Frogs, Frogs, Frogs. By: Meaghan Dillon By: Meaghan Dillon

Frog Characteristics  When we think of frogs, we generally picture what are called "True Frogs"....members of the family Ranidae, containing more than 400 species. These frogs have the characteristics of:  two bulging eyes  strong, long, webbed hind feet that are adapted for leaping and swimming  smooth or slimy skin (generally, frogs tend to like moister environments)  Frogs tend to lay eggs in clusters.

Toad Characteristics Toad Characteristics  The term toads tends to refer to "True Toads".... members of the family Bufonidae, containing more than 300 species. These types of frogs have are characterized by:  stubby bodies with short hind legs (for walking instead of hopping)  warty and dry skin (usually preferring dryer climates)  poison glands behind the eyes  The chest cartilage of toads is different also.  Toads tend to lay eggs in long chains.

Frog Life Cycle Frog Life Cycle  1 st : Egg-Tiny frog eggs are laid in masses in the water by a female frog. The eggs hatch into tadpoles  2 nd : Tadpole - (also called the polliwog) This stage hatches from the egg. The tadpole spends its time swimming in the water, eating and growing. Tadpoles breathe using gills and have a tail.  3 rd : Tadpole with legs - In this stage the tadpole sprouts legs (and then arms), has a longer body, and has a more distinct head. It still breathes using gills and has a tail.  4 th : Froglet - In this stage, the almost mature frog breathes with lungs and still has some of its tail  5 th : Adult - The adult frog breathes with lungs and has no tail (it has been absorbed by the body).

Picture of Life Cycle Picture of Life Cycle

Some Frog Facts Some Frog Facts  Frogs absorb water through their skin so they don't need to drink.  Frogs can lay as many as 4,000 eggs in frogspawn.  The eyes and nose of a frog are on top of its head so it can breathe and see when most of its body is under the water.  Frogs need both water and land to live.  A frog can change the color of its skin depending on its surroundings.  Frogs have long back legs and webbed feet for jumping and swimming.  Certain frogs can jump up to 20 times their own body length in a single leap.  Frogs usually eat meat (bugs and worms) and swallow their food whole.  The world's biggest frog is the goliath frog from Cameroon in West Africa. Their body can be one-foot long.  The smallest frogs in the world are less than half-an-inch long.

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