Frogspawn!

Hi ya! Remember, a couple days back, I was on about some weird green slime that some folks were claiming came from outer space? Soon as you fill your coffee mug and grab hold of a mega muffin, I'll fill you in on what it really was. Great to see you, by the way!

The green slime that was thought to resemble a mysterious mythical jelly that appeared after meteor showers has been identified as coming from frogs.

Nature experts were left baffled by the appearance of the substance on a nature reserve in Somerset, which they were originally unable to recognise.

RSPB officials, who run the site at Ham Wall near Glastonbury, had thought it may be star or astral jelly, an unexplained 'goo' traditionally said to appear after meteors fall to earth.

Its appearance was significant after a meteorite crash landed in Russia at the weekend, shattering thousands of windows, and an asteroid had narrowly missed earth.

Now a vet has identified the jelly as a substance produced inside female frogs, which they use to lay their eggs by combining it to create frogspawn.

Devon vet Peter Green contacted the charity with a logical explanation for the slime.

RSPB reserve warden Tony Whitehead explained: "At this time of year amphibians are spawning.

"The spawn is held in a substance known as glycoprotein which is stored in the female's body.

"If the animal is attacked by a predator - herons for instance are fond of the occasional frog - it will quite naturally drop its spawn and the associated glycoprotein.

"This is designed to swell on contact with water, which gives the gelatinous mass we are all familiar with in frog spawn.

"However, if it's unfertilised, it is just the empty glycoprotein that is dropped - which on contact with moist ground will swell and give a clear slime-like substance."

The blobs of slime had been deposited at several locations at the Ham Wall Reserve, always close to pools of water.

So there you have it. Mystery solved! All you need is an expert who knows what s/he's talking about as opposed to one who doesn't...and Lord knows we have a goodly share of the latter, eh.

So next time someone annoys you or you step in something untoward, just holler, "FROGSPAWN!" and keep on going.

See ya, eh!

Bob