Portal:Frogs

The Frogs Portal

Various types of frog

A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ἀνούρα, literally without tail in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" Triadobatrachus is known from the Early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their split from other amphibians may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforest. Frogs account for around 88% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.

An adult frog has a stout body, protruding eyes, anteriorly-attached tongue, limbs folded underneath, and no tail (the tail of tailed frogs is an extension of the male cloaca). Frogs have glandular skin, with secretions ranging from distasteful to toxic. Their skin varies in colour from well-camouflaged dappled brown, grey and green to vivid patterns of bright red or yellow and black to show toxicity and ward off predators. Adult frogs live in fresh water and on dry land; some species are adapted for living underground or in trees.

Frogs typically lay their eggs in water. The eggs hatch into aquatic larvae called tadpoles that have tails and internal gills. They have highly specialized rasping mouth parts suitable for herbivorous, omnivorous or planktivorous diets. The life cycle is completed when they metamorphose into adults. A few species deposit eggs on land or bypass the tadpole stage. Adult frogs generally have a carnivorous diet consisting of small invertebrates, but omnivorous species exist and a few feed on plant matter. Frog skin has a rich microbiome which is important to their health. Frogs are extremely efficient at converting what they eat into body mass. They are an important food source for predators and part of the food web dynamics of many of the world's ecosystems. The skin is semi-permeable, making them susceptible to dehydration, so they either live in moist places or have special adaptations to deal with dry habitats. Frogs produce a wide range of vocalizations, particularly in their breeding season, and exhibit many different kinds of complex behaviors to attract mates, to fend off predators and to generally survive. (Full article...)

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The Australian green tree frog (Ranoidea caerulea/Litoria caerulea), also known as simply green tree frog in Australia, White's tree frog, or dumpy tree frog, is a species of tree frog native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in the United States and New Zealand, though the latter is believed to have died out. It is morphologically similar to some other members of its genus, particularly the magnificent tree frog (R. splendida) and the white-lipped tree frog (R. infrafrenata).

Larger than most Australian frogs, the Australian green tree frog reaches 10 cm (4 in) or more in length. Its average lifespan in captivity, about 16 years, is long compared with most frogs. Docile and well suited to living near human dwellings, Australian green tree frogs are often found on window sills or inside houses, eating insects drawn by the light. The green tree frog screams when it is in danger to scare off its foe, and squeaks when it is touched. (Full article...)

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Photograph of the Italian tree frog Hyla intermedia. Its natural habitats are the temperate forests, rivers, and freshwater marshes of countries like Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland. It feeds on small invertebrates such as flies, mosquitoes and midges. In the breeding season, dominant males establish territories near a pond or other body of water and advertise themselves by calling. Other male frogs, known as "satellites" may lurk nearby and try to intercept females attracted by the territorial males' calls.
Photo credit: Benny Trapp

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General images

The following are images from various frog-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Ascaphus montanus tadpole (supine position), showing the large oral sucker (from Tailed frog)
Image 2Eungella torrent frog
Taudactylus eungellensis
Myobatrachidae
Australia (from Torrent frog)
Image 3Crapaud et Grenouille ("Frog and Toad") by Jean Carriès, between 1889 and 1894 (from Frogs in culture)
Image 4Moche frog, 200 AD (from Frogs in culture)
Image 5Freddo Frog advertisement, 1930 (from Frogs in culture)
Image 6Common toad, female and male on her back. (from True toad)
Image 7Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee 2016 (from Frog jumping contest)
Image 8Common tree frog, Polypedates leucomystax, Rhacophoridae, southern to eastern Asia (from Tree frog)
Image 9"My Old Friend Dr. Frog". Promotional postcard for "Frog In Your Throat" Company throat medicine (from Frogs in culture)
Image 10Black torrent frog
Micrixalus saxicola
Ranidae
India (from Torrent frog)
Image 11American green tree frog, Dryophytes cinereus or Hyla cinerea, Hylidae, central and southeastern United States (from Tree frog)
Image 12Big-eyed tree frog, Leptopelis vermiculatus, Hyperoliidae, Tanzania (from Tree frog)
Image 13Roman lamp mount shaped like a frog. (from Frogs in culture)
Image 14Wrestling frogs from Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga, cartoon, Japan, 12th century (from Frogs in culture)
Image 15Gladiator treefrog (Hypsiboas rosenbergi), Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica (from Tree frog)
Image 16Dead Frog with Flies by Ambrosius Bosschaert II, c. 1630 (from Frogs in culture)
Image 17Frog and Mouse by Getsuju, a Japanese artist of the Edo period (from Frogs in culture)
Image 18Old Dutch tile from Friesland (from Frogs in culture)
Image 19Powdered glass frog, Cochranella pulverata, Centrolenidae, Honduras to Ecuador (from Tree frog)
Image 20Gray tree frog, Hyla versicolor, Hylidae, eastern North America (from Tree frog)
Image 21Frog pictured in the coat of arms of Baloži (from Frogs in culture)
Image 22Malabar tree toad, Pedostibes tuberculosus, Hyperoliidae, India (from Tree frog)
Image 23A frog being eaten by King Stork, an illustration by Milo Winter in a 1919 Aesop anthology (from Frogs in culture)
Image 24Hermenegildo Bustos, Still life with fruit, 1874 (from Frogs in culture)
Image 25Entre ciel et terre, by Gustave Doré, 1862 (from Frogs in culture)
Image 26White-lipped bright-eyed frog, Boophis albilabris, Mantellidae, Madagascar (from Tree frog)
Image 27Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) (from Flying frog)
Image 28Vietnamese folk painting "Nhân nghĩa" (from Toad)
Image 29Torrent treefrog
Litoria nannotis
Hylidae
Australia (from Torrent frog)
Image 30Detail of Josiah Wedgwood's Frog Service, 1773–4, made for Catherine the Great of Russia (from Frogs in culture)
Image 31American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) (from True toad)
Image 32Red-eyed treefrog, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica (from Tree frog)
Image 33Vietnamese folk painting "Lão oa giảng độc" (from Toad)
Image 34Early Dynastic (c. 3000 BC) frog statuette) (from Frogs in culture)
Image 35European treefrog (Hyla arborea) (from Tree frog)

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Did you know?

... that Telmatobius ventriflavum (pictured) was not discovered until 2012, despite being located near a major highway?
... that the East Bay Vivarium is the oldest and largest retail vivarium in the United States?
... that the tadpoles of the Sri Lanka rock frog and the Kirtisinghe's rock frog are often found on wet rocks near mountain streams?
... that the tadpoles of the critically endangered Rabbs' fringe-limbed treefrog (pictured) literally eat the skin off their fathers' backs?
...that the Northern Red-legged Frog is a near-threatened species, whose male defends breeding pond territory with nocturnal displays?