Page 37 - World of Animals - Issue #29

50 fabulous frogs

42. New tree 47. Water-
frogs are prickly
by nature holding frogs
Only discovered in 2014, the backs of
male thorny tree frogs (Gracixalus dig the heat
lumarius) are covered in unusual
spikes, which become more Litoria platycehala can endure surprisingly
prominent in the breeding season. arid conditions in southern Australia by
Made from keratin – the same burrowing underground and exuding a
material that forms our fingernails mucus ‘cocoon’, which hardens to trap
– these white-tipped spines give in the moisture it needs to survive. To
their skin a sandpaper-like texture. conserve energy, it then enters a state
Restricted to a few mountains of dormancy known as aestivation – a
in Vietnam, it is thought that this summer equivalent to hibernation, which
feature may enable females to more animals use to avoid warm, dry weather.
easily spot a partner.
The frogs can remain several years in this
ABOVE
43. There’s a state waiting patiently for the next rainfall, The water-holding frog
when they will emerge to breed. Females
frog that can will lay spawn in a large, thin layer so that it inhabits grasslands
and swamps
speak cow has an adequate supply of oxygen.
At up to 46 centimetres (18
48. Darwin dads
49. Reed frogs can
inches) long and weighing around 4 8 . D a r w i n d a d s BELOW 4 9 . R ee d f r o g s c a n

Darwin’s frogs are named a er
0.5 kilograms (1.1 pounds), Charles Darwin, who discovered
gender hop
have a frog in
the American bullfrog (Rana have a frog in them in Chile in 1834 gender hop
catesbeiana) is North America’s their throats
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largest true frog. The species gets A A er female Darwin’s frogs (Rhinoderma C Common reed frogs (Hyperolius viridiflavus) )
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another that d down their close-to-hatching eggs, and compensating for a shortage of males in
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a given area, or increasing the average life
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speaks dog store them in their vocal sac. a p g a i v n e ( n o a u r n e g , m r a i l n e s r h e a a s v e n a g h t h i g e h a e v r e m a o g r e t a l i l f i t e y
This will serve as the tadpoles’
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The barking tree frog (Hyla gratiosa) nursery until the juvenile frogs r rate than females, so it makes sense to
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of the southeastern US also gets its are ready to move out. remain female for as long as possible). ) .
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name from its strange call, which
sounds uncannily like a dog woofing
in the distance. 50. Titicaca frogs are
45. Shrinking never short of breath
frogs grow Seldom venturing onto land, the
backwards critically endangered Titicaca water frog
(Telmatobius coleus) is considered to be
Found in Trinidad and across the largest truly aquatic frog in the world.
parts of South America, Pseudis Its unique physiology means it can stay

paradoxa tadpoles are around submerged indefinitely, even with the thin air
three to four times the size of at Lake Titicaca’s high altitudes, circa 3,800
their own parents. In other words, metres (12,500 feet). Its baggy skin may
this bizarre species actually gets not do much for its looks, but the increased
smaller as it ‘grows up’. body surface area enables it to take in
substantially more oxygen from the water. A
46. Deadly dart high count of red blood cells also makes its

frogs make respiratory system super-efficient.
perfect parents
Reticulated poison dart frogs
(Ranitomeya ventrimaculata)
are some of the most dedicated
parents of the frog world. A“er

standing guard over their eggs
for several weeks, the adults will © FLPA; Dreamstime; Corbis; Alamy; Nature PL; Karthickbala
‘piggyback’ their young from the

forest floor up to the treetops to RIGHT
deposit them in the nooks of trees The Titiaca frog
or in air plants like bromeliads. is adapted for a
life underwater
37