Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Facts about Frogs

Frogs have been around for the last 190 million without evolving due to their adapting capabilities. The prehistoric predecessor to frogs was the Ichthyostegay, also known as the ‘four legged fish’. Frogs were the earliest known amphibians known to be found in East Greenland. As amphibians, frogs immutably enjoyed the best of both worlds –land
and sea. 1 They are characterized by being hairless, minus tails and mostly lay their eggs in water.
1. Frogs are found in all countries having freshwater. Though they thrive best in warm, moist climates they are found in deserts and cold regions including the Arctic. The only region frogs are not found is the Antarctica.
2. The Australian water-holding frog survives seven years without rain in the desert. It survives by burrowing underground and forming a protective cocoon made from its own shedding skin.
3. Wood frogs from the Arctic use the glucose in its blood as antifreeze in protecting its organs from the cold. The rest of its body will be frozen but its organs are protected.
4. Frogs have the habit of pulling its eyes down to the roof of its mouth to aid in pushing the food down its throat.
5. Frogs are the first land animals that possessed vocal chords. The frog sounds that can be heard from miles away are due to the vocal sacs filled with air that resonates sound.
6. The eating of animals which live on land and water (amphibians) including frogs is forbidden by Judaism and Islam.3
7. Frog meat tastes similar to chicken meat accounting for its popularity. It is considered a delicacy in most countries. In the United States, the American bullfrogs are popular whereas in French and East Asian cuisines, frogs are a connoisseur’s delight.
8. The consumption of frogs worldwide has put a strain on the growth of the frog population. The continued hunting of wild frogs in India and Indonesia has had ecological implications on the environment. Frogs eat unwanted predators including insects which are a boon to the agricultural sector. The absence of these natural insects’ busters impacted the quality of the agricultural produce.5
9. Frog farming, which was a solution to prevent the diminishing growth of wild frogs, has had reverse negative effects including farmed frogs escaping and introducing new diseases amongst the wild population and turning into a invasive species.
10.Recommendations to ensure the sustained growth of frogs include monitoring the wild frog population, restriction of commercial farming to native species and setting
export quotas.

BLUE DART FROG

Dendrobates azureus


Dendrobates azureus is a species of poison dart frog found in the forests surrounded by the Sipaliwini savannah, which is located in southern Suriname and northern to central BrazilDendrobates azureus is widely known as the blue poison dart frog or by its TirioIndian name, okopipi. Its species name comes from the fact that it is colored azure.
D. azureus is a medium-sized frog that weighs approximately 8 grams. It grows between 3 and 4.5 cm in length and has a typical lifespan of 4–6 years in the wild. Its bright blue skin serves as a warning to predators. Its color is also usually darker around its limbs and stomach. The glands of poisonous alkaloids located in the skin serve as a defense mechanism to potential predators. These poisons paralyze and sometimes kill the predator. The black spots are unique to each frog, serving as an identification tool. Each foot contains four toes which each have a flattened tip with a suction cup pad used for gripping. This species of frog is also identifiable by a hunch-backed posture.
Physical appearance also differs with the sex of the animal. Females are larger and about half a centimeter longer than males, but males have larger toes. The tips of the toes in females are round, while males have heart-shaped tips.
Tadpoles differ greatly in appearance from adults. They have a long tail, about 6 mm, with a total length of about 10 mm. They lack legs and have gills instead of lungs.
Dendrobates tinctorius is a mainland animal, but stays close to water sources. These frogs spend most of their awake time, during the day, hopping around in short leaps. They are very territorial and aggressive both towards their own species and others. To ward off intruders, they use a series of calls, chases, and wrestling, which usually occurs within the same sex.
Although poison dart frogs are known for their skin toxins, used on the tips of arrows or darts of natives, in reality only the species of thePhyllobates genus are used in this manner, although all poison dart frogs have some level of toxicity. In captivity, the frogs lose toxicity as a result of altered diets.
The blue poison dart frog breeds seasonally, usually during the months of February or March when it is rainy. To find mates, the males sit on a rock and produce quiet calls, which the females follows to track down the males. The females then physically fight over a male. The male takes the female to a quiet place by water, which becomes the site of the egg-laying. Once the eggs are laid the male will then cover them in his sperm to fertilise them, therefore fertilisation occurs externally.
Between five and ten offspring are produced, and eggs are laid in the male’s territory, which he defends. The male takes care of the eggs most of the time, but sometimes the female does, as well. The eggs hatch between 14 and 18 days, and after 10 to 12 weeks, the tadpoles are fully mature. Both sexes reach sexual maturity at two years of age. The expected lifespan of an average D. azureus is between four and six years in the wild, and about ten years in captivity.
Feeding on primarily insects, such as antsflies, and caterpillars, the Dendrobates tinctorius is primarily an insectivore, but occasionally feeds on other arthropods, such as spiders. The mother provides unfertilized eggs for the tadpoles’ nutrition.

Monday, 1 July 2013

How to Tell Apart Different Types of Frogs

There are nearly 4,000 types of frogs, including toads, which are in the frog family, in almost every part of the world. The only place that there are no frogs and have never been any types of frogs is Antarctica because it is too cold all year long. There are about 80 types of frogs in the United States. Most of the different types of frogs can be found in the tropics because it a warm and wet environment.

The different types of frogs can be told apart in many different ways. The biggest difference is between frogs and toads in North America. Frogs are skinnier than toads and their skin is smooth and looks slimy. Toads have wider bodies and their skin is drier and rough and warty. In some tropical places the toads look very much like frogs, though, so you can’t always tell them apart this way.

Frogs aren’t all green. Some types of frogs are yellow, brown, orange, red, black, or a combination of these colors. Some frogs even change colors. The patterns on each type of frog are different, too. Some frogs have no patterns at all and are just a solid color and others have very cool markings on them. 

The different frog types can sometimes be told apart by the calls that they make. No, they won’t call you on the phone if you give them your number, but they do call out for different reasons, and each type of frog has a different type of call. Only male frogs make calls, females do not. Some frogs have a croak that you are used to hearing about, but some types of frogs bark like a dog and some chirp like a bird. Some types of frogs whistle and some groan. There are lots of different sounds that frogs make when they call, but only a few reasons that they will call out. 

Male frogs will call out to the female frogs to let them know that they are ready to mate and so the female frogs can find them. Frogs will call out to other frogs to let them know that the area they are sitting in belongs to them and to keep other frogs away. Frogs will also call out to warn away other animals, especially the ones that will eat them.

Different types of frogs will have different skeletons and different teeth formations. These things help to give the frogs their different shapes and looks. Some frogs have different skeletons and teeth but look very similar on the outside so they are hard to tell apart, and unless you are a frogologist (which is actually called a herpetologist) you probably won’t get close enough to study the teeth or bones of a frog.