Is a frog an animal or an insect? A detachment of tailless amphibians. Interesting facts about the frog The most amazing frogs

17.10.2019

What does a person know about a frog and its way of life? Monotonous croaking on summer evenings, unpresentable appearance (unpleasant to pick up), bulging eyes and mosquitoes as a favorite food (at least as shown in cartoons) - these are the main associations with the word “frog”. But it’s interesting: is a frog an animal or an insect?

Frog: external characteristics

True frogs are the most numerous representatives of the amphibian class. Various in size (body length from 30 to 250 mm), they are distributed throughout the world, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia.

Belonging to the family of tailless amphibians, frogs have more than 3,500 species that share external characteristics. These are teeth on mildly expressed tuberculation of the skin, swimming membranes on the hind legs. The frog's head has two huge bulging eyes, which are protected by three eyelids (lower, upper and transparent nictitating membrane) and are an order of magnitude more mobile than those of fish. In front of the eyes there are through nostrils equipped with valves and opening into the oral cavity.

Is a frog an animal or an insect?

This peculiar structure of the head helps the frog to quietly track prey: plunging into the water, the animal puts its eyes and nostrils out, breathes in this way and, looking at everything around, patiently waits for its potential lunch. The wah's hearing organ is located behind the eyes. Glass frog with her completely transparent skin is the most striking example from which to study internal structure amphibian body organs. Through the completely transparent skin, all the insides can be clearly observed. Judging by the above description, to the question “is a frog an animal or an insect?”, one can give a clear and confident answer: of course, an animal!

Amphibians have a wide range in size. The smallest is the representative of Cuba: its length is 8.5-12 mm. The largest individual from the category of amphibians is the goliath frog, a resident of Cameroon. The weight of the most outstanding representative of the species caught was 3 kg 660 grams with a total length (with outstretched paws) of 87 cm. Such a large specimen loves to live “largely”, preferring crystal clean water and royally, as if on a pedestal, sitting on the ledges of rocks.

What does a frog eat?

The lurking frog is a cunning hunter, whose prey is moving individuals: spiders, insects, worms, slugs and fish fry. Having decided on the future food moving in its field of vision, the frog in the water lets the latter closer and throws out a wide sticky tongue, to which the insect sticks. The frog is able to swallow large prey, placing it in its mouth using its forelimbs. There are known cases when swallows drinking water in flight became their victims. By running, flying, crawling past her, that is, moving; a stationary object simply will not arouse interest in a tailless amphibian.

The family of tailless amphibians is most often found on the banks of reservoirs in the warm season. The animal’s movements are so expressive and sharp that it immediately becomes clear where the expressions “swims like a frog” or “jumps like a frog” came from. When making a jump, the frog sharply straightens its legs; the force generated by such a push throws the amphibian forward and upward. Landing occurs on short front legs. The frog swims just as sharply, pushing off the water with its hind legs, between the toes of which there are membranes. If we return once again to clarifying the question “is a frog an animal or an insect?”, the answer is clear: an animal!

Frogs: how they reproduce

Reproduction in frogs occurs in the spring, after awakening from hibernation. Total eggs laid in various types varies and ranges from 600 to 20 thousand eggs. Tadpoles feed on unicellular algae, as well as simple rotting animals and plant debris. Frogs reach sexual maturity at 2-4 years of age with a total lifespan of 5-6 years. There have been cases where tailless amphibians have existed in captivity for more than 10 years.

The life of frogs in nature is of genuine interest because of its unusual nature. Thus, most of them leave eggs laid in the water or nearby a reservoir unattended; A minority of amphibians are concerned with parental care. For example, the male lays eggs on the back of the female, and the male Darwin's rhinoderma stores them in a special throat sac, from which the hatched and grown frogs subsequently climb out on their own.

Features of the skin of frogs

All frogs have thin, bare skin covered with mucus, which promotes the respiratory process and prevents the skin from drying out. The mucus on the skin of frogs contains substances that protect them from harmful microorganisms. In some species, this substance is even poisonous and is a kind of amulet for frogs from being eaten by other animals. Thus, poison dart frogs and leaf frogs living in the Central and South America, produce the deadliest toxins on the planet.

