Boreal Chorus Frog

Pseudacris maculata

Today's animal is an itty bitty little Frog that is more often heard rather than seen. They are called Boreal Chorus Frogs, and they are one of the first Amphibians to emerge after the winter season, making lots of sounds as they do so!

Boreal Chorus Frogs only grow to about 3cm in length. They are typically brown in color, though some trend towards green. The darkness also varies. They all have dark facial stripes though, one of each side of the head that runs from the nose across the eye.

Boreal Chorus Frogs are found in North America, primarily in the middle-northern parts of the Continent, though they are also found in a few places of the American Southwest. They live in grasses near permanent bodies of water.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Length around 3cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Hylidae -- Genus : Pseudacris -- Species : P. maculata
Image :  USEMC

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Dyeing Dart Frog

Dendrobates tinctorius

Meet one of the largest species of Dart Frog, the Dyeing Dart. These guys can grow 2in long, which is pretty big for a member of their family.

Dyeing Darts come in many, many colors. Yellow is depicted in this entry, but you'll also see them in blues and greens as well.

In the wild, these Frogs are found in the rainforests of South America. Like all members of the Dart Frog group, they are toxic... though only mildly so. They secrete toxins through their skin which cause pain and stiffness, and the strength of the toxin can depend on the specific color morph.

One really bizarre fact is that members of indigenous tribes will capture young parrots and rub there frogs on the parrot's skin. When feather grow at that point they will be a different color than feathers elsewhere!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Body Length up to 2in (6cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Dendrobatidae -- Genus : Dendrobates -- Species : D. tinctorius
Image : Olei

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Giant Banjo Frog

Limnodynastes interioris

The Giant Banjo Frog, also known as the Great Bullfrog, is an amphibian found in Southern Australia. At a body length of around 9cm, it is the largest Frog in Victoria.

As adults, Giant Banjo Frogs spend most of their time in underground burrows that they dig, keeping themselves moist by absorbing water from the soil around them. They typically are only seen at the surface after it rains, which is when they spawn and hunt for food. During the wet season, the male Frogs will make fast, low pitched calls in order to attract mates.

The Giant Banjo Frogs do their spawning in smaller, slower moving bodies of water like ponds and marshes. They will even lay them in flooded burrows! As Tadpoles they stay in those still or slow-moving zones, maturing slowly before metamorphosing and reaching sexual maturity around 2-3 years of age.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Australia
Size : Length up to 3.5in (9cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Myobatrachidae -- Genus : Limnodynastes -- Species : L. interioris
Images : Victoria Dept. of Environment

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Purple Frog

Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis

The Purple Frog is an incredibly fascinating amphibian-- not only are they one of the most recent frogs to be discovered by science, but they are also members of a family that has lasted for over 130 million years!

You'll find the Purple Frogs in a very small range in southern India. But amazingly, their closest relatives live over 1,500 miles away in the Seychelles. Once upon a time the common ancestor of the Purple Frog and their Seychelles cousins lived on a landmass that split away from Gondwana, the southern supercontinent. As the landmass continued to drift, pieces gradually (over millions of years) broke off, and the Seychelles and India became separated. That is why today the only members of the Sooglossidae family live so far apart!

Now, it's not wonder that it took until 2003 for the Purple Frog to be discovered. They are small, maxing out at around 7cm, and they live almost entirely underground. They sometimes dig tunnels as deep as 10ft below the surface! The Purple Frogs only emerge for a few weeks each year in order to mate. Unsurprisingly, they feed on termites and other subterranean insects.

Sadly, the Purple Frog is considered Endangered. They have a very small range that is threatened by agriculture and deforestation. There are protected areas nearby, but so far they have not been observed inside of them.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : India
Size : Body Length up to 2.5in (7cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Sooglossidae -- Genus : Nasikabatrachus -- Species : N. sahyadrensis
Image : Dr. S.D. Biju

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Malagasy Rainbow Frog

Scaphiophrye gottlebei

The Malagasy Rainbow Frog, also known as the Painted Burrowing Frog, is a small species found only near the Isalo Massif in Madagascar.

These colorful Amphibians grow to only 3-4cm in size, with the females being slightly larger than the males. They have bright red and green patterning on their backs, interspersed with black and grey. As tadpoles they are all black. These frogs have horny tubercles on their feet which help them to burrow underground. They are primarily terrestrial, and are actually poor swimmers.

