Amphibians
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Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
Frogs 2022. Life, Amphibians. Retrieved 19 March 2024, from
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Life, Amphibians, s.v. "Frogs," accessed March 19, 2024.
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Frogs
Frogs are short, tail-less amphibians with long hind legs and smooth skin. They spend most of their time in water. Their very long legs and streamlined bodies mean that they can make huge leaps and swim quickly. Adult frogs are carnivorous, feeding on insects, snails or worms. Larger frogs will also eat fish, other frogs and even small mammals. There are about 5800 species of frog—around 90% of all amphibian species. They include the toads, which are actually warty-skinned types of frog. All frogs and toads belong to the Anura order.
Frog spawn
Most frogs lay thousands of jelly-like eggs, called frog spawn, in ponds, lakes or streams. It consists of tiny embryos surrounded by layers of jelly. Many frogs lay their spawn in clumps, while toads often lay their spawn in long chains on top of pond weed. The jelly protects the embryos and keeps them moist, while allowing oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. It also provides food for the growing embryos. After about a month, the young start to hatch out and feed on what is left of their eggs.
Tadpoles
Baby frogs, known as tadpoles, look like little fish with big heads and wriggly tails. Like fish, they breathe with gills. When they are very young, tadpoles feed on microscopic plants in the water. Later, they feed on anything from decaying plants to other tiny creatures. After two months, the tadpoles grow back legs and lungs. A month later, the frogs’ front limbs appear and their tails start to shorten. Four months after hatching, their eyes have grown bigger and their mouths are wider. The young frogs are now ready for their adult life on land. They will be ready to breed when they are three years old.
Breeding
Frogs usually lay their spawn in water, often returning to the same pond or lake year after year to breed. Some tree frogs lay their eggs inside a foam “nest” on an overhanging branch, so that when the young hatch, they will fall into the water. Mouth-brooding frogs hold their tadpoles in a throat sac until they jump out as tiny frogs, but most frogs leave their eggs to hatch on their own.
Tree frogs
Tree frogs have pads on their toes that act like suckers, to cling on to shiny leaves. Usually tiny—no more than a few centimetres long—they live and hunt in trees. Some kinds of tree frog can even walk upside down. Many tree frogs can change their colour to that of their surroundings for camouflage. Most species leave the trees to lay their eggs in pools or rivers—the only time they do so—but some lay their eggs on leaves overhanging water.
Flying frogs
Flying frogs are types of tree frog. They have large, webbed feet that help them to glide between trees. The flying frog uses the webbing between its toes like tiny parachutes. Some species can glide more than 15 metres (50 feet).
Poison dart frogs
Some frogs from the rainforests of Central and South America secrete a powerful poison. The poison of a few species is used by rainforest people to coat the tips of their darts and arrows for hunting. Just a tiny amount can be deadly to animals and even humans. Most species are tiny, sometimes less than 2 centimetres (0.8 inches) long. They are mostly brightly coloured, to warn potential predators that they are poisonous.
Bullfrogs
Bullfrogs are very large frogs, reaching lengths of up to 25 centimetres (10 inches). They eat almost anything they find, including birds and mice. Bullfrogs are well known for their booming mating calls. Males gather together in large groups called choruses, competing with one another to attract females.
Consultant: Chris Jarvis