from the order Anura (hence why they are also called anurans). Frog populations around the world are in decline, and these sensitive creatures are often early indicators of pollution and environmental change. World Frog Day aims to draw awareness to the plight of these wonderful little creatures. Having worked on several amphibian research projects in the past, frogs hold a special place in my heart. What better way to help spread the word than through LEGO® bricks?
Read more about World Frog Day at worldfrogday.org
It was really important that my model move like a frog. I included multiple points of articulation so that the legs can extend in a leap or climb, but also fold into the classic frog pose. I debated neck articulation too. However in the name of authenticity, I made the neck completely rigid. Real frogs have pretty much no neck. It makes their spine more stable for leaping. As such, frogs have to turn their whole body to look in another direction.
From the side, you can see the back profile clearly. The head tapers down to the centre of the back, and then it sharply rise up again. In a real frog, that is the lump created by the elongate pelvic bones. The hip bones are quite large in frogs to support the long legs and musculature needed for leaping and swimming. The other key feature seen from the side is the circle behind the eye. That represents the tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum. A frog’s eardrum is on the outer surface of the body, allowing them to hear clearly on land and underwater.
Did you know frogs swallow using their eyeballs?
The final trait I really wanted to get right was the eyes. When you think of frogs, you think of big, bulbous eyes. Fun fact about frogs, those huge eyes actually play a function in swallowing. Have you ever seen a frog eat? They blink both eyes shut every time they swallow. That is because the eyes actually push the food down their throat. Frogs do not have a hard palate on the roof of their mouth like we do, it is soft tissue. Consequently, frogs can’t breathe with food in their mouths either because there isn’t a separate space for simultaneous air movement. Since the eyes are so important to real frogs, I wanted them to look right in my LEGO® model as well.
All that to say happy World Frog Day! I’m quite happy with how my celebratory adorable anuran turned out. If you like it too, please show your support by voting for my build in the 2024 Level It Up LEGO® Building Contest. You can also shout out in the comments below or reach out on social media. Also, don’t forget to get your own builds in for the contest! The proceeds go to support people living with autism AND there are five $500 LEGO® gift cards up for grabs as prizes.
Click here to go vote for my adorable anuran build!
Until next time,
-Tom
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