Fantastic World of Frogs
What s so great about frogs? Did you know there are over 4,700 species of frogs in the world? That s right, and you can find them on every continent except Antarctica. These amazing amphibians come in all sorts of colours and sizes but one thing they have in common is their importance to ecosystems. Frogs are known as indicator species, meaning if you want to know how healthy an ecosystem is just look at the frogs. Frogs have permeable skin, meaning liquids and gasses can pass through their skin. Not only does this let them breathe and drink through their skin, it also means that any chemical pollutants in the environment can also get absorbed. These chemicals can make frogs very sick. If frogs are missing from an area where they once were, it s one sign of an unhealthy ecosystem. As you may have guessed by our logo, Earth Rangers loves frogs and we want to show you why we think frogs are so cool. That s why we are going to take you on an adventure around the world to introduce you to some fantastic frogs. Ready? Here we go! 1
Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) Status: Least Concern These frogs camouflage perfectly against green leaves. If a predator sneaks up on them, these frogs simply open their big red eyes, startle their attacker and make their escape. If a male sees another male in his territory, he will send a signal to the intruding frog that he is not welcome by shaking a nearby branch. Up to 77 mm Central America, parts of Mexico & Colombia 2
Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) Status: Endangered This is the most toxic frog in the world. One frog has enough toxins in its skin to kill 22,000 mice or 10 humans. Thanks to its toxicity, these frogs have few predators except for the fire-bellied snake (Leimadophis epinephelus), a snake that can withstand the toxins. Up to 47 mm Western Andies on Pacific Coast of Colombia 3
Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) Status: Least Concern These wide ranging frogs are the only North American amphibian that live north of the Arctic Circle. Wood frogs produce their own kind of antifreeze (cryoprotectant) which protects them from the cold. These frogs can freeze solid then come back to life in the spring. Up to 83 mm Canada and parts of USA (North America) 4
Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa) Vancouver Aquarium Status: Vulnerable! Due to habitat loss, invasive species, water pollution and disease, these frogs are the most endangered amphibians in Canada. In 2012-2013, Earth Rangers just like YOU fundraised to help protect this frog. Donations went to restoring habitat, helping to build a new breeding facility and breeding frogs. Up to 100 mm West coast of North America 5
Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) Benny Trapp Status: Least Concern The marsh frog s latin species name ridibundus means to laugh in busts or to bust with laughter. It refers to the frogs call, which sounds like it is laughing. These frogs are the largest frogs in Europe. They are so big that they eat reptiles, small birds, rodents and even other frogs! Up to 170 mm Most of Europe 6
Cretan Frog (Pelophylax cretensis)! Benny Trapp Status: Endangered This frog is only found on Crete, an island off the coast of Greece. A major threat to Cretan frogs is American bullfrogs, which were introduced to the island and are taking over most of the food and habitat. Up to 63 mm Island of Crete (Greece) 7
Tomato Frog (Dyscophus antongilii) Franco Andreone Status: Near Threatened Tomato frogs are known as ambush predators. They sit perfectly still, wait for an insect to come into reach and then they attack. Their bright red colouring warns predators that they are poisonous. This is called aposematic colouration and it helps them avoid being eaten. Up to 105 mm Northeastern Madagascar 8
African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) Holger Krisp Status: Least Concern Unlike other frogs, the African clawed frog doesn t have a tongue. Instead, they use their fingers to push food into their mouth. These frogs can adapt to many different climates. When there is a drought, they bury themselves in mud. They can also survive up to a year without food. Up to 147 mm Southern Africa 9
Australian Green Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) Status: Least Concern During the dry season, these frogs coat themselves in a mixture of mucus and dead skin then bury themselves to keep moist.! These frogs are sometimes called dumpy because of the fatty ridge over their eyes. This fatty ridge grows bigger if the frog is overweight. Up to 115 mm Australia and Southern New Guinea 10
Solomon Island Leaf Frog (Ceratobatrachus guentheri) Status: Least Concern These frogs have pointed skin above their eyes that look like eyelashes, earning them! the nickname Solomon Island eyelash frog. These eyelashes along with their pointed snout, ridged veins over their back and earthy colour allow them to blend in with the leaves in their habitat, hiding them from predators. Up to 76 mm The Solomon Islands 11
Concave-Eared Torrent Frog (Odorrana tormota) Albert Feng Status: Vulnerable This frog is one of only two frog species that is capable of both hearing and making ultrasonic sounds, sounds that are too high pitched for humans to hear. Concave-eared torrent frogs make a lot of unique sounds. In a 12 hour recording of 21 frogs, no two frogs made the same sound! Up to 56 mm Zhejiang & Anhui Provinces (China) 12
Banded Bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra) Status: Least Concern Banded bullfrogs can create a bad tasting sticky ooze that makes predators think twice before eating them. They are nicknamed chubby frogs because of their round shape. They can make themselves seem even bigger by inflating their body when threatened. Up to 75 mm Southeast Asia 13
References African Clawed Frog http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=xenopus&where-species=laevis http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/reptilesamphibians/facts/factsheets/africanclawedfrog.cfm Australian Green Tree Frog http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/reptilesamphibians/facts/factsheets/whitestreefrog.cfm http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=litoria&where-species=caerulea Banded Bullfrog http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=kaloula&where-species=pulchra Concave-Eared Torrent Frog http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=odorrana&where-species=tormota Cretan Frog http://www.arkive.org/cretan-frog/pelophylax-cretensis/ http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58581/0 Golden Poison Frog: http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=phyllobates&where-species=terribilis http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/amphibians/frogs-and-toads/phyllobates-terribilis Marsh Frog http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=pelophylax&where-species=ridibundus http://www.herpfrance.com/amphibian/marsh_frog_pelophylax_ridibundus.php Oregon Spotted Frog: http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/species/fact%20sheets/orspottedfrogfinal.pdf http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/oregon-spotted-frog/ http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=rana&where-species=pretiosa Red-Eyed Tree Frog http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?where-scientific_name=callidryas http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/amphibians/frogs-and-toads/agalychnis-callidryas Solomon Island leaf frog http://www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/animaldetails.asp?pg=792 http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58242/0 Tomato Frog http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/amphibians/frogs-and-toads/dyscophus-antongilii http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=dyscophus&where-species=antongilii Wood Frog http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=rana&where-species=sylvatica 14