table of contents:1 Introduction

2 Poison Dart Frog

3 Bullfrog

4 Leopard Frog

5 Red-Eyed Tree Frog

6 Horned Frog

7 Glass Frog

8 Glossary

Ribbit! Even toddlers recogni ze the sounds of a frog. Why do you think that is? Why are we so fascinated with this animal? Is it because their croak is so di fferent than the sounds that most other animals make? Or is it because some species of frogs can leap twenty times their own length in one jump? I am not sure what the reason for the fascination is, but I do know a few things about frogs. Frogs are amphibians that lay their eggs in or near water. Frogs will go through a complete metamorphosis, also known as major change, in their li ves. During the tadpole phase, they have gill s, but will develop lungs so that they can breathe air. Frogs don’t drink water like we do. They soak it up through their skin! There are around 4 ,780 di fferent species of frogs with slightly di fferent behaviors and appearances. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these frogs !

The rainforests of Central and South America are home to one of the world’s most poisonous animals, the poison dart frog. The bright colors are not just for fashion purposes; they are a warning to predators to be aware of thei r toxicity! For example, the golden poison dart frog could kill 20,000 mice with the poison inside of its body. The frog’s skin is covered in the poison so just one lick of its skin could mean death for a predator. But what about the dart part of thei r name? You guessed it, thei r poison is extracted and used on the ends of hunters’ darts to make these weapons even more dangerous.

The bull frog gets its name due to its loud, deep croak and how similar it is to a cow’s moo. Bull frogs are semi-aquatic which means they li ve near the edge of freshwater ponds and lakes. They eat insects, mice, snakes, fish, and other small creatures. They lunge at thei r food and swallow it whole. The female bull frog lays up to 20,000 jelly-like eggs at one time. Once eggs become tadpoles, it will take them a year to develop into full-blown frogs. The male frog will hang around to protect the tadpoles, and he will attack any predator that tries to harm them. Bull frogs help us out by eating mosquito larvae and keeping the mosquito population from getting out of control.

The leopard frog is known for its large, ci rcular spots on its back. These spots act as camouflage by helping it blend in with its surroundings. This adaptation protects the frog from predators. The leopard frog is also known as the meadow frog because it can li ve in large open fields or even mountains. Most frogs li ve right next to fresh water to ensure that thei r skin stays moist. When the leopard frog is away from a permanent water source, it will rest in small holes, like a ditch that it creates with its own body. During the winter, leopard frogs hibernate under rocks, mud, or underwater. The leopard frog can leap eight feet in one jump, and is the state amphibian for both Vermont and Minnesota.

Like other frogs, the red-eyed tree frog begins its li fe in eggs, then changes into a tadpole, and eventually becomes a frog. The bright colors of thei r eyes and legs are a defense mechanism known as startle coloration. The shocking colors usually cause predators to freeze and gives the tree frogs enough time to escape. Red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal amphibians who mostly eat insects or frogs that are smaller than they are. Red-eyed tree frogs also have suction-cup toes that help them cling to tree branches. Female tree frogs lay thei r eggs on the underside of leaves that hang over water. This is very strategic, because when the tadpoles emerge from their eggs, they will be washed down the leaves right into the water where they will stay until they are developed enough to climb up into the trees.

The most common horned frog is the Argentine wide-mouthed frog. These frogs can be found in the rainforests of South America. They are known as greedy eaters as they will attempt to eat anything that moves close to them from li zards to birds to small mammals. They will remain motionless until they spot their prey. Then they will shoot out their extremely sticky tongue, let it hit their prey, and retract their tongue back into their mouth. Their strong jaws will slam shut preventing their prey from escaping. If a larger predator tries to eat them, the horned frog will bite it! The pointy pieces over their eyes act as another element of camou flage as they look like leaves on the ground.

Like many interesting frogs, the glass frog is native to Central and South America. His skin is so translucent that you can see his beating heart and other organs. Many people mistake the glass frog for the tree frog, but they have several di fferences. As far as thei r appearance, the main di fference is that glass frogs have large forward facing eyes, whereas the tree frog has eyes on the side of his head. Glass frogs are territorial which means that they claim an area as thei r own. Male glass frogs will warn other male glass frogs with a loud croak, but they will also become aggressive with other glass frogs that try to come into thei r area. Frogs are quite the fascinating creatures ! Can you find similarities in the behavior of these frogs to other animals we have studied?

• defense mechanism – a behavior meant to protect oneself from harm (p 5)

• permanent- lasting for a very long time (p 4)

• retract- to pull back in (p 6)• toxicity- how poisonous something is (p 1)• translucent- not completely clear but

enough that light can pass through and it can be seen through (p 7)