The most interesting frogs in the world. Unique frogs of the world

Frogs have never been among the most beloved and respected species of mankind, second only to snakes, arthropods and cockroaches. But among them there are truly amazing animals, and the most unusual frogs in the world are worthy, if not love, then at least attention.

1. Surinam pipa

This frog with a funny name surprises not only with its appearance, but also with the peculiarity of reproduction. She lives in South America, mainly in the forests of the Amazon. The species is quite large - adult pips can be 20 cm long. The body of the Surinamese pipa is so flat that from a distance it can be completely mistaken for a piece of board. Her eyes are small. Pipa does not croak like ordinary frogs, but clicks the bones in his throat to invite a partner.
When the male attaches to the female, she jumps out of the water with him and with each such jump she releases eggs, which miraculously penetrate into the pores of the skin of the back. The female pipa can be called the most caring frog in the world - for 2.5 months, literally on her hump, she carries a gang (over a hundred) of children until they hatch through her skin.

2. Glass frog

The next unusual jumper was a glass frog. At first glance, nothing remarkable is visible in it - an ordinary brown-green frog. But if you take a closer look at her, you can see that her body is translucent, especially her skin. Therefore, through it on the abdomen of the frog, its insides are visible. Sunlight, reflected from the surrounding appearance, passes through the body of the frog, making it less visible to enemies. This is one of nature's ingenious ways to disguise its creatures. But he did not help the glass frog turn into an endangered species. These gentle creatures live in Central and South America, laying eggs on tree leaves near water bodies, since tadpoles, after hatching, spend their development, as usual, in the water.

3. Turtle frog

In third place was an amazing turtle frog that looks like some kind of round-bodied mutant or alien. She lives in Western Australia. With her powerful, strong paws, she destroys termite mounds and quickly burrows into the sand, where she lays her eggs. This species of toads also has a peculiarity in terms of reproduction - there is no tadpole stage here, a “ready” frog is already formed in the egg.

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4. Mossy frog

The next original representative of the frog lives in the tropical jungles of North Vietnam. Mossy frogs look very beautiful, so there are many fans of breeding them in their home terrariums. A similar "princess-frog" and costs accordingly - up to 75 dollars.
In their natural habitat, these beauties use the skill of their makeup not to attract admirers, but for the same disguise. From a distance, noticing some movement, you might think that it was a piece of moss that came to life. Thanks to the large round suction cups located on the fingers, mossy frogs are excellent at climbing rocks or trees, and it is no coincidence that they attach their eggs to the trunks and branches of trees, the walls of caves so that the hatched tadpoles flop right into the water.

5 Goliath Frog

The name says everything about this species - there are no more frogs in the world. In length, it can reach 33 cm, and in weight - 3.25 kg, it is an incomparable heavyweight in the world of frogs, which is twice the size of its closest competitor from the same Africa - also a rather big bullfrog. Goliaths live in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. If many types of frogs are not too picky in matters of water purity, then just don’t goliath - give him the purest! As a rule, they like to sit near waterfalls, on ledges of rocks, like monuments. But as soon as the goliath senses danger, he rushes headlong into the water jets. Powerful muscular hind legs allow the goliath to make giant jumps of 3 meters.
Its food is small relatives, snakes, worms, crustaceans. Unfortunately, close human attention to such a large goliath frog has put it on the brink of extinction.

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6. Tiger frog

The color of male tiger frogs during the mating season is very remarkable - the skin is bright yellow with two bright blue resonators. They have two rows of oblique powerful teeth. They live in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. They have been introduced to Madagascar and the Maldives where they have become an invasive species. They prefer swampy freshwater areas, usually avoiding forest and coastal zones. Mostly they lead a nocturnal solitary lifestyle, they prefer to settle in the bushes near water sources. However, they do not spend much time in the water, preferring to hide in the vegetation along the banks of the reservoir.

7. Brazilian slingshot

In the endless rainforests of the Amazon lives an unusual amphibian - the Brazilian slingshot. This horned toad is an outstanding master of disguise. Her body coloring allows her to blend into her surroundings, making her a successful hunter. She burrows into the foliage, exposing only her head, and patiently waits for the victim, carelessly approaching her. Adult Brazilian slingshots can reach a length of 20 cm.
This aggressive frog even rushes at people, so the locals wear rubber boots to protect themselves from its strong bites. But even such a reputation does not stop some lovers of exotic animals from getting Brazilian slingshots as pets.

