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Frog Posters - Customize for free |
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The 2010 JungleWalk Animal Art Calendar is here.
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More About Frogs ...
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A frog is a fresh-water amphibian of the family Ranidae, in the Order Anura. They are closely related to toads. The Ranidae are sometimes called the "true frogs" since a few members of other families also have common names including the word "frog.".
In many parts of the world the frog population has declined drastically over the last few decades. Pollutants are one cause for this decline but other culprits include climatic changes, parasitic infestation, introduction of non-indigenous predators/competitors, infectious diseases, and urban encroachment.
The life cycle of a frog involves several stages. A female frog lays her eggs in a shallow pond or creek, where they will be sheltered from the current and from predators. The eggs, known as frogspawn hatch into tadpoles. The tadpole stage develops gradually into an adolescent froglet, resembling an adult but retaining a vestigial tail. Finally the froglet develops into an adult frog. Typically, tadpoles are herbivores, feeding mostly on algae, whereas juvenile and adult frogs are rather voracious carnivores. Furthermore, The red-legged frogs normally reproduce from November to early April because during these months, the water is about six or seven degrees Celsius. Under these cool conditions, embryonic survival is ensured. Amplexus is the process wherein the male grasps the female while she lays her eggs. At the same time, he fertilizes them with a fluid containing sperm. The eggs are about 2.0 to 2.8 millimetres in diameter and are dark brown. After about six to fourteen days, the eggs hatch between July and September into brown tadpoles that are about three inches long. The tadpoles then progress to lose their tails, grow legs, and change into a juvenile form with adult characteristics.
Frogs eat insects such as mosquitoes and small animals such as minnows. Their sticky tongues are effective in catching fast-moving preys. They hunt mostly at night.
Frogs are a diverse group with some 4800 species. Most spend their lives in or near a source of water (water frogs), although tree frogs live in moist environments that are not actually aquatic. The requirement for water becomes most acute for egg and tadpole stages of the frog, yet here again some species are able to utilize temporary pools and water collected in the axils of plants.
The most familiar frogs are the Bullfrog, the Edible frog, the Leopard frogs, Spring Peepers, and the Green Frogs.
Frogs range in size from less than 50mm to 300mm in Conraua goliath, which is the largest known frog. All frogs have horizontal pupils, smooth skin and long legs with webbing between their toes. This family has a bicornuated tongue that is attached in front: They also have a tympanum on each side of their head, which is involved in sound production. Most frogs have deep, booming calls, or croaks, with some being onomatopoeically represented by the word "ribbet" or "ribbit."
Many species of frog secrete toxins from their skin when under threat. These toxins deter predatory animals from eating them, and some are extremely poisonous to humans. The natives of the Amazon area extract curare from the poison arrow frog.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ranidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Frogs
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