35+ Fun Facts About Frogs!
Last Updated on November 10, 2023 by Shu
Are you looking for some fun facts about frogs? These funny little amphibians come in over 5,000 species and exist in environments across the globe. Frogs are an impressively diverse family of animals, with colors and adaptations that make them seem like little aliens.
Aside from being beautiful, frogs are also major indicators of environmental health, and their slimy skin hides some curious attributes. Here, you will discover 15 fantastic facts about frogs that highlight exactly why these amphibians are so amazing!
15 Frog Fun Facts
1. African bullfrogs have a menacing mouth of teeth.
While most frogs project a sticky tongue to catch flies, the African bullfrog developed teeth like projections from its lower jaw to bite and crush its prey. African bullfrogs have been recorded as getting large enough to cover a dinner plate, and they have an equally large appetite. Other frogs, small rodents, and even birds are on the menu for this big guy, and those teeth make him an unexpectedly impressive predator.
2. Mother frogs can carry their young on their backs.
Young frogs have a relatively fragile life cycle starting as a helpless egg, hatching into a tadpole, and slowly developing into a frog. As a result, some species of frogs have come up with creative solutions to protect their young. The Surinam Toad carries its babies in its back. That’s right; this amphibian allows its fertilized eggs to fall onto and settle into the skin on its back. The mother develops another layer of skin to protect the eggs as they develop and eventually hatch, releasing fully grown toadlets from her skin.
3. Father frogs can step up and make great caretakers.
Amphibians aren’t known for exemplary parental care, but the blue poison dart frog is raised by a deeply involved father. For this species of frog, the mother actually leaves after the eggs are laid, and the father remains to watch over them during their incubation. Once the tiny tadpoles hatch, they catch a ride on their father’s back to a small and safe pool of water where they can continue their development.
4. Frogs can scream!
Croak and ribbit are the noises we expect to come from a frog, but some species are equipped with a scream. Herpetologists believe that some frogs scream as a defense mechanism since most creatures don’t expect frogs to emit a high-pitched wail. If you ever catch a screaming frog, consider it their way of saying, “Leave me alone!”
5. You can watch a glass frog’s heartbeat inside of its body.
Glass frogs may not be made of glass, but they sure look like it. A belly view of this frog species reveals its organs so clearly that you can even see its heart beating.
6. Frogs use their eyes to swallow.
Have you ever noticed how a frog’s bulgy eyes close and sink down into their head after they catch a meal? Frogs don’t swallow like humans, the anatomy of their head and neck are different, and so frogs use the pressure from their eyes pushing down into their oral cavity to push food down their throat.
7. Frogs are masters of the water, land, and air.
We all know that frogs hop, swim, and climb, but did you know there is a species of frog that can fly? Glide may be a more accurate term, but this physical feat is impressive nonetheless. The Bornean Flying Frog is a frog with widely webbed feet that act as four small parachutes allowing the frog to jump, maneuver, and glide through the dense jungle treetops.
8. Frogs can survive being frozen solid.
Have you ever noticed that you don’t see great frog migrations prior to the cold winter months in frog-inhabited northern areas? Frogs don’t need to hide from the cold like other animals; instead, they can endure it. Some species of frogs can freeze nearly solid and survive because their blood acts like natural antifreeze, allowing them to avoid the formation of deadly internal ice crystals.
9. Some frog songs can be heard from over a quarter-mile away.
If you live near freshwater, then the frog chorus of a warm summer night is likely a familiar sound. Frog’s songs vary in tone, rhythm, and volume making each species identifiable by their song. In some cases, frogs are using their song to identify other frogs, which is why their songs carry so far and seem so loud.
10. There exists a frog that can survive up to 7 years of drought by making a cocoon.
There is a frog species in Australia that has evolved a unique adaptation to survive severe droughts. This frog creates a burrow and proceeds to make a cocoon out of shed skin layers and bodily secretions. While this may sound gross it is an effective way for these frogs to retain the moisture that they need, and allows them to survive in hot environments.
11. Saltwater frogs exist.
Frogs and toads are known for their sensitivity to changes in water quality and their inability to exist in salty water, but not the Marine toad. As its name suggests, the marine toad can survive in brackish water. This is one of the species’ many highly adaptable attributes that contributes to its survival in many habitats.
12. Some frog species raise their young in their vocal sac or stomach.
Darwin’s frog, Rhinoderma darwinii, has a unique way of raising its young. After the eggs are fertilized, the male frog stores the young in his enlarged vocal sac, where they develop until they are ready to start a life of their own. For gastric-brooding frogs, the mother swallows the fertilized eggs, and her stomach stops producing digestive juices. After some time, the developed tadpoles are coughed up and sent off.
13. Toads are technically frogs, although not all frogs are toads.
Toads and frogs are both amphibians that are closely related. The two share many similarities as well as some distinct differences, but the truth is, toads are basically a classification of a frog. This means that all toads are, in a way, frogs, but not all frogs are toads.
14. There is a frog species that shares an odd amount of similarities with the Marvel character Wolverine.
This species of amphibian is commonly known as the hairy frog, and that name suits it well. Male hairy frogs have hair-like protrusions along their sides, and if that isn’t odd enough, they also have a Wolverine-like defense. These frogs break their finger bones when threatened, causing the bones to protrude through the skin and act like claws.
15. Some species of poisonous frogs contain enough toxins to kill an elephant.
The golden poison frog may seem like an adorable gold nugget with glossy black eyes, but it’s actually a deadly assassin when ingested or touched. This tiny frog has enough poison to kill 10 grown men or an elephant! Now that is an impressive punch of poison for such a small creature.
More Interesting Facts About Frogs
- The name of a scientist who studies frogs is called herpetologist
- A group of frogs is referred to as an army
- Frog’s don’t actually drink water! They absorb water through their skin
- Frogs can jump more than 20 times their length
- Tree frogs secrete mucus on their feet that makes them sticky
- Frogs shed their skin regularly
- Frogs eyes are positioned so that they have an 180 degree view
- Most frogs catch their food with their tongue
Unusual Facts About Frogs
- Frogs can go without breathing for 4 to 7 hours at a time
- Frogs typically live 10 years
- The largest frog is called the Goliath Frog
- Frogs live everywhere except Antarctica
- A frog eye’s are pulled down into its head when it swallows
- The South African sharp nosed frog can jump 44 times its body length
- Most frogs needs to keep their skin wet to survive
- Lemur frogs can change colours
Facts About Frogs For Kids
- Over 200 species of frogs have already gone extinct
- Frogs have smooth skin and toads have rough skin
- Frog legs are eaten as food in some countries
- A baby frog is called a tadpole
- Frogs enemies include snakes, lizards and birds
- Frogs do not have scales
Final Thoughts on Frogs
The fun thing about frogs is that they are so unique and diverse. There is a seemingly endless stream of information in reference to these amphibians, and there is still so much to learn. Researchers better hop to it if we are to discover new information and protect frogs in the face of modern anthropogenic environmental challenges.