Everything You Need To FROGS
Everythingyou need toknow aboutFROGSAND OTHERSLIPPERYCREATURESDK PUBLISHING
LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH,MELBOURNE, and DELHISenior editor Carrie LoveSenior designer Claire PatanéDesign Hedi Hunter and Rosie LevineEditorial Holly Beaumont, Fleur Star,Ben Morgan, and Alexander CoxUS editor Margaret ParrishConsultant Brian GroombridgePublishing manager Bridget GilesArt director Martin WilsonCreative director Jane BullCategory publisher Mary LingProduction editor Clare McLeanProduction controller Claire PearsonPicture researcher Rob NunnProofreaders Caroline Stamps andLorrie MackJacket editor Matilda GollonFirst published in the United States in 2011by DK Publishing375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 1001410 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1001–180779–Aug/11Copyright 2011 Dorling Kindersley LimitedAll rights reserved under International andPan-American Copyright Conventions. Nopart of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, orotherwise, without the prior written permissionof the copyright owner. Published in GreatBritain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.A catalog record for this bookis available from the Library of Congress.Can youSEE ME?ISBN: 978-0-7566-8232-3This high-casquedchameleon (Chamaeleohoehnelii) is superb at blending inwith its surroundings. Find outmore about camouflageon page 17.Printed and bound in China by Hung HingDiscover more atwww.dk.com
CONTENTS6Amphibians46What’s for dinner?8Reptiles48Living fossils10What’s inside?50Snakes and ladders12Super skin52Horned lizard14Life cycle of a frog5416Colors and markingsWhy did this woman turnpeople into stone?18Home, Sweet Home56In search of the flapping frog20Amazon horned frog58Defense techniques22How do crocodiles breatheunderwater?60Travel blog62Lost and found24Parental care64Is it a bird? Is it a plane?26Biggest and smallest66Don’t look up28Sun seekers6830Can you spot the fake?How did frogs’ legs shockscience?32The glass frog70How to survive an encounterwith a crocodile or an alligator34Fancy feet7236The water-holding frogWorking with amphibiansand reptiles38Top 10 deadliest7440Sixth senseHow does this lizardwalk on water?42Gecko feet76Record breakers44The newt that never grows up78Glossary and index80Credits
How does a fer-de-lance snake kill its prey?Discover its tactic on page 39.Ribbit,Which lizard is an insectivore?Take a look at page 46.scuttle,Why is the male midwifetoad a hands-on father? Seefor yourself on page 25.How can you survive an attack froma crocodile or alligator? Read andREMEMBER the tips on page 71.4
How far can a leatherbacksea turtle travel? Take ajourney with one onpages 60—61.Try to outstare a frog on pages30—31. One frog will always win,since it has a spot that looks like an eye!How does a reptile obtain heatfrom its surroundings? Get aglimpse on page 28.slitherPlay a game of snakes and ladders on pages50—51. Be careful, or you might slip down aninland taipan!When a frog sheds its skin whatdoes it do with it? Discover theanswer on page 13.
AmphibiansAmphibians are animalsthat live PARTLY in waterand PARTLY on land.Frogs, toads, NEWTS, andsalamanders are allHOW MANY?There are about 6,800species of amphibian, mostof which are frogs. Thereare about 600 species ofnewt and salamander.amphibians.REPTILES have dry, scalyamphibians can breathe throughFrwnspaogskin, but AMPHIBIANShave soft, moist skin. Mosttheir skin, but only if it staysdamp. Adult amphibians canalso BREATHEthrough lungs.6Mostamphibiansbreed in water.Unlike reptiles, which laytough-shelled eggsonland, most amphibianslay soft, jellylike eggsin water.
