The African lesser banana frog has such transparent skin that you can see it bones through it!
The East African toad, from Mozambique, rarely grows more than 2.5 cm (1 in) long.
Frogs have hind (back) legs that are longer than there front legs.
Found only in New Zealand, the Stephens Island frog evolved 170-275 million years ago – it is believed to be the ancestor of all frogs.
Discovered in 1991, the Venezuela skunk frog releases a chemical identical to the defense spray of skunks as a deterrent.
The largest frog is the goliath frog – in 1949, a bullfrog was found that was recorded as being 1 m (3.3 ft.) long and weighing 3.5 kg (8 lbs.).
The largest toads are South American Marine toads – they can measure 23 cm (9”) long and weigh close to 1.5 kg (3 lbs.).
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.
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.
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.
Frogs are the only amphibians without tails—they also lack necks. Most have short bodies, bulging eyes, and powerful legs.