8 Hairy Frog

This frog was named hairy for thin and close to each other shreds of skin 1-1.5 cm long, located on the hind legs and on the sides of the frog's body, somewhat reminiscent of wool. They occur only in males and only during the mating season. Why the frog needs such "wool", scientists still do not know. They also have another amazing feature - to protect themselves from predators, they break the bones on their toes, which pierce their skin and turn into a kind of sharp claws. The habitat of the hairy frog is located in the west of Central Africa.

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9. Purple (lilac) frog

This is one of the ugliest creatures on earth. And scientists discovered this frog quite recently - in 2003 in the Western Ghats (mountains in India). It is classified as a living fossil. The purple frog has a meager habitat - only 14 square meters. km. They lead a very reclusive lifestyle - they spend most of their time underground, and therefore outwardly resemble more moles. On the surface, they appear for only a couple of weeks a year during the mating season, which occurs during the monsoon period. Purple frogs feed on ants and termites, looking for them underground.

10. Ovoviviparous Toad

These frog relatives have a very unusual way of reproduction for amphibians. They do not lay eggs, like most frogs, the eggs mature right in the mother's body, and after a while, fully formed tiny toads are born. In ovoviviparous frogs on the body - near the eyes and paws - there are large glands that have a bright, strongly contrasting color with the color of the rest of the body. Thanks to this, the toads look very elegant.

Real frogs (lat. Ranidae)- a family of tailless amphibians. Distributed almost everywhere (with the exception of South America, southern Australia and New Zealand). The most common types of frogs in Russia are - herbal (Rana temporaria), which is distinguished by black triangular spots on the sides of the head, and pond (Rana esculenta) green in color with a yellowish belly. And here is a list of the most unique frog species in the world. Red Frog Mantel This frog is native to Madagascar. This is a small orange-red frog, only 2.5 cm in size.
toxic frogs Poison frogs are usually sapphire blue in color, these frogs from the Dendrobatite family are native to Central and South America. The toxicity of the poison of representatives of this family depends on their species and population. Most species of poisonous frogs are listed in the Red Book, tk. they are considered endangered.
Frog pillow The pillow frog can grow up to 10 cm in length. It lives in Uruguay, Brazil and northern Argentina. Looking at her, you might think that she is slow and not agile, but the frogs of this species are fast in attack. They feed on lizards, mice, birds and other frogs.
Darwin's frog Frogs of this species live in deciduous forests and have an unusual way of laying eggs. Unlike other frogs, in frogs of this species, eggs are laid not by the female, but by the male. Tadpoles begin to hatch about eight days after oviposition. Darwin's frogs appeared quite often until about 1978, but they rarely appear in modern times and are most likely already extinct. vietnamese frog This frog was discovered in Vietnam. The natural habitat is subtropical and tropical forests with high humidity. They live in fresh water and rocky areas. The common name for these frogs is moss, because. their skin is covered with dark green flecks that resemble moss growing on rocks. This is an effective form of disguise.
Venezuelan "glass" frog The frog has such thin skin that one can easily see the internal organs, including eggs with future tadpoles. harlequin frog It is known by many names, such as the clown frog or the Costa Rican harlequin toad. Whatever you call it, this is a neo-tropical frog that used to be quite common in Costa Rica and Panama. Now this species is listed in the Red Book, frogs of this species live today mainly in Panama.
goliath frog The largest surviving species of toad on Earth. Its dimensions reach 33 cm in length from the muzzle to the cloaca, and it weighs up to 3 kg. This species lives mainly in western Africa, near Gabon. The goliath frog can live up to 15 years. They feed on scorpions, insects and small frogs. These frogs have excellent hearing but lack a vocal resonator. Here's an albino frog
Well, lastly. Find three frogs. ( South American comb toad reached great heights in the art of disguise)
Updated on 30/03/11 19:45: Painfully, I liked the goliath frog. Such a fluff. http://img1.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/c/2//72/631/72631759_giant_frogs_01.jpg Updated on 30/03/11 19:45:

Frogs are often on the list of some of the most disliked animals in the world, along with spiders, cockroaches and snakes. However, these are unusual and amazing animals.

There are over 5,000 species of frogs in the world. Each species and even individual has its own unique call, and some frogs can be heard at a distance of one and a half kilometers. Some frogs can jump more than 20 times their own body length; it's like jumping 30 meters for a person. Frogs drink water by absorbing it through their skin.