As you may have guessed from the mention of their small range, the Malagasy Rainbow Frogs are endangered. Each year they are collected by the thousands-- their bright colors make them sought after in the illegal pet trade. Luckily most of their habitat is protected within a national park. And they do have a very fast reproduction rate, which also helps. However, because they live in only one area, an increase in hunting or habitat loss, or a natural disaster could wipe them all out.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Madagascar
Size : Body length up to 4cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Microhylidae -- Genus : Scaphiophryne -- Species : S. gottlebei

Image : Franco Andreone

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Lemur Leaf Frog

Hylomantis lemur

The Lemur Leaf Frog is a Critically Endangered Amphibian that lives in a very fragmented range that crosses parts of Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Lemur Leaf Frogs can actually change color, and do so based upon how active they are. During the day, when they tend to be resting, they are a bright green. However, at night, when they are feeding and hopping about, they turn brown or grey to stay camouflaged in the dark.

Another interesting fact is that these Frogs are able to bask in the sun for long periods of time without drying out. The theory is that a pigment in their skins allows heat to bounce right off, keeping them moist. This same pigment may be why the Lemur leaf Frogs are less susceptible to chytridiomycosis,a  devastating fungal infection that is affecting Frogs worldwide.

Though they are impacted by the fungal disease less than other frogs, the population has still been damaged by the affliction. Deforestation has also been a major threat to the Lemur Leaf Frogs, and the loss of habitat has caused the remaining frogs to live in very fragmented groups. Currently they live in a handful of protected areas, and since 2001 captive breeding efforts have been successful.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Central America
Size : Length up to 4.5cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Hylidae -- Genus : Hylomantis -- Species : H. lemur
Image Attribution : Brian Gratwicke

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Heterixalus alboguttatus

Heterixalus alboguttatus

H. alboguttatus is a species of Frog native to the island of Madagascar. It lives at lower altitudes, and is most often found in grassland and savanna areas.

This odd looking frog can be identified by its dark body with bright orange spots (and smaller, white flecks). This coloration distinguishes them from all the other species within the genus. They don't grow especially large, reaching only a few cm in length

Unfortunately, not much else is known about this frog. Reproductive information is scarce-- nothing is reported about the tadpole phase, though we do know (from dissected individuals) that a female can lay up to 500 eggs at once. Currently they are listed as being of Least concern, and they seem to be quite adaptable and not majorly affected by habitat change or the pet trade.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Madagascar
Size : Length up to 33mm

Classification :  Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Hyperoliidae -- Genus : Heterixalus -- Species : H. alboguttatus

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Corroboree Frog

Pseudophryne corroboree

There are two species of Corroboree Frogs, the Northern and the Southern. Both live only in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Both also happen to be Critically Endangered.

Corroboree Frogs are named for an indigenous Australian word that refers to a gathering where the attendees paint their faces yellow, much like the yellow blotches on these frogs.

The claim to fame of this genus is that they were the very first vertebrates discovered that produce their own toxins. most other species derive their toxicity from the foods that they eat. Not so with these frogs-- they secrete their very own poisonous alkaloid that help defend again predators. In fact, they are so toxic that they have few, if any, natural predators at all.

Habitat loss and feral animals have caused the Corroboree Frog species to teeter dangerously close to extinction, the Southern one especially. They appear in only a tiny fragment of their former range, and rejuvenating their numbers has proven difficult because they lay only about 30 eggs each year (small for a frog), they remain tadpoles for two years, and they don't even start to breed until the age of four. At one point it was estimated that there were only 64 left. Captive breeding and egg protection research is underway to help bring these rare frogs back.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : New South Wales, Australia
Size : Length up to 3cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Myobatrachidae -- Genus : Pseudophryne

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Archey’s Frog

Leiopelma archeyi

The Archey's Frog is a very primitive looking species, in that it looks very much like 150 million year old fossils. It also has some anatomical features that are rather uncommon, including tail wagging muscles (but no tail), no external eardrums, an extra back vertebrae, and no true vocal chords. Some females also have a special extra W-Chromosome, which determines sex.

There are four species within the Leiopelmatidae family, a group that diverged from all other frogs around 200 million years ago. This fact isn't surprising when you learn that they hail from New Zealand, a location whose eventual split off and isolation led it to evolve all sorts of creatures found no where else in the world (Tuatara and Kakapo anyone?)

The Archey's Frog (named for former Director of the Auckland Institute and Museum, Sir Gilbert Archey) is the smallest member of its family. The females can reach sizes of about 37mm, while males are a bit smaller at 31mm. They are terrestrial and nocturnal, and they even lay their eggs on land (in damp soil and leaf litter).

