Fun Facts About Frogs

Fun Facts About Frogs

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1. Frogs, along with salamanders and newts, are members of the animal group called amphibians. Amphibians (from the Greek words amphi, meaning “both,” and bios or “life”) are fittingly named.

2. The “song” or call of the male treefrog, designed to attract females, is a loud, two-part kreck-ek, or a ribbit, often repeated many times. This calling stimulates other males to join in, and large concentrations of these frogs can be heard far away, especially on nights when air temperatures remain above 45 degrees. Male treefrogs call mainly in the evening and at night, although they often call sporadically during the day at the height of the breeding season. A dry-land call made by male treefrogs away from their breeding ponds is a single-note Krr-r-r-ek.

3. When Hollywood moviemakers wanted frog calls to convey the feeling of nighttime outdoors, they recorded treefrogs. Consequently the “ribbit-ribbit” calls of this species have become the stereotypical frog call, even in areas where treefrogs don’t occur.

4. Individual treefrogs can change color between green and brown tones in a few minutes. This color change is related to the temperature and amount of moisture in the air, not to the background color as is the case for most reptiles.

5. There are over 200 species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae, or poison frogs; they range in size from .5 inches to just over 2 inches.

6. Leimadophis epinephelus, a frog eating snake is the only known predator of the poison frog.

7. The Golden Poison Arrow frog is deadliest of all of the poison frogs.  The toxins from one animal can kill ten men.

8. Scientists around the world have been studying these amphibians to create new medicine.  Painkillers 200 times more effective than morphine have been produced from the toxins of the phantasmal poison frog.

9. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd is the specific chytrid fungus that works as a parasite on amphibian populations.  When an amphibian is affected by chytrid the fungus works to thicken the animal’s skin.  Since amphibians can absorb moisture and nutrients through their skin, this thickening will inhibit the absorption and can result in imbalance of electrolytes or suffocation.

10. Frogs appeared on Earth about 200 million years ago. (We arrived about two million years ago.) There are over 4000 species in the world and over 200 species in Australia.

11. Frogs which live near noisy, fast flowing streams can’t always hear mating calls above the roar of water. Instead, they signal their intentions by waving to prospective partners!

12. The tadpole of the Northern Barred Frog (Mixophyes schevilli) is the largest in Australia growing up to 16cm long (longer than a pen).   These tadpoles are important in the forest because they eat and recycle large quantities of leaves. 

13. The frog with the longest leap in Australia lives in the Wet Tropics. The 75mm Wood Frog (Rana daemeli) can cover a distance of about 2.5m in a single bound. That’s like a human jumping 200 metres!

14. Some rainforest tadpoles take over a year to change into frogs.

15. All frog eggs laid in open ponds have a black patch at the top. This is a filter which cuts out the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun which would otherwise harm the developing tadpoles.

16. Frogs’ eyes bulge out giving them all round vision. They also help the frog swallow. When the frog catches a mouthful of food its eyes sink through an opening in the skull and force food down its throat.

17. Many frogs produce chemicals on their skin which help to protect them from bacteria and fungi.

18. Scientists are using frogs to develop medicines for different diseases. A chemical compound which comes from the skin of Green Tree Frogs is used as a gut stimulant after abdominal surgery and also to block schizophrenia symptoms.

19. Other frog compounds contract and expand blood vessels, make hearts beat more strongly, help digest food, combat viruses and may eventually be used to repel mosquitoes and act as sunscreen.

20. Term “amphibian” means “double life.” During their life cycle, they live both in the water and on the land.  When immature, they are fishlike and breathe through gills.  As adults, they live on land and breathe through lungs and moist skin.

21. All frogs and toads are amphibians.

22. The  largest  is  the  Goliath  frog  from Africa,  which  is  over  a  foot  long  and  weighs  five pounds.

23. The smallest comes from Cuba and  is only ½ inch  long.

24. The biggest frog  is the 6 inch bullfrog, whose call sounds like ‘jug-o-rum’; the smallest is the cricket frog (just ¾ inch long) which makes a metallic ‘gick, gick, gick’ sound.

25. Frogs live in many parts of the world. Most frogs live in swamps. Some frogs can live in the desert.

26. Did you know that most frogs begin life in water, but spend the rest of their lives living on land?

27. The Oregon spotted frog is named for the black spots that cover the head, back, sides, and legs. 

28. Poison dart frogs are also known as poison arrow frogs.  They get this name because of the hunters living in the rainforest using the skin toxins on their darts and arrows.  Some frogs are more poisonous than others.  The toxins come from the ants or other insects they eat in the wild.  Captive-bred poison dart frogs are not toxic due to their different diet.

29. The yellow-banded poison dart frog is the only known poison frog to estivate (be dormant or inactive) during the dry season. The young tadpoles are sometimes cannibalistic (eat their own kind) when 2 tadpoles are placed in the same pool.

30. They are cold blooded and have moist, slimy skin. 

31. Frogs go through metamorphosis. 

32. Frogs lay up to 4,000 eggs at one time. Tadpoles hatch from the jelly-covered eggs. They have gills so that they can breathe like fish.  Soon, the tadpoles grow lungs and legs and are frogs. 

33. Frogs are carnivores. They eat live insects, worms, and small animals. They catch their prey with their sticky tongue.       

34. With their bulging eyes they have very good eyesight.  Frogs also have an amazing sense of hearing. 

35. Frogs have very powerful back legs and webbed feet.  This helps them jump long distances. 

36. There are many different species and colors of frogs.

37. A group of frogs is called an ARMY of frogs. A group of toads is called a KNOT of toads

38. Poison frogs are unique, in that they put much effort into the care of their young. Some species will “backpack’ their young, adults will watch over the eggs and when they hatch into tadpoles place the young on their back to relocate them to safer regions.