FantasticWorld ofFrogs

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Did you know there are over 4,700 species

of frogs in the world? That’s right, and you

can find them on every continent except

Antarctica. These amazing amphibians

come in all sorts of colours and sizes but

one thing they have in common is their

importance to ecosystems.

Frogs are known as indicator species, meaning if you want to know how

healthy an ecosystem is just look at the frogs. Frogs have permeable skin,

meaning liquids and gasses can pass through their skin. Not only does

this let them breathe and drink through their skin, it also means that any

chemical pollutants in the environment can also get absorbed. These

chemicals can make frogs very sick. If frogs are missing from an area

where they once were, it’s one sign of an unhealthy ecosystem.

As you may have guessed by our logo,

Earth Rangers loves frogs and we want

to show you why we think frogs are so

cool. That’s why we are going to take you

on an adventure around the world to

introduce you to some fantastic frogs.

Ready? Here we go!

What’s so greatabout frogs?

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Red-Eyed Tree Frog(Agalychnis callidryas)

Froggy Facts:

These frogs camouflage perfectly against green leaves. If a predator sneaks up on them, these frogs simply open their big red eyes, startle their attacker and make their escape. If a male sees another male in his territory, he will send a signal to the intruding frog that he is not welcome by shaking a nearby branch.

Location: Central America, parts of

Mexico & Colombia

Status: Least Concern

Length:Up to 77 mm

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Location: Western Andies on Pacific Coast

of Colombia

Length:Up to 47 mm

Froggy Facts:

This is the most toxic frog in the world. One frog has enough toxins in its skin to kill 22,000 mice or 10 humans.

Thanks to its toxicity, these frogs have few predators except for the fire-bellied snake (Leimadophis epinephelus), a snake that can withstand the toxins.

Status: Endangered

Golden Poison Frog(Phyllobates terribilis)

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Location: Canada and parts of USA

(North America)

Length:Up to 83 mm

Wood Frog(Lithobates sylvaticus)

Froggy Facts:

These wide ranging frogs are the only North American amphibian that live north of the Arctic Circle.

Wood frogs produce their own kind of “antifreeze” (cryoprotectant) which protects them from the cold. These frogs can freeze solid then come back to life in the spring.

Status: Least Concern

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Location: West coast of North America

Length:Up to 100 mm

Froggy Facts:

Due to habitat loss, invasive species, water pollution and disease, these frogs are the most endangered amphibians in Canada.

In 2012-2013, Earth Rangers just like YOU fundraised to help protect this frog. Donationswent to restoring habitat, helping to build a new breeding facility and breeding frogs.

Oregon Spotted Frog(Rana pretiosa)

Status: VulnerableVancouver Aquarium

!

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Location: Most of Europe

Length:Up to 170 mm

Froggy Facts:

The marsh frog’s latin species name ridibundus means ‘to laugh in busts’ or ‘to bust with laughter’. It refers to the frogs’ call, which sounds like it is laughing.

These frogs are the largest frogs in Europe. They are so big that they eat reptiles, small birds, rodents and even other frogs!

Marsh Frog(Pelophylax ridibundus)

Status: Least ConcernBenny Trapp

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Location: Island of Crete (Greece)

Length:Up to 63 mm

Froggy Facts:

This frog is only found on Crete, an island off the coast of Greece.

A major threat to Cretan frogs is American bullfrogs, which were introduced to the island and are taking over most of the food and habitat.

Cretan Frog(Pelophylax cretensis)

Status: EndangeredBenny Trapp!

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Location: Northeastern Madagascar

Length:Up to 105 mm

Tomato Frog(Dyscophus antongilii)

Status: Near Threatened

Froggy Facts:

Tomato frogs are known as “ambush predators”. They sit perfectly still, wait for an insect to come into reach and then they attack.

Their bright red colouring warns predators that they are poisonous. This is called aposematic colouration and it helps them avoid being eaten.

Franco Andreone

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Froggy Facts:

Unlike other frogs, the African clawed frog doesn’t have a tongue. Instead, they use their fingers to push food into their mouth.

These frogs can adapt to many different climates. When there is a drought, they bury themselves in mud. They can also survive up to a year without food.

Location: Southern Africa

Length:Up to 147 mm

African Clawed Frog(Xenopus laevis)

Status: Least ConcernHolger Krisp

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Location: Australia and Southern New Guinea

Length:Up to 115 mm

Froggy Facts:

During the dry season, these frogs coat themselves in a mixture of mucus and dead skin then bury themselves to keep moist.

These frogs are sometimes called ‘dumpy’ because of the fatty ridge over their eyes. This fatty ridge grows bigger if the frog is overweight.

Australian Green Tree Frog(Litoria caerulea)

Status: Least Concern

!

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Froggy Facts:

These frogs have pointed skin above their eyes that look like eyelashes, earning them the nickname Solomon Island eyelash frog.

These “eyelashes” along with their pointedsnout, ridged veins over their back and earthycolour allow them to blend in with the leavesin their habitat, hiding them from predators.

Solomon Island Leaf Frog(Ceratobatrachus guentheri)

Status: Least Concern

Location: The Solomon Islands

Length:Up to 76 mm

!

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Location: Zhejiang & Anhui Provinces

(China)

Length:Up to 56 mm

Froggy Facts:

This frog is one of only two frog species that is capable of both hearing and making ultrasonic sounds, sounds that are too high pitched for humans to hear.

Concave-eared torrent frogs make a lot of unique sounds. In a 12 hour recording of 21 frogs, no two frogs made the same sound!

Concave-Eared Torrent Frog(Odorrana tormota)

Status: VulnerableAlbert Feng

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Location: Southeast Asia

Length:Up to 75 mm

Froggy Facts:

Banded bullfrogs can create a bad tasting sticky ooze that makes predators think twice before eating them.

They are nicknamed “chubby frogs” because of their round shape. They can make themselves seem even bigger by inflating their body when threatened.

Banded Bullfrog(Kaloula pulchra)

Status: Least Concern

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African Clawed Froghttp://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Xenopus&where-species=laevishttp://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Africanclawedfrog.cfm

Australian Green Tree Froghttp://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Whitestreefrog.cfmhttp://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Litoria&where-species=caerulea

Banded Bullfroghttp://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Kaloula&where-species=pulchra

Concave-Eared Torrent Froghttp://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Odorrana&where-species=tormota

Cretan Froghttp://www.arkive.org/cretan-frog/pelophylax-cretensis/http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58581/0

Golden Poison Frog:http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=phyllobates&where-species=terribilishttp://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/amphibians/frogs-and-toads/phyllobates-terribilis

Marsh Froghttp://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Pelophylax&where-species=ridibundushttp://www.herpfrance.com/amphibian/marsh_frog_pelophylax_ridibundus.php

Oregon Spotted Frog:http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/species/Fact%20sheets/ORspottedfrogfinal.pdfhttp://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/oregon-spotted-frog/http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Rana&where-species=pretiosa

Red-Eyed Tree Froghttp://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?where-scientific_name=callidryashttp://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/amphibians/frogs-and-toads/agalychnis-callidryas

Solomon Island leaf froghttp://www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=792http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58242/0

Tomato Froghttp://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/amphibians/frogs-and-toads/dyscophus-antongiliihttp://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Dyscophus&where-species=antongilii

Wood Froghttp://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Rana&where-species=sylvatica

References