Representatives of many species of frogs take care of their offspring. For example, some poison frogs lay their eggs on grass so that they can guard them and keep them moist.

It's time to learn a little more about these amazing creatures and determine which ones are perhaps the most interesting.

Vietnamese copepod warty frog (Theloderma corticale)

This frog is called mossy because its color mixes green and brown, which resembles the mossy cover of wet forests and rocks. It is the color that allows the frog to go unnoticed, this is a natural and effective camouflage. Like most representatives of tree frogs, in this species, females are much larger than males. A characteristic difference between individuals of the species is that the frightened Vietnamese mossy frog curls up into a ball and pretends to be dead.

Fleischmann's glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni)

Viewed from above, glass frogs are difficult to distinguish from other tree frogs, but the view from below immediately reveals their peculiarity. The fact is that glass frogs have transparent skin on their stomachs, which allows them to perfectly see their insides.

During the day, these frogs hide in the shade of leaves near water bodies. Fleischman's glass frogs have a translucent green color and yellowish translucent paws. The glass frog lays its eggs on wide leaves right above water bodies so that the tadpoles hatched from the eggs can immediately fall into the water, where they live until they are fully grown.

Argentine Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata)

The Argentine horned frog, also known as the decorated horned frog or the decorated itannia, is the most common species of horned frog. A lover of food, she will try to swallow anything, as long as it moves and is within reach. A decorated slingshot is ready to grab everything from insects and rodents to lizards and other frogs, even if prey suffocates it in the process of absorption.

Blue dart frog (Dendrobates azureus)

The poisonous blue dart frog is one of the most famous frog species. They have very brightly colored bodies, which clearly indicates their toxic secretions, which are so strong that they can kill a monkey in less than 40 seconds. The poison of poison dart frogs was used by the Indian tribes of South America for hunting.

Atelopes, or harlequins (Atelopus)

This is a very famous species of toad that lives in Central and South America. Their range is relatively wide, from Costa Rica in the north to Bolivia in the south. Members of this rich genus are usually brightly colored and most active during the day. There are about 85 species in the genus, of which almost all are poorly studied and very rare in nature. That is why harlequins are included in the list of endangered animals.

White-pink sour (Dendropsophus sarayacuensis)

This member of the Kwashi frog family is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical rainforests, lowlands and freshwater swamps. These tree frogs do not like heights, so they cannot be found above two kilometers above sea level.

Orange Toad (Bufo periglenes)

Adult males of this species are barely 5 centimeters long, and unlike most toads, they have smooth and shiny skin. Female orange toads are slightly larger than males and, oddly enough, are not orange at all. Their appearance is very different. The skin of females may be olive or black with scarlet patches surrounded by yellow.

Spotted burrowing frog (Pyxicephalus adspersus)

This is the largest type of frog that we know of. Males weigh from one and a half to two kilograms, and females are usually half as much, which is not typical for toads and frogs. Usually females are much larger than males.

This species lives in Africa, namely Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The natural habitat of these large frogs is dry and humid subtropical or tropical thickets, freshwater lakes and swamps, arable land, pastures, and canals and ditches.

Tiger Frog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus)

During the mating season, the color of the males is very bright and remarkable: bright yellow skin and two very bright blue throat pouches. They also have very strong teeth arranged in two oblique rows.

Tiger frogs are found in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. They were brought to the Maldives and Madagascar, where they are considered an invasive species today.

They prefer freshwater wetlands and generally avoid coastal and forested areas. The tiger frog leads a mostly solitary and nocturnal lifestyle and settles in bushes near permanent water sources. The frog does not spend much time in the water, preferring to hide in the surrounding vegetation.

Ash blue Amazonian sour (Trachycephalus resinifictrix)

These frogs are quite large and reach 10 centimeters in length. The color of adult frogs is light gray with brown or black spots. In young individuals, the color is more contrasting. With age, the skin of these frogs ceases to be smooth and develops a series of irregularities.

These frogs are not at all covered with moss or lichen. Do not be afraid. They got such an exotic name because of the special structure of their skin, which is covered with various tubercles and pimples, so similar to moss or lichen. The image is complemented by a specific dark green or gray-brown color.

