The Amazing Animals
Amphibians: Frogs«Back
Pac-Man Frog or Ornate Frog
(Ceratophrys ornate)
South America — Ornate frogs are relatively common in the pet trade. They are generally round in appearance and have huge mouths, traits that liken them to the popular video game “Pac-Man” and earned them their common name. Native to South America, these frogs are terrestrial in nature. They can reach 6 to 7 inches in length and generally are about as wide as they are long. Although males tend to be quite a bit smaller than females, both are fairly hefty for a frog. Their appetites match their size, and they will pretty much eat any insect that moves.
African Bullfrog
(Pyxiecephalus adspersus)
Africa — The African bullfrogs is one of the largest frogs in Africa. Adult males may reach 9 inches or more; females are much smaller. (Actually, in nearly all species of frogs, the female is larger than the male.) African bullfrogs are carnivorous, meaning they will feed on anything that fits into their mouth, including insects, small rodents (such as mice), reptiles, birds and amphibians (including other frogs). The frogs have very strong hind legs that they use to dig holes in the ground. This is where they spend the dry summer season, making a dry, watertight cocoon that prevents the evaporation of their body fluids. (The African bullfrog loses approximately half of the water that a frog without a cocoon loses.) Inside these cocoons, the frogs can survive for several months in the dry soil by absorbing water stored in their bladder. Once the rainy season starts, the moisture will seep into the ground and soak the cocoon. When the cocoon softens enough to split open, the frog eats it. We’ve nicknamed our giant African bullfrog “Jeremiah.”
Vietnamese Mossy Frog
(Theloderma corticale)
Northern Vietnam — Mossy frogs have some of the best camouflage in the animal kingdom, as their spotty skin, bumps, spines and tubercles make them look like little clumps of moss or lichen. Predators help promote the evolution of camouflage by eating every frog they can find. Consequently, a mossy frog that looks even slightly more “moss-like” than its neighbor has a better chance to survive and reproduce, passing its “mossy” genes to the next generation.
White’s Tree Frog
(Litoria caerulea)
South America, Africa and Asia — Also known as “dumpy tree frog” because of their flabby look (the frogs have large folds of skin that look like fat) or “smiling frog” because of their mouths, White’s tree frogs originate from both Indonesia and Australia. The Indonesian species is somewhat larger and green, while the Australian species may reach the size of a baseball and are much more colorful than their Indonesian counterparts. (Adults will have a blue or aqua color.) Australian White’s tree frogs also have the ability to change color from a dark brown to a blue-green. Both species are nocturnal and may hide during the day and become active only after the sun has set. They will forage all night, feeding on insects, grubs and mealworms. Voracious eaters, they have large appetites and will eating anything that they can catch and fit into their mouths. The main job, or niche, of White’s tree frogs is to eat bugs, as it is an insectivore and can help keep the insect population under control. The frogs are arboreal, which means they like to live in trees, and their feet are equipped with “suction cups” that allow them to climb up smooth surfaces with ease.
