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Fun Frog Facts

© Dina Ely

From raining frogs to fried frog legs, frogs are a part of culture & colloquialisms the world 'round. Frogs have made their way into our hearts with pop culture icons like Kermit the Frog, and classic characters like Mr. Toad. This article takes a look at some of the amazing aspects of our favorite amphibians!

But just what is an "amphibian"? Amphibians are cold-blooded animals that differ from reptiles in that they live both in water and on land. The concept of being "amphibious" has been applied to the military, with amphibious units of soldiers attacking both from water and from land. This is especially appropriate when you consider that a group of frogs is called an "army of frogs".

As a frog-owner (I own a beautiful albino African clawed frog named "Moon") I am always asked the question "What's the difference between a frog and a toad?". The table below will have you answering that question expertly in no time!

"True Frogs"	"True Toads"
Family: Ranidae	Family: Bufonidae
Smooth or slimy skin	Bumpy or dry skin
Long legs with webbed feet suitable for land or water	Short legs better suited for land
Lay eggs in clusters	Lay eggs in rows
Have teeth	Don't have teeth

Some frogs have long, quick tongues that they dart out of their mouth to catch bugs. This trait is not, however, universal to all frogs! My Moon, for example, can't dart her tongue (she doesn't have a tongue!) but rather "snaps" her powerful jaws around her prey, and stuffs the food into her mouth with her tiny hands! It is a very comical way to eat!

Speaking of Moon, let me tell you a little bit about her. She is a year old and she lives in an aquarium. She's an aquatic frog, meaning she spends most of her time in the water, and doesn't need to get on land at all. She swims and jumps like a champion, and often she likes to float at the surface of the water, so she can enjoy the movement of the water and breathe at will.

She is white, because she's an albino. She has a slightly mottled pattern on her back that looks like yellow spots. She is extremely slimy! Her slime coat is quite powerful--it contains all sorts of healing properties like antibacterial, antivirul, antifungal and antiparasitic medicines! In some countries frogs are used medicinally.

She doesn't have bulging eyes on either side of her head like most frogs. Instead her eyes are small and situated right on top of her head. They're bright pink and in some light look deep red.

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