groefIs a toad a frogI have d?ry, lumpy sklike it’sin thatcoveredlooksinwarts. Pcall meeople usa toad, buallyut I’m really a frog.I’mretaa riverMost frogs live neart inor pools of water. Bumidrainforests, it is so huthe time,the trees are wet allto stayallowing some frogs. Theyin them permanentlyand haveare called tree frogsto helphuge, sticky fingersthem climb.TMost baby amphibians live entirely in water.Called tadpoles, they swim like fish andbreathe through gills. As they grow up, theydevelop legs and crawl onto land, but theymust always be in wet places.adpolestadpoleWhen ag,f an egotuostohatchen life isiksategg,its firstft of itsel’stas.eat whutrientnfolls fus, thewhich iphibianmatsoanIn mes m7
ReptilesToday, there are more than9,000 reptile speciesHOW MANY?Lizards make up the largest group ofreptiles (with 5,461 species), followedby snakes (3,315 species), then turtles (317species). There are fewer amphisbaenians(181 species), and even fewer crocodilians(24 species). The smallest group is thetuataras (with just 2 species).on Earth; the major groups arealligators and crocodiles,BrightlycoloredIguanas and their relativesmake up some of themost colorful of all lizards.This green iguana isbrightly colored witha few markings.TURTLES, lizards, andsnakes. ALLREPTILES arecold-blooded,which is why they WARMthe sun andhave bodies covered in dry,THEMSELVES inAll rephave tilesbackbonesHORNY SCALES.Some reptileslay eggs; othersBright linesgive birth to8live young.The red markings on a Madagascangiant day gecko vary between individuals.
Reptiles vary greatly in shape and size.However, all reptiles have scales in contrastto the smooth, moist skin of amphibians.Scales differ among species, but they area defining feature of a reptile.Leglessand longSnakes are legless reptiles.They’re found all over theworld, but they don’t dowell in cold places. TheCommon boa constrictor,such as the one shownhere, can grow to3–13 ft (1–4 m)!Light like sandLike many geckos, this Sandstone gecko is coloredto blend in with its surroundings.Tuataras are a group of reptile found only in New Zealand.9
What’s inside?FROGS have simple skeletons with fewer bones than othervertebrates (animals with backbones). They tend to have robustbodies and strong hind limbs. Most frogs have protruding eyesand no tail. Take a look at what’s under a frog’s skin.SkullThe hands and fingers of frogs varyaccording to lifestyle. Climbing frogsneed fingers that can grip well.Frogs tend to havebroad heads with largesockets for the eyes.They usually have shortspines and no ribs.HandHeart CHAMBERSFrogs have a developed nervoussystem that is made up of a brain,nerves, and a spinal cord. A frog’sheart has three chambers, whereasa mammal’s has four.A frog’s brain isstructured in a similarway to a human’s brain.The cerebellum (regionon the top of the brain)controls posture andmuscular coordination.Elongatedankle boneToe bone10A frog’s bone structue helpsit jump a long way. The tibia(shin bone) and fibula (calfbone) are fused into a single,strong bone.The legs and feet of frogs vary dependingon where they live. Frogs that live in waterhave webbed toes. The more time they spendin water, the more webbed their toes are.
SNAKES have incredibly LONG necks. The neck takes upone-third of their length. Their organs are alsolong and fit inone behind the other. The heartis encased in a sac, but it’s not fixed in place, preventingdamage when swallowing a large animal.Snakes have strongskulls with a solid andcomplete braincase.SkullTrunkvertebraDry SKINLonger species have as many as400 vertebra along their backbones.Smaller snakes have 180.Snakes have flexible spines and strongtrunks that allow them to move in awavelike pattern.Tail vertebraRibsSnakes have dry, smoothskin that is covered in scales.They shed their skin regularly.When they shed their skin itcomes off as a whole layer andis often intact.Snakes have reallyflexible lower andupper jaws, allowing themto stretch their mouths openwide to eat prey that is oftenwider than their own heads.11
Frogs have very special skin. They don’t justwater like we do.Instead, they absorb most of the moisture they needthrough their skin. They also get waterFROGS don’t usually SWALLOWfrom prey that they eat. Their skin is used to getextraoxygen from the water (in addition to the oxygenthat’s come into their lungs via their mouth cavity).Because frogs only get oxygen through their skinwhen it’s moist, they need to takegood care of it orthey might suffocate. Some frogs areslimy. This isbecause their SKIN secretes a12mucus that stops it from getting dry.
