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Frog: Difference between revisions
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Most frogs have protruding eyes and a smooth moist skin. The Creator has also equipped them with strong, webbed hind feet that are ideal for leaping and swimming. | Most frogs have protruding eyes and a smooth moist skin. The Creator has also equipped them with strong, webbed hind feet that are ideal for leaping and swimming. | ||
Frogs have toxic skin glands, but the poison does not usually protect the frogs against predators. However, researchers recently found that the odorous secretions of an Australian tree frog (''Litoria ewingi''), contain an insect repellent that stops flies from biting it as well as repelling water pythons. [http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/chemistry/pawliszyn/Research/spme_frog_odour.htm] | Frogs have toxic skin glands, but the poison does not usually protect the frogs against predators. However, researchers recently found that the odorous secretions of an Australian tree frog (''Litoria ewingi''), contain an insect repellent that stops flies from biting it as well as repelling water pythons. <ref>[http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/chemistry/pawliszyn/Research/spme_frog_odour.htm Spme Frog Odour][http://www.spme.uwaterloo.ca/ Solid Phase Microextraction] Janusz Pawliszyn.</ref> | ||
Edible frogs rely on camouflage to protect them — either blending their colors into the background, or changing color. Several species have colors on their underparts that appear to flash when the frog moves, distracting potential predators. | Edible frogs rely on camouflage to protect them — either blending their colors into the background, or changing color. Several species have colors on their underparts that appear to flash when the frog moves, distracting potential predators. | ||
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The smallest frog in the southern hemisphere is the Brazilian gold frog (''Brachycephalus didactylus'', formerly known as ''Psyllophryne didactyla''). Adult gold frogs grow to less than one centimetre (about 3/8 of an inch) with their legs drawn in. | The smallest frog in the southern hemisphere is the Brazilian gold frog (''Brachycephalus didactylus'', formerly known as ''Psyllophryne didactyla''). Adult gold frogs grow to less than one centimetre (about 3/8 of an inch) with their legs drawn in. | ||
In the northern hemisphere there is an equally small frog, the Cuban coin frog (''Eleutherodactylus iberia''), discovered in 1996. [http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/strange/small.html] | In the northern hemisphere there is an equally small frog, the Cuban coin frog (''Eleutherodactylus iberia''), discovered in 1996. <ref>[http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/strange/small.html What is the Smallest Frog?]</ref> | ||
Recently, in 2010, a new record holder for the smallest frog in the Old World was found in Borneo and mentioned by [[Todd Wood]]<ref>[http://toddcwood.blogspot.com/2010/08/tiny-frog.html Tiny Frog] Todd's Blog. 25 August 2010. Accessed 26 August 2010</ref>. The ''Microhyla nepenthicola'' was found in a miniature pitcher plant of the ''Nepenthes ampullaria'' species. Its adult males have a snout-vent length of between 10.6 - 12.8 mm. The genus Microhylidae was first identified in 1838 and presently has about 30 known species.<ref>[http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02571p052f.pdf New species of Microhyla from Sarawak: Old World’s smallest frogs crawl out of miniature pitcher plants on Borneo] Das & Haas. 2010. (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae). ZooTaxa 2571:37-52. Accessed 26 August 2010</ref>. | |||
=== Largest frog === | === Largest frog === | ||
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With rare exceptions, frogs and [[toads]] have external fertilization. Frogs lay eggs yearly, usually in fresh water. Because frogs' eggs do not have shells, the frog has to lay them in moist areas. She may lay hundreds or thousands of eggs in clusters covered by a gelatinous matrix. When the eggs hatch after several days, the tailed, gilled, limbless tadpoles appear, which later turn into four-limbed adults without tails or gills. | With rare exceptions, frogs and [[toads]] have external fertilization. Frogs lay eggs yearly, usually in fresh water. Because frogs' eggs do not have shells, the frog has to lay them in moist areas. She may lay hundreds or thousands of eggs in clusters covered by a gelatinous matrix. When the eggs hatch after several days, the tailed, gilled, limbless tadpoles appear, which later turn into four-limbed adults without tails or gills. | ||
Some Asian frogs lay their eggs on land and the young hatch as froglets, not tadpoles. The Australian southern gastric brooding frog (''Rheobatrachus silus'') — found only in south-east Queensland and not sighted since 1981 — has a unique reproduction. (The northern Queensland version (''Rheobatrachus vitellinus'') has not been seen since 1985.) The female gastric brooding frog swallows the eggs or early larvae and they develop in her stomach. Up to 25 young later emerge from the mother’s mouth. [http://www. | Some Asian frogs lay their eggs on land and the young hatch as froglets, not tadpoles. The Australian southern gastric brooding frog (''Rheobatrachus silus'') — found only in south-east Queensland and not sighted since 1981 — has a unique reproduction. (The northern Queensland version (''Rheobatrachus vitellinus'') has not been seen since 1985.) The female gastric brooding frog swallows the eggs or early larvae and they develop in her stomach. Up to 25 young later emerge from the mother’s mouth. <ref>[http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/kondalila/culture.html Frog Monitoring] Kondalilla National Park, Queensland Government. Accessed 26 August 2010.</ref> | ||
== Ecology == | == Ecology == | ||
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== References == | == References == | ||
<references/> | |||
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i2/frog.asp Wonder frog (Rheobatrachus)] Creation magazine 15(2):26–27 March 1993 | * [http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i2/frog.asp Wonder frog (Rheobatrachus)] Creation magazine 15(2):26–27 March 1993 | ||
* [http://www.users.bigpond.com/rdoolan/frogs.html Lovesick frogs of the rainforest (Coqui)] | * [http://www.users.bigpond.com/rdoolan/frogs.html Lovesick frogs of the rainforest (Coqui)] | ||