Because of their terrestrial lifestyle, the Archey's Frogs do not metamorphose from tadpole to adult. They actually hatch as tiny little froglets. The males will guard over their eggs, and then the froglets, even letting their offspring ride around on their backs.

Archey's Frogs are listed as Critically Endangered, and the population has been on the decline since at least 1996 (when a study specifically targeting decline was done). Climate change, habitat loss, and the introduction of predators and competing animals are all factors that have affected the species. Archey's Frogs are protected by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, and their population continues to be monitored.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered

Location : New Zealand
Size : Length up to 35mm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Leiopelmatidae -- Genus : Leiopelma -- Species : L. archeyi

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Confusing Toad

Incilius perplexus

Meet the Confusing Toad, which has certainly confused scientists when it comes to their classification! I've found three different possible genus names for this little guy, dating back to 1943, though it looks like the most recent classification (in 2008) has stuck. Incilius perplexus it is!

The Confusing Toad also happens to be a very Endangered Toad. They are endemic to one small area of Mexico-- the Tepalcatepec Basin to be exact. They may live in other areas as well, but so far only that location has yielded any sightings.

Confusing Toads live near streams and ponds around tropical rain forests. Unfortunately, these same areas are under constant threat from agricultural and commercial development. The Toad population is on the decline, and they unfortunately do not live in any protected areas. If they go extinct, the Confusing Toad may remain a rare and confusing species forever.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Mexico

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Bufonidae -- Genus : Incilius -- Species : I. perplexus

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Malabar Tree Toad

Pedostibes tuberculosus

The Malabar Tree Toad is a very small, slender species that is found only in the forests around the Western Ghats in India. They are also referred to as the Warty Asian Tree Toad.

If you couldn't guess from the name, these Toads live in the trees that are usually close to a body of water. They are found on the ground as well, as that is where they breed and lay their eggs, but they ascend into the trees during the night time.

Malabar Tree Toads are small little guys, and measure only around 1in in length! (Yes, that is a human fingernail in the picture.. for a size reference.) Females are slightly larger than the males. They can be identified by their warty brown bodies and the black and white bands that run down their sides.

The Malabar Tree Toad is currently listed as Endangered, and its population is on the decline. Its main threat is habitat loss due to the logging and farming industries. They are found within several protected refuges, and are the topic of ongoing study.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe and Asia
Size : Length up to 12in (31cm), Wingspan up to 26in (67cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Bufonidae -- Genus : Pedostibes -- Species : P. tuberculosus

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Gray Tree Frog

Hyla versicolor

Though the common name identifies this species as the Gray Tree Frog, the scientific name is a bit more accurate. Hyla versicolor alludes to the fact that these frogs can actually change color- their skin can slowly change to match their surroundings, moving from gray to green to white to brown to black! They also sport some vibrant yellow patches under their hind legs, though they are difficult to see unless the frogs are in mid-leap.

Gray Tree Frogs can be found in the eastern United States and in southern Canada. They are relatively small compared to other species in that range. As their name suggests, they live up in the trees. Breeding is pretty much the only activity that motivates them to leave their tree.

If you live in their range, you may have heard their calls! On warm nights during the breeding season the males produce very loud buzzing trills. These calls are made while the males are hiding in vegetation near bodies of water. Females are attracted to these sounds, will enter a male's territory, mate, and then lay her eggs in the nearby water. Calling rarely occurs outside of the breeding season.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Body length up to 2in (5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Hylidae -- Genus : HylaSpecies : H. versicolor

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African Bullfrog

Pyxicephalus adspersus

Happy Leap Day! To celebrate, let's learn about one of my favorite "leapers," the monstrous and voracious African Bullfrog!

These frogs are some of the largest in the world, with some males weighing up to 4.5lbs! Males are larger than females, a trait that is not especially common among frogs (females are often larger). Regardless of sex, African Bullfrogs have broad bodies, short snouts, and a dull green coloration. They also have teeth in their lower jaw!

African Bullfrogs are very, very aggressive, especially when it comes time to mate. Males can get incredibly territorial, both before and after mating. Once the females lay their eggs (up to 4,000 of them!) the males stick around to guard them, fighting off any attackers. Unfortunately, the mortality rate for the young frogs is very high. Only 20% of all females will reach adulthood.

I mentioned earlier that African Bullfrogs are voracious. They will eat just about anything that they can fit in their mouth, from small insects, to mice, to birds, and even other frogs! They use those lower jaw teeth to grab on to struggling prey.

