One early morning, as usual, 64-year-old Nebraska farmer Thomas Reiner went out to check his soybean crops.
He had been living alone since his wife passed away, and every morning was the same—until he one day noticed something strange among the shoots.
On a strip of land where a light rain had just fallen, dozens of small, translucent, bluish-gray eggs were strewn around.
As if they had been deliberately strewn out, they were scattered. Thomas had never seen anything like that. The eggs seemed too large for insects and too small for birds.
He decided to take photos of them and send them to a local scientist rather than touching them.
The next day, specialists from the University of Nebraska showed up. After examining the area, they quickly came to the conclusion that it was neither an anomaly nor a biological hazard.
Thomas found a clutch of spotted tree frog eggs, a species that scientists say is becoming increasingly common in the region due to rising humidity and climate change.
It was unusual that the eggs were on the ground instead of in water, as is usually the case.
Biologists speculate that during a period of heavy rain, the female may have laid the eggs in an artificial pool that formed between plant rows. Perhaps she made a mistake, or perhaps she attempted to adapt to the new situation.
After a few days, Thomas was astonished to see that some of the eggs really hatched into little tadpoles. In order for them to continue growing, he set aside a small area and filled it with water.
Sadly, the other eggs perished as soon as the mud dried out.