wear it, they also drink and breathe through it!Frogs regularly shed theiroutermost layer of skin cells tokeep ithealthy. This looks prettyyucky. They start to twist and turn and actlike they have the hiccups. They do this to stretchout of their old skin! Finally, they pullthe skin OFF overtheir head LIKE A SWEATER, and thentheyEAT IT! Eeeeewww!(this is gross)13
Life cycle of a frogFrom a baby tadpole to a young frogLife beginsTiny tadpolesA male and a female frog cometogether to mate. Eggs are laidin clumps or strings. An egghatches about six days after it’sbeen fertilised. At first it feeds onthe remains of the yolk.When an egg hatches, a tadpole’smouth, tail, and external gills arenot fully developed. At about sevento 10 days, a tadpole begins to feedon algae and attaches itself to weeds.Fully formedBetween 12 to 16 weeks afrog has completed its growthcycle. The timing variesbetween species and on thefood and water supply. A fullyformed frog starts the processafresh by mating.14
Getting biggerAt four weeks the external gillsare covered by body skin. Theyeventually disappear and arereplaced with lungs. Tadpoleshave tiny teeth that help themto chew away at plants andalgae-covered surfaces.A bit of bothTiny legs start to form from sixto nine weeks. The head becomesmore obvious. The arms begin tocome out, with the elbowsshowing first. After nine weeksthe tadpole is beginning to lookmore like a frog.Nearly there!By 12 weeks the young frogletonly has a small stub of a tail. Itlooks like a smaller version of anadult frog. Soon it will leave thewater to live on the ground.15
COLORSAMPHIBIANS and REPTILEShave a variety ofandmarkingsandSGNIKRMAcolors. The spectrum rangesfrom bright reds and blues tomuddygreens and BROWNS.Some have spots, whileothers have stripes.Texas coralsnakeMarkings can bedeceptive! Milk snakeshave thin black bands, andthick yellow and red bands. Theyaren’t poisonous, but they appear tobe dangerous because their banding isso similar to venomous coral snakes.FiresalamanderRed-eyed tree frog16Regalring-neck snake
Southern dwarfchameleonCollaredlizardColorful CAMOUFLAGEThe pattern and color of an amphibian or reptilecan help it to blend in with its surroundings tohide from predators. Chameleons, as theirname suggests, have an amazing ability tohide themselves by changing theirappearance. They can alter their color aswell as their markings.Strawberry poison-dart frogs arebright red. This acts to warnother creatures that theirskin secretions arehighly toxic.Hide and seekThe Pacific tree frog is able to blend intoits surroundings very easily. It reacts toseasonal changes and can switch itscoloring from brown to green. It canalso change its markings and thelightness of its skin according to theshift in background brightness.17
Home, Sweet HomeAmphibians are found on all continents except Antarctica. Nearly all amphibians livein or near wet areas such as streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and other wetlands, but somedisplay amazing adaptations that allow them to live in dry, dusty deserts. Many adultamphibians spend their lives on land, but nearly all need to lay their eggs in water.Desert LIVINGThe desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)spends about 95 percent of its lifeunderground. It can go a year without water.Plant LIFEThe female strawberry poison-dartfrog (Oophaga pumilio) lays her eggson a leaf. When the tadpoles hatch, shemoves them to a water-filled location.Up in the TREESThe red-eyed tree frog(Agalychnis callidryas) lives high upin rainforest canopies in CentralAmerica. It is also known as the“monkey frog” because of itsexcellent climbing skills.Couch’s spadefoot toad (Scaphiopuscouchii) gets its name from its feet, whichhelp it to dig down through loose sand. Itlives underground during dry months.The sandfish(Scincus scincus) livesin Africa’s Saharadesert and is famousfor its ability to“swim” through sand.The gold frog (Brachycephalusdidactylus) makes its home in mountainrainforests. It mainly lives among leaflitter. It is a ground-dweller, since it can’tjump or climb very well. The female layseggs that hatch directly into small frogs,missing out the tadpole stage.The tree hole frog (Metaphrynellasundana) is a native of lowlandforests in Borneo. It lives in thehollows of tree trunks. The littlefrog uses tree hollows to amplifyits mating calls so that it can beheard over long distances.Who lives in a dry place? Many reptilesWho lives in a “house”? Some frogsWho lives up in the trees? Mostlive in deserts. They can hide from theextreme temperatures in burrows. The desertis the last place you might expect to find anamphibian, but a few species have adapted tothis extreme environment.have adapted to live in dead leaves thathave fallen onto the forest floor whereasothers cleverly use leaves to hide theireggs in until they hatch.of the world’s frogs live in tropicalrainforests, where the temperatureis nice and high and there is plentyof water.18