One final fact that I found really interesting is that African Bullfrogs hibernate.... but not in the way one normally thinks of. Instead of hibernating during the cold winters, they hibernate during the hot, dry summers. They burrow deep down into the soil and then develop a watertight cocoon made from dead skin. This enables them to retain fluids and not dry out during this troublesome season.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 9.5in (24cm), Weight up to 4.5lbs (2kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Ranidae -- Genus : Pyxicephalus -- Species : P. adspersus

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Paedophryne amauensis

Have you ever wondered what the smallest vertebrate in the world is? Well today is your lucky day to find out! The honor goes to a tiny, itty bitty little frog found in Papua New Guinea, Paedophryne amauensis!

Paedophryne amauensis

So how small is this wee Amphibian? Well... that picture there should tip you off- it's sitting on a US dime! You're seeing it right; P. amauensis measures only around 8mm, which is less than half the diameter of the ten cent coin.

The species is a very newly discovered one; it was first spotted in 2009 and published about just this month. It's no wonder that the species was hard to spot, as they live on the rainforest floor and blend in with all of the substrate and foliage. They also make calls that sound more like those of an insect than a frog!

P. amauensis is helping scientists to understand the limits of vertebrate size. Because there are so many anatomical features involved in being a member of the Chordata phylum, there is a lot that needs to be stuffed into an extra-tiny package. The frog has adapted for its smallness by having shorter fingers and toes and a simplified skull. Their small amount of surface area also means that they need to live in very wet areas so that they don't dry out. But, just like bigger frogs, they slurp up insects... albeit very tiny ones.

There has already been some controversy about the "smallest vertebrate title," as Ichthyologists are claiming that the crown should really go to the males of a species of Anglerfish. They are only 5mm long, but are lacking some vital organs and essentially live as parasites off of the much larger females. Herpetologists are countering that they are looking at a species average size, which would place the Anglerfish out of the running.

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IUCN Status : Not Evaluated
Location : Papua New Guinea
Size : Length .27in (7.7m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Microhylidae -- Genus : Paedophryne -- Species : P. amauensis

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Mount Nimba Reed Frog

In 2010 this little frog was rediscovered. It had been thought extinct since 1967, which was the last time anyone had seen one.

Hyperolius nimbae

Mount Nimba Reed Frogs are named for the fact that they have only been found at the foot of Mount Nimba in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa. It is speculated that they may also live in Guinea and Liberia, but no one has yet confirmed this.

Mount Nimba Reed Frogs live in lowland forests near swamps and bodies of water. They have red limbs that make them rather visible.

The species is listed as Endangered, and though parts of Mount Nimba are protected as a nature reserve, the site could use better protection and regulation. The Reed Frog is not the only threatened species in the area. Other residents include Chimpanzees and toads that give live birth!

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IUCN Status : Endangered

Location : West Africa
Size : Length 1.3in (3.3cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Hyperoliidae -- Genus : Hyperolius -- Species : H. nimbae

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Oriental Fire-bellied Toad

Bombina orientalis

Oriental Fire-bellied Toads are aquatic amphibians that cane be found in China, Korea, Japan, and parts of southern Russia. They are referred to as Toads not because they belong to the Toad family, but because they have warty, toad-like skin. Isn't animal naming confusing sometimes?

On any normal viewing, the Fire-bellied Toad will appear green with a black mottle pattern. However, once they are threatened they will rise on their hind legs and present their smooth, bright red and black underside to the predator, sometimes doing a near back-flip in the process! The red color warns against the dangerous toxin that the Toad secretes from its skin.

Oriental Fire-bellied Toads are very common throughout most of their range, and they are also kept as pets in captivity. They are very hardy, require only a 10 gallon aquarium, are considered to be suitable for beginning Frog keepers, and can live ten years or more!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : East Asia
Size : Length 2in (5.5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Bombinatoridae -- Genus : Bombina -- Species : B. orientalis

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Sulawesi Fanged Frogs

Fanged Frog

A few weeks back stories began popping up about new species of Fanged Frogs found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Nine of the thirteen species located there had not been previously known to science. These thirteen species, found within the genus Limnonectes, were able to evolve in amazing ways in order to fill specific niches on the island. This is due to the fact that they face no competition from frog species found in other areas.

But before we get into some of those adaptations, what is the deal with those fangs? Well you see, they aren’t actually teeth at all, but bony protrusions that extend up from the jaw. Because these species have only just been discovered, scientists aren’t completely sure about their purpose. One theory is that they help the frogs to catch fast moving aquatic prey. The rationale for this is that the frogs that have the largest fangs are the ones that feed on fish and tadpoles.

