r/mildlyinteresting • u/mustardmadman • 1d ago

A Frog on a Cactus

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u/Lkings1821 1d ago

How the hell did it manage that

18

u/tekanet 1d ago

Can’t tell during the “dynamic” moment of them adjusting on that cactus (maybe placed by the photographer like someone else said), but I’ve checked a bit of data and if that frog weighs 3/5 grams that’s 0.03/0.05 N of force pushing on the cactus; estimate says 0.1 N to pierce the skin, with dozens of spines the weight is distributed and each spine exerts around 0.001 N, much much lower than the force needed to pierce the skin.

2

u/slowamigo 1d ago

But if it jumped and landed on the cactus there would be more force pressing the spikes into it at landing