Reptiles don’t exist in Antarctica either. Unlike amphibians, they have watertightskin. This means that they don’t dry out as quickly. Some reptiles live in hot, dryplaces such as deserts. Others live in warm swamps, rivers, or forests. A few haveeven adapted to a life at sea, but all return to land to lay their eggs.All at SEAThe yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamisplaturus) has the largest lung of any snake.This helps it to control bouyancy so it canstay under water for long periods of time(up to three and a half hours).In the WETCool CREATURESThe African clawed frog (Xenopuslaevis) lives in ponds, lakes, or streamsin southern Africa. It spends most ofits time in water.The wood frog (Rana sylvatica)survives freezing conditions byhibernating. It finds cracks in rocks,or gaps in logs, or can bury itself inleaves, to get through the cold winters.Northern water snake (NerodiaThe hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelysimbricata) uses its narrow beak toforage for mollusks, sponges, andother animals.Who’s that in the sea? Amphibianscan’t cope with seawater because theirskin is too thin to protect them fromall the salt. Reptiles have thicker skinand a few species can regulate the saltin their blood and are therefore able tolive in the sea.sipedon) lives in and aroundstreams, ponds, lakes, andmarshes. Water snakes are goodswimmers. They have been knownto herd tadpoles to the water’s edgebefore tucking in.Who likes to live somewheremoist? Amphibians provide tastymeals for many reptiles, so where theylive you will often find reptiles, too.The Northern water snake lives nearponds, where it can catch amphibians.Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) isa legless lizard that hibernates inpiles of leaves, or in hollowsbetween tree roots. It goes to sleepin October and emerges in Marchto breed in early summer.Who’s hiding from the cold? Somereptiles and amphibians live intemperate parts of the world, with coldwinters. One of the ways in whichthey can survive these cold months isto save energy by hibernating.19
Amazon hornedFROGENORMOUS GAPEFamed for its bigappetite and its badtemper, the Amazonhorned frog can growto reach the size of asmall dinner plate.With a mouth that iswider than the length ofits body, the Amazonhorned frog can gobbleup prey almost as bigas itself.Patient PREDATORAmazon horned frogs are voraciouscarnivores. They ambush their prey bysitting quietly and waiting for it to approach,before striking with a sudden snap of theirjaws. Amazon horned frogs aren’t pickyeaters. Mostly they live on a diet of ants andother insects, but they will try to eat anyanimal smaller than themselves, includingmice and, occasionally, rats. They don’talways get it right, and may try to take onan animal that is too big forthem to stomach.Watch your feet! The Amazon horned frogwill sometimes defend itself by attackingpeople if it is disturbed. They tend to grab anythingthat comes near them that could be edible.20
Impressive HORNSFROG FACTSAs its name suggests, the Amazonhorned frog has big fleshy horns aboveits eyes. These are the largest horns ofany of the horned frog species. Thesepointed brows help to disguise thefrog’s shape as it sits amongthe leaves on the forest floorawaiting its prey.· Unlike other tadpoles, theAmazon horned frog tadpolesare predatory from the start.When they hatch, they attackother tadpoles and even attackeach other.· Females lay up to 1,000 eggs!They lay their eggs aroundaquatic plants.· Males areslightly smallerthan females.They make amating call thatsounds like a cowlowing (makinga “moo” sound).This frog growsup to 8 in(20 cm) inlength.21
How docrocodiles breatheunderwaterCrocodiles have an amazing ability to breathe and huntunderwater at the same time. By closing a flap of skin at theback of their throats they prevent water from flowing intotheir lungs. They hold air in their lungs until they resurface.They are able to keep their mouths open to grab preyunderwater, although they usually move to land to swallowit. They also have flaps that can be closed over the nostriland ear TLESAquatic turtles breathethrough their lungs. The Floridasoftshell (right) has to surface anduse its snout to fill its lungs withoxygen above water. Some turtlesmanage to stay underwater forweeks, living on very lowoxygen levels.22Floridasoftshell turtle(Apalone ferox)Crocodiles can waterproof their eyes with a
SEASNAKESFROGSFrogs can breathethrough their skin when they’rein the water. Their skin absorbsoxygen from the water aroundthem. Find out more about theiramazing skin on pages 12–13.Okinawa frogSea snakes can stay underwater forup to five hours. They have an enlargedlung that helps them to store lots ofoxygen for when they’re underwater.They have to resurface to breathe inmore oxygen before they can makeanother dive.(Rana sp.)Banded sea snake(Laticaudacolubrina)CROCODILIANS have a FLAP of tissuetongue that coverstheir throats when they aresubmerged in WATER.behind themembrane that acts as a transparent shield.23
PARENTAL CAREAMPHIBIANS and REPTILES have different waysbringing their young into the world. Mosthatch from an egg.ofAmphibian eggsA lot ofamphibians laytheir eggs in water,where they developinto tiny tadpoles.Otheramphibianscarry eggs on theirbacks, in their vocalsacs, in skin pockets,or even in theirstomachs!Mostlizards layeggs. Theyrarely return totheir nests, althoughsome skinks stay withtheir eggs to helpmaintain moistureand warmth.24However,many amphibianschoose a shelteredegg-laying locationwhere they guard theireggs or protect themin a layer of foam.Reptile eggsAlligatorsand caimansmake their nestsfrom mounds of soiland leaves. Crocodilesand gavials lay theireggs in holes theydig in sand or dry,crumbly soil.The shellsof eggs laid bymost turtles andtortoises are hard,but the shells ofmarine and riverturtle eggs aresofter.
