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Frogs: Fun and Facts
© Debbie St. Germain
Apr 20, 1999
Frogs or toads, what is the difference? First of all, it is hard to clearly distinguish between the two, but there are some differences. Toads have rough, warty skin, shorter legs, and live mainly on land. A frog's skin is smoother, and you will generally find them near bodies of water. For general Purposes, we will just use the word frog, except in cases where common names are given.
Frogs are amazing creatures, especially when talking about reproduction. You may think all frogs lay their eggs in bodies of water. In fact; some frogs don't just lay their eggs, they carry them, in some rather unique ways.
The female midwife toad lays a string of 50 eggs. The male takes these eggs and wraps them around his legs. He will carry them everywhere he goes, until they are ready to hatch, at which time he releases them in a pool of water. He keeps the eggs from drying out by dipping them into puddles of water.
The gastric brooding frog from Australia, has a guaranteed way to keep her eggs safe - she swallows them! The tadpoles develop inside of the mother's stomach, and when they become froglets - she spits them out. You may be asking, "how is it that the tadpoles can survive in her stomach acids?" During the time the tadpoles are in the mother's stomach, she stops producing digestive juices, that would otherwise harm her young.
The surinam toad lays her eggs, then places them on her soft, sticky back. A cyst-like skin forms over each one, and the tadpoles grow - inside these tiny pockets. After three months, the mother sheds her skin, and the baby frogs hop out. The surinam toad, is not an real toad, it is a frog. In this case, the word toad was used, even though the surinam is a member of the frog family.
Frogs come in all sizes, but one tadpole grows larger than its mother. The tadpoles of the paradoxical frog, from South America, grow three times larger, than its parent. As it grows into its adult form, it shrinks down to normal size. In the frog "hall of fame," the goliath is the largest frog, growing up to 13 inches long; the smallest frog known is the tiny arrow-poison frog, which measures .33 inch as an adult.
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The copyright of the article Frogs: Fun and Facts in Science for Kids is owned by Debbie St. Germain. Permission to republish Frogs: Fun and Facts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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