Wednesday 7 December 2011

Frog | Wildlife


Frogs start out as tadpoles, and slowly mature into adults. Most frogs are semi-aquatic in nature. The specific characteristics of frogs vary greatly, from poison levels to natural colouration. Frogs (and toads) are part of the Amphibia class, sharing it with Salamanders and Caecilians. A frog is a fresh-water amphibian of the family Ranidae, in the Order Anura. They are closely related to toads. The Ranidae are sometimes called the "true frogs" since a few members of other families also have common names including the word "frog.".

Frogs are a diverse group with some 4800 species. Most spend their lives in or near a source of water (water frogs), although tree frogs live in moist environments that are not actually aquatic. The requirement for water becomes most acute for egg and tadpole stages of the frog, yet here again some species are able to utilize temporary pools and water collected in the axils of plants.

Frogs range in size from less than 50mm to 300mm in Conraua goliath, which is the largest known frog. All frogs have horizontal pupils, smooth skin and long legs with webbing between their toes. This family has a bicornuated tongue that is attached in front: They also have a tympanum on each side of their head, which is involved in sound production. Most frogs have deep, booming calls, or croaks, with some being onomatopoeically represented by the word "ribbet" or "ribbit."
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