When on land, the moisture contained in the mucus evaporates, causing amphibians to lose it a large number of. It is for this reason that the habitat of frogs is the most comfortable wet area for them. The life of a frog in nature is interesting; An interesting fact is that amphibians do not drink water, replenishing the lack of water through the skin. Among all this smooth-skinned brethren, the hairy frog stands out noticeably; During the breeding season, males of this species are covered with patches of skin resembling hair. A characteristic feature of the hairy frog is also the ability to release claws during danger, which, piercing the skin, form bones on the fingers.

Is the skin of frogs poisonous?

By the way, in ancient times leather served as the main component in the manufacture of arrow poison; one individual was enough to lubricate 500 units. The toxicity of frogs can be judged by their bright, downright garish coloring. Thus, the poison of the dart frog - an inhabitant of South America - even in an amount of 2 milligrams can kill a person.

Coloring also serves to camouflage the animal; The leader in this area is considered to be the mossy frog, which almost completely merges with the environment, even its eyes are barely visible against the background of moss.

This particular type of frog is very popular among exotic lovers who want to keep it as a pet. The beautiful coloration of this representative of the tropics is valued accordingly: the cost of one individual, which can perfectly climb rocks and tall trees, reaches $75.

Amazing facts from the life of frogs

The body temperature of amphibians is similar to that of environment. The following fact has been recorded: living in Alaska in winter, it freezes to such an extent that it turns into ice. In such a frozen state, the amphibian does not breathe, blood circulation and heart function stop. With the onset of spring, the animal naturally thaws, gradually returning to normal life. There are only a few species of such unique amphibians capable of withstanding low temperatures on the planet; most representatives of this class are not able to survive in such conditions.

Frogs have an increased ability to survive; examples of this have been recorded more than once. In 1835, an Englishman witnessed a block of sandstone collapse to the ground from a platform and split in the middle, and a frog jumped out of its cavity. And there are a large number of such completely reliable reports about frogs walled up inside hollow blocks; this only confirms the unique ability of frogs to survive in extreme conditions.

Can a frog fly?

In the process of evolution, this amphibian learned to fly, escaping from enemies in this way. Flying specimens, which can even change their flight path (sometimes reaching 12 meters), are characterized by spreading long, webbed fingers. Frogs, with human help, are capable of setting world records.

So, in a competition organized especially for them, held in 1977 in South Africa, a frog nicknamed Sandtji jumped 10.3 meters!

How do frogs communicate with each other?

Frogs communicate with each other in a range inaccessible to the human ear through the use of ultrasounds that are beyond human hearing. This can be explained by the noisy habitat of amphibians, in which low frequencies familiar to humans are difficult to distinguish. This feature in frogs is also facilitated by the unusual location of the hearing organ; The eardrums are located behind the eyes, inside a special cavity. According to scientists, this arrangement of ears allows frogs to overcome the water noise inherent in their habitat. The most vocal frogs can cover a radius of several kilometers. From the cry of a bullfrog, heard for the first time and associated with the roar of a huge terrible beast, you can run away without looking back.

Frogs are a large group of animals belonging to the order tailless amphibians. Frogs are easy to distinguish from other animals by appearance– they have bulging eyes, a large mouth, a dense body, short front legs and long hind legs, there are special membranes between the toes intended for swimming, and adult frogs do not have a tail.

Pointy-faced frog

pond frog

The skin of these animals is always moist, because... covered with mucus secreted by skin glands. The color of frogs can be very diverse - from brown-green to bright red. Frogs are characterized by two types of respiration: pulmonary and cutaneous. On land, the frog breathes using its lungs, and under water it switches to skin breathing.

Spreading

Frogs are found almost everywhere; the most species of frogs live in tropical forests.

