Page 32 - World of Animals - Issue #29

50 fabulous frogs

12. Madagascan 10 top toads
frogs have their ups They may have bumpy skin and stockier bodies than the rest of the
and downs froggy fraternity, but toads are all members of the Anura order too
Special shovel-like protrusions on their
back feet as well as sticky toe-pads on their
front feet mean that Malagasy rainbow 18. Suriname toad mums
frogs (Scaphiophryne gottlebei) are as
adept at climbing vertical walls as they are back their kids all the way
at burrowing. These are two handy skills
when you live in rocky canyons which are
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susceptible to flash floods. Believe it or not, this is how the common close, the toad quickly opens its mouth, using

Suriname toad (Pipa pipa) is meant to look. the power of suction to gulp down its victim.
13. Ecuadorian frogs It’s the perfect way of blending in with the While mating, females perform somersaults

help take away the leaf litter at the bottom of rivers and flooded in the water, during which the fertilised eggs
stick to her back. Her skin grows around the

forest floors in South America. Evolving such
pain a streamlined body does mean it has had to eggs, forming little pockets in which her young
In 1998, a deadly toxin secreted by the forego a few things, like a tongue. Instead, this can safely grow. After a few months, the
froglets perform an Alien-like escape, bursting
ambush hunter lies in wait. As soon as a small
poison dart frog Epibpedobates tricolor fish or crustacean unwittingly ventures too through the skin and hopping out.

inspired the development of a new painkiller
that could be up to 200 times more powerful
than morphine – and without any of the

negative side effects. Tests are still ongoing.
14. Banded rubber
frogs have
super-tongues COMMON SURINAME
TOAD
A member of the narrow-mouthed frog Pipa pipa
Class Amphibia
family, Phrynomantis bifasciatus has an

incredible tongue, which can fire in almost
any direction. This is the perfect tool for
catching small, fast-moving prey like ants Territory Central and South
and termites. America

Diet Worms, small fish,
15. A frog never insects, crayfish

Lifespan 8 years
changes its spots Adult weight 100-150g
(3.5–5.3oz)
The black markings on the back of the blue Conservation Status
poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)

are unique, so like our fingerprints they can

be used to identify specific individuals. LEAST CONCERN
16. Farmland green
tree frogs are not
blowing bubblegum 19. Leopard toads
Despite what it looks like, the pink ‘bubble’ do not know the
being blown by this Taiwan native is, in fact, Green Cross Code
its vocal sac. Rhacophorus arvalis shows

off its candyfloss-coloured throat during Despite their beautiful markings,
courtship displays. many Western leopard toads
(Amietophrynus pantherinus) go
17. Australian tree ‘unspotted’ every year, ending
frogs have plenty to up the unfortunate victims of

road traffi c accidents.
smile about
It’s easy to see why the docile White’s tree
frog (Litoria caerulea) has also come to
be known as the smiling tree frog. It has
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managed to avoid a lot of diseases affecting
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other amphibians, perhaps thanks to
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a anti-viral and anti-bacterial compounds in
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its skin. The same chemicals have been
its skin. The same chemicals have been
demonstrated to lower blood pressure in
demonstrated to lower blood pressure in
humans, so these frogs may soon put
humans, so these frogs may soon put
a smile on our faces too.
a smile on our faces too.
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