Holly Hapak, age 9, of Indianapolis, Ind., for her question:

WHAT IS THE SURINAM TOAD?

This remarkable toad comes from a place called Surinam in South America. He is wide and very flat and his head is shaped like a triangle. He has no tongue and no teeth and, though he lives in the water, there are no webs between the toes of his front feet. The female Surinam toad is even more remarkable. The skin on her back is thick and spongy  and full of small pockets where she carries her eggs. There, they go through the tadpole stage and come forth when they are two or three months old.