There's a little toad who regularly is on the back porch first thing in the morning and seems to survey the patio and yard. Hop, hop down the stairs, and then across the patio and into the lawn and garden. I watched the toad jump three times its length in each hop. The average human's jump isn't anywhere near this.
I wondered about the comparison of of the planet's great jumpers. The top highest jumping animals, according to onekindplanet.org are:
Jumping Spider
Froghopper
Kangaroo Rat
Grasshopper
Klipspringer
Bharal
Red Kangaroo. Red Kangaroos are the fastest jumpers among all mammals. They are the longest as well - 43 feet is the record.
I did wonder about fleas? Don't we think of them as leaping masters? Fleas can launch themselves up to 200 times their body length. So yes, they are leaping masters. They could be the furthest jumpers.
To conclude, here's an excerpt from Toad of Toad Hall:
The world has held great heroes, As history books have showed; But never a name went down to fame Compared with that of Toad!
The clever men at Oxford Know all there is to be knowed. But none of them know half as much As intelligent Mr. Toad!
I took this picture of the garden toad a week ago.
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