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 (coming from the Ancient Greek ἀνούρα, literally 'without tail'). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" Triadobatrachus is known from the Early Triassic of Madagascar (250 million years ago), 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 the water. The eggs hatch into aquatic larvae called tadpoles that have tails and internal gills. They have highly specialised 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 vocalisations, 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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Male, showing hair-like papillae

The hairy frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) also known as the horror frog or Wolverine frog, is a Central African species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is typically considered monotypic within the genus Trichobatrachus, but based on its genetics, it should be included in Astylosternus instead. Its common name refers to the somewhat hair-like structures on the body and thighs of the breeding male. (Full article...)

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

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Did you know?

... that the call of the male river frog (pictured) can be described as a "deep, low-pitched, rolling snore"?
... that breeding in the southern toad (pictured) can be triggered by heavy rain?
... that the humming frog aestivates in an underground burrow during the hottest part of the summer?
... that the bird-voiced treefrog and the pine woods treefrog can be recognised by their distinctive calls?
... that the Pyrenean frog breeds in mountain streams after the snow has melted?