Fanged Frog guarding Jelly-Like Eggs

Interestingly, the some of the fish eating frogs are also incredibly large. Almost double the size of some other species. This may be because they need to swim against strong moving currents.
Large size is only one of the adaptations found in the Sulawesi Fanged Frogs. A different species, which dwells on land, lays thick jelly-like eggs so that their offspring can go through their early life phases without being near water. Foot webbing also varies across the frog species, with those living in watery habitats have larger webs than those who live more on dry land.

It’s pretty awesome when you realize that these thirteen related species all specifically evolved differently to satisfy niches on their little island. And they did it in only 15 million years!

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Location : Sulawesi, Indonesia

Size : Varies

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Dicroglossidae -- Genus : Limnonectes

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Mexican Burrowing Toad

Rhinophrynus dorsalis

Mexican Burrowing Toads are the most evolutionarily distinct amphibians in the entire world. They are the only members of their genus, and of their entire family, and are separated from their nearest relatives by 190 million years of independent evolution!  That means that the last time they diverged from another modern family was at the beginning of the Jurassic Period!

Though many evolutionarily distinct animals are rare and endangered, the Mexican Burrowing Toad is actually pretty common in its current range in Mexico and Central America. And before they died out millions of years ago, other members of this distinct family spanned across North America!

Mexican Burrowing Toads are named for the burrows that they spend a great deal of time in. They remain in them during winter and times of drought. And they aren't often seen outside during the other times of year unless heavy rains force them above ground or they wish to mate.

They can mate during all months of the year, and lay their eggs in water above ground. Mexican Burrowing Toads make very loud, low-pitched calls, both to attract mates and to cry out in alarm. When alarmed, these Toads also puff up and resemble flattened balloons!

The Mexican Burrowing Toad population is now stable, and they really don't face any major threats as far as the IUCN is concerned. They are protected under Mexican law, and live in protected zones of other countries as well.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Mexico, Central America

Size : Length up to 3in (7.5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Rhinophrynidae -- Genus : Rhinophrynus -- Species : R. dorsalis

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Gastric-Brooding Frog

Gastric-Brooding Frog regurgitating her young

There were once two species of Gastric-Brooding Frog; two remarkable creatures with a unique trait that went extinct as recently as the 1980s. At the time of their disappearance both species had very limited ranges in Queensland, Australia. The exact cause of their extinction is not completely understood, but habitat loss, disease, and illness most assuredly played their parts. The last Gastric-Brooding Frog was seen in 1981, and unsuccessful searches have been carried out to locate them since them.

What makes Gastric-Brooding Frogs so special is that they were the only Frogs in the entire world that incubated their eggs inside the mother's stomach. That's right, after laying her eggs, and having them fertilized by a male, the female frog swallows them all. During the 6 to 7 week incubation period the female does not eat. This is what keeps her from completely digesting her offspring.

Also amazing is the fact that the offspring go through a complete metamorphosis at this time. They never live as Tadpoles in the outside world, having moved through that process in the mother's stomach. When she regurgitates them, the young frogs hop away on their own and have no further contact with their parent.

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IUCN Status : Extinct

Location : Australia

Size : Length up to 2in (5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Myobatrachidae -- Genus : Rheobatrachus -- Species : R. silus, R. vitellinus

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Screaming Budgett's Frog

I recently picked up an amazing book, appropriately titled Astonishing Animals, by Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten. In it, they describe and illustrate little known, and often endangered species. That is how I stumbled upon today's animal, the absolutely awesome Screaming Budgett's Frog. (It it also a reference for some of this information)

Screaming Budgett's Frog in Captivity

To paraphrase Flannery, the Screaming Budgett's Frog looks like a  turd. This actually is how the frog camouflages itself in its waterside habitats. When their camouflage fails, they puff up their bodies, arch their backs, and scream (hence the name).

So they look like turds, they scream like dying cats, and they also bite! And eat each other! Picking up a Screaming Budgett's frog can result in blood being drawn, as they have two teeth-like projections in their mouths. And as for the cannibalism? After the tadpoles hatch, their primary food source is one another. They can actually swallow other tadpoles whole!

Screaming Budgett's Frogs are quite common in the northern parts of their range, but are becoming rare in the south due to habitat loss.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay
Size : Length up to 6in (15cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Leptodactylidae -- Genus : Lepidobatrachus-- Species : L. laevis

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