Tag Archives: Amphibian

Goliath Frog

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Goliath Frog

No need to listen for goliath frogs – they’re big enough to see!

  • Goliath frogs are the biggest extant frogs in the world and they are native to specific sandy rivers in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon in West Africa.
  • The scientific name of a goliath frog is Conraua goliath, and it is from the Conrauidae family, the family of slippery frogs.
  • Goliath frogs grow to sizes of 17 to 32 centimetres (6.7 to 12.6 inches) and range from 0.6 to 3.3 kilograms (1.3 to 7.3 pounds) in weight.
  • Goliath frogs feature webbed feet, and they can leap a distance of up to 3 metres (10 feet).
  • The diet of goliath frogs includes Dicraeia warmingii – vegetation that grows in water and is eaten by the tadpoles, while the frog eats insects, worms, small amphibians, crabs and other crustaceans, turtles, fish, and snakes.
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Goliath Frog
Image courtesy of Peter Linehan/Flickr
  • ‘Goliath frogs’ are also known as ‘giant slippery frogs’, though they should not be confused with Conraua robusta, the ‘Cameroon slippery frog’.
  • Due to the absence of a vocal sac, goliath frogs cannot create typical noises, although they do produce a whistle, and they are said to have extensive hearing.
  • The skin on the top side of goliath frogs is a dark shade of green in colour, while the belly is generally a greenish-yellow colour.
  • Many hundreds of eggs are produced by a female goliath frog at one time, and they are laid in vegetation in nearby water, while the eggs and tadpoles that develop are of similar size to other species.
  • Goliath frogs are classified as endangered due to the threats of illegal trade, hunting for eating, and habitat loss.
Bibliography:
Goliath Frog (Conrava Goliath), n.d, Wildscreen Arkive, http://www.arkive.org/goliath-frog/conraua-goliath/
Goliath Frog, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/goliath-frog
Goliath Frog, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_frog
Khandelwal S, Conraua goliath, 2008, Animal Diversity, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Conraua_goliath

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Mossy Frog

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Mossy Frog

Try not to step on a mossy frog in disguise!

  • Mossy frogs are medium-sized frogs that can reach lengths of 5 to 9 centimetres (2 to 3.5 inches) and are native to north Vietnam in Southeast Asia.
  • ‘Mossy frogs’ are also known as ‘Tonkin bug-eyed frogs’ and ‘Vietnamese mossy frogs’.
  • The scientific name of a mossy frog is Theloderma corticale, and it is from the family Rhacophoridae, the family of shrub frogs.
  • The colour of mossy frogs ranges from a lush green to a murky brown, and the colour patterns, combined with its bumpy texture, have the appearance of moss, which the frog uses to camouflage itself.
  • Mossy frogs live in habitats of forests and mountainous regions in tropical climates, especially those areas that are commonly wet or marshy.
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Mossy Frog
Image courtesy of Jason Wesley Upton/Flickr
  • The diet of mossy frogs consists of insects including crickets, moths, locusts and flies.
  • When feeling threatened, a mossy frog retracts into the shape of a ball and acts as if it was dead.
  • Due to their remote location, mossy frogs are not well researched, which prevents them from having a proper population estimate, although it is known the frog is threatened by habitat loss.
  • Female mossy frogs generally produce between ten and thirty eggs that are laid slightly above, or just in water, that hatch two to three weeks later.
  • Mossy frogs have become popular amphibians in the pet industry, due to their interesting look and their relatively easy care nature.
Bibliography:
Keeping and Breeding Mossy Frogs (Theloderma Corticale), 2015, Saurian Enterprises, https://saurian.net/froginfo_mossyfrogcare.html
Mossy Frog, n.d, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/visit-the-zoo/amphibian-house/frogs-and-toads-1254385524/theloderma-corticale
Theloderma Corticale, n.d, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/59033/0
Theloderma Corticale, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theloderma_corticale

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Wood Frog

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Wood Frog

Wood frogs are wonders of natural science.

  • Wood frogs are frogs native to forests that feature pools of water, in northern parts of North America.
  • The scientific name of a wood frog is Lithobates sylvaticus and it is from the family Ranidae, the family of true frogs.
  • Wood frogs grow to lengths of around 3.5 to 7.6 centimetres (1.4 to 3 inches), and they deter predators with their poison glands and shrill noises they can make.
  • Typically, a wood frog is coloured brown, brown-red or tan in colour, and occasionally green or grey, and it has a dark band covering its eye.
  • The diet of wood frogs typically consists of  insects, algae, worms, molluscs, and amphibious eggs and larvae.

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Wood Frog
Image courtesy of Dave Huth/Flickr
  • Wood frogs shut down during freezing winter temperatures, and they survive the freezing/thawing process numerous times due to the content of glucose and urea in their system, which reduces dehydration and the formation of ice in their cells.
  • Female wood frogs lay up to 3000 eggs in temporary water pools, that later hatch into tadpoles, then morph into adults; and they generally only reproduce once in their life, which is 3 to 5 years.
  • Wood frogs generally live alone in wet forest habitats during summer, and live in hilly habitats during winter.
  • Male wood frogs have a brighter coloured skin tone, although they are generally smaller than females, and the females usually live longer than the males.
  • Deforestation of their natural habitat threatens certain populations of wood frogs, although the population as a whole is not under threat at this stage.
Bibliography:
Kiehl K, Lithobates sylvaticus, 2015, Animal Diversity, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lithobates_sylvaticus/
Wood frog, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_frog

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