Lifestyle

Frogs are active in the warm season. In hot, sunny weather they sit in the shade, and in rainy and cloudy weather they willingly walk around the surrounding area. With the onset of cold weather, frogs hide in damp places, under leaves or at the bottom of reservoirs, can hibernate. Tropical frogs are active all year round.

Frog peeks out of the water

Nutrition

Frog hunts mosquito

Frogs feed mainly on insects - beetles, midges, flies, mosquitoes, etc. But on occasion they can also eat a small fish, snail or spider. Frogs hide in water or on land and wait for their prey. When a fly or other insect appears, the frog quickly throws out its sticky tongue, and the victim, sticking to it, goes straight into the mouth. Frogs hunt only moving insects; they do not notice or touch a stationary prey.
Frogs never drink water - all the necessary liquid enters their body with food and through the skin.

Reproduction

With the onset of the breeding season, frogs gather near fresh water bodies. The males arrive first and begin to call the females with loud croaking. Hearing croaking, the females also approach the pond. The lower and louder the male sounds, the more females respond to his call. When meeting a male, the female lays eggs. Frog larvae called “tadpoles” emerge from the eggs. Tadpoles are very different from adult frogs. They lead an exclusively aquatic lifestyle, breathe with gills, they have no paws, but they do have a tail. As a rule, tadpoles feed on algae. After some time, metamorphosis occurs - the tadpoles lose their gills and develop lungs, paws grow and the tail disappears, the tadpoles turn into frogs.

Tadpole

frog tomato

In India, there is a purple frog that lives almost all the time underground and only comes to the surface during the breeding season.
A tomato frog lives on the island of Madagascar; its body is painted bright red.
In South Africa and Madagascar you can meet unusual copepods; they can soar in the air, flying from tree to tree.

copepod frog

Brief information about the frog.

Frogs are animals from the order of tailless amphibians, or amphibians. Found all over to the globe, except for deserts and cold regions - Greenland, Taimyr, the Arctic and Antarctica. The main thing that is necessary for their life is freshwater bodies of water, and in adulthood - the opportunity to be on land. They move on land by jumping, but some can walk and run, and also dig underground burrows. They swim well in water. Tree frogs can climb trees.

Types of frogs

The order of tailless amphibians is very numerous - more than 2000 species. Scientists divide the detachment into families:

true frogs (about 600 species);
true toads (more than 500 species);
tree frogs (more than 900 species).

Toads characterized by the absence of teeth and lumpy skin, and tree frogs- the presence of suction disks on the fingers, with the help of which they can easily climb the tree along smooth trunks and leaves.

Most species of the family of true frogs live in Africa, the supposed homeland of these animals, and other regions with a humid tropical and subtropical climate. It is impossible to list all types in this message, so we will call the most common species in Russia:

herbal;
pond;
sharp-faced;
lake;
Siberian;
Asia Minor

The largest of them are lake ones. Their length can reach 15 cm. Males of this species are famous for their loud croaking.

Appearance and body structure

The sizes of frogs are very different - from 8 mm to 32 cm. The color of the skin is also varied. It can be green, brown, red, blue, yellow, spotted, striped. It depends on the air temperature, lighting, humidity, emotional state amphibians. Besides, Skin color helps to camouflage. Tree frogs are very brightly colored.

The body structure has a number of features:

short body and neck;
absence of a tail;
short front and long hind limbs;
swimming membranes on the hind limbs;
toothless lower jaw;
long, exciting tongue.

The eyes of frogs are unique - they are pushed forward and can simultaneously see what is happening in front, above and to the side. The eyes are protected by eyelids: the upper one is leathery, the lower one is transparent. Behind each eye is an eardrum. There is no external ear.

They breathe with their lungs. Breathing underwater is carried out using the skin. The fact is that the skin of these amphibians allows water to pass through, and oxygen passes from the water through the skin directly into the blood. This allows you to stay under water for a long time. The lungs are used not only for breathing - with their help, air is passed from the larynx and a loud croak is heard.

