Frogs

Frog ancestry dates back to the time of the dinosaurs. For the last 190 million years, the ancestors of modern frogs have been found all over the earth.
Amphibians
Amphibia means double life, referring to amphibian’s ability to survive both in water and on land. Amphibians are only found in freshwater. Frogs are fall into one of the three Orders that make up the Class Amphibia, Anura (the other two are Caudata or Urodela and Gymnophiona or Apoda). They are cold-blooded and maintain their body temperature from outside sources, like warming in the sun or cooling off by going into the water. They are more active when warm and slower when cold. Many frogs hibernate for the winter by burrowing themselves into the mud below the frost zone or at the bottom of a lake.
Life Cycle of Frogs
Frogs lay their eggs in the water or in a moist area where they are able to absorb oxygen through gills. When they are young they are called tadpoles and go through metamorphosis before becoming frogs. As they grow, their tail is absorbed into their body, lungs begin to develop, and legs form to allow the tadpoles that have turned into frogs to now move to land.
Life of Frogs
Frogs absorb oxygen through their moist skin because their lungs may not have developed very well. Their moist smooth skin contains glands that secrete mucous or toxins, creating a slimy feel. Frogs eat insects, larvae, and small fish or mammals. Different species of frogs move in a variety of different ways such as jumping, running, walking, swimming, burrowing, climbing and gliding.
Fun Facts:
Golden Dart Frog
  • The Australian rocket frog can jump over 6.5 feet, more than 50x the length of its 2 inch body.
  • 1 gram of poison produced by the golden dart frog could kill 100,000 people
  • When a frog swallows its prey, it blinks, causing it’s eyes to help push its food down their throat.
  • The biggest frog in the world, the Goliath frog, can be more than a foot long and weigh up to 7 pounds.
  • There are more than 6,000 species of frogs worldwide
  • The wood frog uses glucose in its blood to survive being 65% frozen in its home in the Artic Circle.