CHICAGO
JUNIOR HERP SOCIETY
Frogs
The Madagascar poison frog (Mantella), in addition to secreting poisons on its skin, also secretes sucrose in the wild (captive-born Madagascar poison frogs do not secrete the sucrose), which marks the first instance of an animal secreting the sweet substance
Red-eyed tree frogs, despite their conspicuous coloration, are not venomous. They are found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America. Nocturnal carnivores, they hide in the rain forest canopy and ambush crickets, flies, and moths with their long, sticky tongues. Red-eyed tree frogs are not endangered. But their habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate
Glass frogs are generally small, ranging from 3 to 7.5 centimetres (1.2 to 3.0 in) in length. They are green in color over most of their bodies, save for the skin along the lower surface of the body, which is translucent
Frogs lay their eggs in pools, ponds, and puddles. As snow melts, low lying areas fill with water and frogs start looking for a place to lay their eggs. Each year we eagerly await the arrival of spring to listen to the Spring Peeper and anticipate the discovery of frog eggs in the vernal pools.
They live throughout Central and South America, in different geographical structures such as streams and rainforests We know that these amphibians get their poison from the diet of certain ants and other insects rich in toxic alkaloids which they cannot produce themselves.
Size: 4-6 inches Expected Life Span: up to 10 years Lifestyle: Terrestrial (lives on the ground) Level of Care: Good for beginners General Appearance: They are commonly known as "Pac Man" frogs because of their fairly round shape and really large mouth, which makes them resemble the popular video game character. They are also called “Horned Frogs” due to the presence of horn-like fleshy knobs on the top of their eyes.
Always Wash Your Hands Both Before And After Handling Frogs or their Habitat.
FACTS
! Frogs are vertebratesCanimals with backbones. They belong to a group of vertebrates called amphibians. As adults they have no tail. This distinguishes them from the two other kinds of living amphibiansCsalamanders and caecilians.
Most frogs have long hind limbs modified for jumping or, at least, hopping.
Some species of frogs are called toads. There is no clear-cut rule for which are called frogs and which are called toads. In general the differences are:
Frogs have relatively smooth, moist skin; toads have drier skin, often covered with bumps that resemble warts.
Frogs have long hind legs designed for jumping; toads have shorter legs designed for hopping.
Frogs tend to be more aquatic than toads.
Frogs have heavily webbed toes for swimming or adhesive toepads for climbing; toads have little or no webbing between their toes and limited ability to climb.
Most frogs lay eggs. The eggs of many species, including those most familiar to people, hatch into an aquatic larval stage called a tadpole. Newly hatched tadpoles do not resemble adult frogs. They have tails and gills, and do not have legs. Tadpoles slowly develop legs, lose their gills and tails, and crawl or hop onto landCa process known as metamorphosis.
Males of many frog species call loudly at certain times of the year to attract mates. Each species has its own distinctive call.
The adults of almost all frogs have lungs and can breathe air, but most can also breathe when they are under water as oxygen diffuses into the blood through the frog=s skin.
The goliath frog of West Africa is certainly the largest species of frog. The largest on record was almost 16 inches long (not counting the outstretched legs) and weighed more than 62 pounds. The smallest species of frog is harder to pin down, but several species never exceed a half-inch in length.
Frogs have lived on Earth for at least 180 million years, and today can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