Life cycles

Croaking- This is a way to attract a female. Frogs reproduce using eggs that are laid in water. Tadpoles then emerge from the eggs. Tadpoles- These are larvae that live only in water. They have a tail, a cartilaginous skeleton, and gills. They feed on algae. During the process of metamorphosis, which lasts about a day, the tadpole turns into an adult.

Adults feed on beetles, spiders, caterpillars, worms, and snails. Some large species catch , . More often They hunt using a long sticky tongue.

In cold areas, amphibians hibernate during the winter. They climb into rodent holes, hide in dry leaves, and lie at the bottom of reservoirs. Hibernation lasts several months and ends by March-April.

On average, these amphibians live about 10 years, but representatives of some species can live more than 30 years.

The most amazing frogs

Brazilian Horned. Its color is similar to the leaves. The size reaches 20 cm. Some people keep them as pets.
Purple. Lives in southern India. It is purple in color and lives underground. The nose looks like a pig's snout.
Surinamese pipa. Her main feature- very flat body and small eyes.
Glass. The skin on the lower part of the body is so transparent that you can see the insides.
Goliath frog- the largest in the world. The size can reach 32 cm and weight - 3 kg.

The image of a frog in culture

Attitudes towards these amphibians vary. Many people consider them unattractive and dangerous, but some enjoy keeping them at home.

Since ancient times, frogs have acted as mythological and literary characters:

in Egyptian mythology, the frog goddess Hecate is a symbol of fertility;
in Aristophanes' comedy "Frogs";
in the Russian fairy tale “The Frog Princess”;
in the cartoons "Shrek 2" and "Shrek the Third";
Kermit the Frog in the TV show Sesame Street.

Unfortunately, The number of frogs in the world is rapidly declining. This is due to habitat destruction, the use of chemicals, and climate change.

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Frogs are very interesting animals. They belong to the class of amphibious amphibians. Today, scientists have counted only 16 species of amphibians and about 340 species of frogs themselves. Frogs inhabit all continents except Antarctica. The variety of their species is enormous. There are frogs that change color like a chameleon, fly, and some African species They can dig in the ground like piglets. Frogs are the most numerous amphibians; they belong to the most common amphibians on our planet.

An interesting site offers to learn a little more about these strange and not always pleasant creatures.

These animals love warmth and moisture, so most species live in tropical areas. A characteristic feature of all frogs is their singing (croaking). What do frogs eat? Frogs feed mainly on insects; larger species prey on fish, lizards and even... small birds. When an amphibian sees a potential prey, it instantly throws out its tongue, covered with a sticky substance, which quickly grabs the prey and instantly pulls it into its mouth. Due to the not very developed sense of hearing and smell, when hunting, frogs are guided mainly by vision.

Very angry frog)))

Frogs lead a very diverse lifestyle. Most species never leave the water or the shores of a reservoir, but there are some that come to the water only when laying eggs. The eggs hatch into tadpoles that resemble small fish, which will only become similar to adult frogs after the change.

Perhaps the most characteristic feature These amphibians are croaking. This sound is important during the mating period, as well as in determining territory. It indicates the distance at which individual individuals of the same species live. Frogs have colors that provide them with ideal camouflage among plants.

Flying frog.

One of the most interesting species, the so-called flying frog, which lays eggs not in ponds, but on the leaves of trees, where it lives. Contrary to its name, the amphibian cannot fly, but thanks to the membranes between its fingers and the special shape of its body, it is able to soar over considerable distances, jumping from branch to branch or from one tree to another. If the tree chosen for the frog looks attractive enough, it can fly even a distance of up to 15 meters. Bending the body can even change the direction of flight.

Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum is known as the transparent frog. Her skin is transparent to such an extent that everything can be seen through it internal organs. The reason for this is the lack of pigmentation. The frog lives in Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical and tropical humid mountains and rivers. The frog is very small, about the size of a fingernail.

The toad family includes 16 species of amphibians: cascade, melodious, clinotarsus, tuberculate, shore, Burmese, brown, bullfrog, long-legged, Ryukyuan, green, copepod and false copepod, grass, rice and shore frog.