Mossy frogs are distributed only in northern Vietnam. They chose deep niches along the banks of streams, small flooded caves or dilapidated hollows of trees as their habitat.

The mossy frog has first-class camouflage. Peculiar rough skin makes it look like a piece of moss on a stone. The image is complemented by a green or brown color with black dots and tubercles. These frogs grow no more than 8-10 centimeters. Females are usually larger than males. In captivity, they can live up to 5-6 years.

They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. They climb great. For breakfast, lunch and dinner they have one menu - insects.

In natural conditions, it is very difficult to detect them. In addition to universal camouflage, they can "throw" their voice 3-4 meters away from them, which also confuses and disorients the enemy. And many animals hunt them - these are various small mammals and tree snakes.

The breeding season for mossy frogs is April-May. Mating takes place in the water. After that, the female gets ashore and attaches her eggs to plant stems or stones at a distance of 3-7 centimeters above the water surface. And what is most surprising, the male continues to sit on her back all this time. After attaching the first few eggs, they again go into the water for further mating. In total, females lay 8-10 eggs.

After 13-15 days, tadpoles appear, which do not eat anything for the first week. After 3-6 months, they turn into small copies of their mossy parents.

These amphibians were first discovered in 1899. In captivity, they began to breed not so long ago. The export of these frogs from the territory of Vietnam is controlled and strictly limited.

VIETNAM WATER FROG (Theloderma corticale) found in Vietnam and possibly China. Typically found in tropical and subtropical rainforests, intermittent freshwater swamps, and rocky areas. The frog is also often referred to as a moss frog due to the fact that its skin resembles moss growing on a rock, which, by the way, provides it with excellent camouflage. Some people have such a frog at home. The price of this miracle is about 45-75 dollars.

INDIAN TIGER FROG

• INDIAN TIGER FROG (Rana tigrina) which can reach a size of 150 mm, is very similar in color and appearance to the coastal frog, but differs from it in better developed longitudinal folds on the back, which often protrude at an acute angle. Used for food. Near Canton there is a farm for breeding this frog in artificial ponds.

GRASS FROG

GRASS FROG (Rana temporaria) in appearance it is very similar to the moor, but differs from it in larger sizes (up to 100 mm), a dark marble-like pattern on the belly, a blunt muzzle and a low internal calcaneal tubercle. During mating season, the male's throat turns blue, and on the first toe of the front legs four-parted black rough bumps become clearly visible. It inhabits all of Europe, excluding the Iberian Peninsula, to the north it reaches the limits of the continent, the southern borders of its distribution are the south of France and Italy. In the Crimea, the Caucasus and the lower reaches of the Volga is absent. To the east it barely crosses the Urals. It rises to the mountains up to 3000 m. A typical forest form, in Europe the common frog is also found in the forest-steppe, entering the steppes only along the floodplains of the rivers. This numerous species spends the whole summer on land, moving away from water bodies for considerable distances, but inhabiting only wet biotopes. The distribution of common frogs over land is determined by their dependence on humidity. In this respect, they are intermediate between green frogs and toads. They are able to lose more water without harm to themselves than pond frogs, but much less than toads, especially green ones. The permeability of their skin to water is also less than that of toads, but greater than that of the pond frog.

GRASS FROG

BLACKSPOT FROG

BLACKSPOT FROG (Rana nigromaculata) Her inner calcaneal tubercle is high, laterally compressed, and there are a large number of longitudinal skin ribs between the dorsal-lateral folds. Above it is grayish-olive in color with a large number of sometimes merging black spots. A longitudinal light stripe runs along the middle of the back. The underside of the body is white. Sometimes there are individuals with a dark temporal spot (about 4%). In the corners of the mouth, the male has external resonators of a gray or almost white color. Maximum body length 95 mm. It decreases as the species moves north and west. The black-spotted frog lives in China, in the east of Mongolia, Korea, Japan and within our country in the Far East, in the north up to 55 ° N. sh. Interestingly, in this eastern species, large specimens inhabit the eastern part of the range, while in the pond frog, they live in the west.

FROG GOLIATH

GOLIAPH FROG (Rana goliaph) having a length of 250 mm or more and reaching a weight of 3.25 kg, the largest species of all known frogs. This species lives mainly in western Africa, near Gabon. The goliath frog can live up to 15 years. They feed on scorpions, insects and small frogs. These frogs have excellent hearing but lack a vocal resonator.