The smallest toad, rarely more than 2.5 cm (1”) long, is the East African toad
One of the smallest is the Cuban tree toad, which grows to half an inch long.
The Dagger frog from Japan uses a sharp, spiny “thumb” to stab its enemies
Spadefoot toads are also called “Garlic toads” in Germany because they emit a highly smelly substance
The major difference between frogs and toads is that frogs spend most of their life in the water, while toads live on land and go to the water mostly to breed – toads are actually just a type of frog!
The male European Midwife frog carries 35-50 eggs wrapped around his hind legs for about 3 weeks, until they are ready to hatch
The tadpoles of the Paradoxical frog can grow up to 25 cm (10”) long – up to 3 times bigger than they will become as frogs, who are only up to 7.6 cm (3”) long
Some frogs have see-through skin – you can see right through the skin to the bones of the African Lesser Banana frog!
Some frogs have very un-frog-like names, such as the Catholic frog, the Cricket frog, the Peeper, the Mountain Chorus frog and the Mountain Chicken
Frogs and toads don’t just ribbit – some make noises that sound like a plucked banjo string, snoring, sleigh bells, nails being hammered, pig grunts and sheep bleating
The Panamanian Golden frog is critically endangered; it has been made a cultural symbol in the Republic of Panama
Some frogs, like the Horned frog, use tricks to catch their prey – it uses camouflage so it blends in with plants, then stays still and waits for its food to come along. What a lazy frog!
The Horned frog has been called the “little green bulldog” because it has no fear, biting anything that crosses its path and holding on until pried off
Damage to the ozone layer from pollution affects all types of amphibians – some types of frogs’ and toads’ eggs get damaged by UV rays and die, meaning fewer and fewer frogs and toads survive
Frogs, toads, salamanders and newts are all related – they are all amphibians
Amphibians have certain similarities to each other: two sets of legs, born in the water breathing with gills, maturing to an adult and breathing air with lungs, bare skin and secreting fluids to stay hydrated
The word amphibian means “of double life” because they are born in the water and move out onto land
Some colorful frogs, such as the Fort Randolph robber frog, have developed the same coloring as a coexisting poisonous species. Although their skins are not toxic, these mimics may gain protection from predators by looking dangerous
When temperatures drop, some frogs dig burrows underground or in the mud at the bottom of ponds. They hibernate in these burrows until spring, completely still and scarcely breathing.
The wood frog can live north of the Arctic Circle, surviving for weeks with 65% of its body frozen. This frog uses glucose in its blood as a kind of antifreeze that concentrates in its vital organs, protecting them from damage while the rest of the body freezes solid.
The Australian water-holding frog is a desert dweller that can wait up to seven years for rain. It burrows underground and surrounds itself in a transparent cocoon made of its own shed skin
Frogs are freshwater creatures, although some frogs such as the Florida leopard frog are able to live in brackish or nearly completely salt waters
The marsupial frog keeps her eggs in a pouch like a kangaroo. When the eggs hatch into tadpoles, she opens the pouch with her toes and spills them into the water
The gastric brooding frog of Australia swallows her fertilized eggs. The tadpoles remain in her stomach for up to eight weeks, finally hopping out of her mouth as little frogs. During the brooding period, gastric secretions cease—otherwise she would digest her own offspring
Among Darwin frogs, it is the male who swallows and stores the developing tadpoles in his vocal sac until juvenile frogs emerge
Pipa pipa, the Suriname toad of South America carries her young embedded in the skin of her back. After mating, the eggs sink gradually into the female's back, and a skin pad forms over the eggs. The developing juvenile frogs are visible inside their pockets for several days before hatching. They emerge over a period of days, thrusting their head and forelegs out first, then struggling free
Frogs live almost everywhere—from tropical forests to frozen tundra and scorching deserts
Frogs are the only amphibians without tails—they also lack necks. Most have short bodies, bulging eyes, and powerful legs
The various species of poisonous frogs come by their harmful chemicals in different ways. Most get their poisons from their food—chiefly ants and other arthropods—and some species can chemically alter the substances they ingest, turning mild toxins into more potent ones as yet unknown elsewhere in nature. But some species produce their own toxins, while still others use both of these techniques. Toxic frogs are immune to their own poison
Amphibian Q & A
Why did the frog say meow? He was learning a foreign language!
What does a bankrupt frog say? "Baroke, baroke, baroke"
How deep is a frog pond? Kneedeep, kneedeep!
What did the frog do after it heard a funny joke? It started to croak up!