Of the 340 species of frogs living on the planet, we can find the following species: Dalmatian frog, lake frog, Moor frog, gull frog, grass frog and the so-called edible frog.

Did you know that the largest frog in the world is the shy goliath, living in the rivers of Cameroon it reaches 33 cm in length and weighs up to 3 kg!

The world's smallest frog is found on the islands of Papua New Guinea and measures 7.7 mm.

There are frogs that, when a pond dries out, bury themselves in the mud and fall into a lethargic sleep. Representatives of this species sleep until it rains.

In Africa there lives a pig frog, so called because its nose is shaped like a pig's nose. She digs holes with this nose.

There is a species of frog that does not have a tongue. When they catch prey, they help themselves with their front paws.

The frogs that live in the fast streams of the Rocky Mountains are deaf because of the continuous noise of the water flowing from the mountains.

Some species are able to change color. Like a chameleon, they change body color, adapting it to the environment.

There are hairy frogs, so they are called because of the long thin processes on the skin. This species has sharp claws that can scratch a person's hand until it bleeds.

Most species of frogs cannot drink, so they absorb the water the body needs through the skin during water baths.

The so-called Darwin's frogs carry their offspring in their mouths and do this until the frogs are able to get food on their own.

The world of amphibians is amazing and diverse. This can be proven by some Interesting Facts about frogs, creatures that, for the most part, do not evoke a surge of positive emotions.

Do you know why in the old days it was customary to throw a frog into a bucket of milk?

The fact is that there were no refrigerators at that time, and the frog’s moist skin has bactericidal properties, which is why the frog’s milk never turned sour.

Frogs have very interesting vision - they can look up, forward and sideways at the same time.

Also the frogs' eyes play important role in...digestion. It is with the help of the eyes that the frog helps push the food in the mouth further along the digestive tract. Therefore, having captured prey, these representatives of the amphibian world must blink. And frogs close their eyes only for a short period of time, even when they sleep.

Frogs have a unique respiratory system, because these amphibians breathe both with their lungs and with their mouth and the entire surface of their skin.

While in water, frogs breathe through their skin; on land, their lungs and mouth are responsible for their breathing. The body of frogs is designed in such a way that every time the animal plunges into water, it provokes a shutdown of the respiratory system. Circulatory system frogs are also quite interesting: their heart consists of 2 sections, and mixed venous-arterial blood circulates in the body.

The hearing of frogs is designed in such a way that while on land they pick up sound vibrations with the help of the inner ear, and while sitting on the ground they feel audio vibrations with their skin and bones.

Frogs are the best jumpers in the animal kingdom

Representatives of some species (the frog Litoria nasuta, which lives in Australia) can overcome jumping distances 50 times their size and achieve acceleration up to 20 meters per second. Other ( Rhacophorus Nigropalmatus – Wallace's flying frogs, living in the humid jungles of Malaysia and Borneo) can not only jump superbly, but even glide, “flying” distances of 15 m.

The size range of these amphibians is quite wide. So, the smallest frog in the world is only 8.5 mm long, and it lives in Cuba.

And here is a close-up photo of the smallest frog.

The giant goliath frog is the largest of its species

– its length is 90 cm, and its weight can exceed 3 kilograms. The goliath has very strong legs, thanks to which the average jump of this frog exceeds 3 meters.

Don't think that frogs are harmless creatures. In fact, the frog is the most poisonous land animal in the world.

The breed of this frog is “ cocoi", it lives only in South America. Cocoa venom is thirty-five times more dangerous than cobra venom.

In Japan, frogs have a very revered role - there they are a symbol of luck.

And in Ancient Egypt these creatures were also a symbol- but they personified the resurrection, and they were mummified at the same time as the deceased person. Scientists suggest that this is most likely due to the following. In temperate and cold latitudes, frogs “freeze” every year, falling into hibernation, and return to life only in the spring.

This happens because the frog produces glucose. When frozen, all liquid with glucose takes on the consistency of syrup, without the formation of crystals. This is why the frog is able to survive after a short winter sleep.