Father FIGURESIn some species of frog, the father playsa key role. The male Darwin’s frogtakes care of the eggs as theyThe male midwifedevelop. When the tadpolestoad (right) shows anhatch, he puts them in hisinteresting form of care. Thevocal sac, where theyfemale lays the eggs, but the malegrow until they arecarries them on his legs! After aboutreleased asthree weeks, the male takes thetiny frogs.eggs to water, where thetadpoles hatch.Absent PARENTSThe majority of geckos lay their eggs inbark or in the crevices of rocks. Geckos DONOT take care of their young. The young areself-sufficient from birth. Turtles lay the mosteggs out of all reptiles, but they don’t watch overthem. The eggs are left in soil or sand andwhen the baby turtles emerge, they are ontheir own. They have to l
call me a toad, but I m really a frog. I m a tree frog Most frogs live near a river or pools of water. But in rainforests, it is so humid the trees are wet all the time, allowing some frogs to stay . They are called tree frogs and have huge, sticky ngers to help them climb. When a tadpole hatches out of an egg, its rst task in life is to
GREEN FROG (Lithobates clamitans) Habitat: Green frogs are mostly aquatic. They can be found in permanent and temporary waterbodies throughout RI, including Block Island. Diet: Green frogs will eat anything they can including other frogs, insects, snails and small snakes. Behavior: Green frog
rainforest rocket frog, to name a few. Frogs live in many different places. Many frogs can be found in tropical rainforests. Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded. This means they need to sit in the sun to warm their bodies. They are great swimmers and jumpers because of their strong legs and webbed feet. When a frog hatches from its egg .
Frog Dissection Lab Report Objective: Frogs belong to the class amphibian. Although many differences exist between humans and frogs, the basic body plans are similar. Humans and frogs both belong to the phylum Chordata. By studying the anatomy of the frog, you will better understand the human body systems. Purpose: 1.
Frogs and Other Plays (Penguin Classics): Aristophanes, Dutta Frogs and Other Plays (Pe has been added to your Cart. Aristophanes had his first comedy produced when he was about twenty-one, and wrote forty plays in all. The eleven surviving plays of Aristophanes are published in the Penguin Classics series as The Birds and Other Plays, Lysistrata
2. Braden had 2 Transformers. He got 3 more Transformers for his birthday. How many Transformers did he have then? 3. Luke has 6 cars. He buys 3 more cars. How many cars does Luke have now? 4. Th ere are 6 frogs on a log and 2 more frogs hop onto the log. How many frogs are there all toge
Since 3 and 2 are prime numbers, 3 2 2 2 2 is the prime factorization of the number of frogs remaining. 3 2 2 2 2 can be written with exponents as 3 24. The expression 3 24 – 7 is the number of frogs remaining after Ellen captured the 7 frogs. Use
Since 3 and 2 are prime numbers, 3 2 2 2 2 is the prime factorization of the number of frogs remaining. 3 2 2 2 2 can be written with exponents as 3 24. The expression 3 24 – 7 is the number of frogs remaining after Ellen captured the 7 frogs. Use
approachablemusic.com Of course, learning the basic guitar chords is only the first step to learning guitar. To take your guitar playing to the next level, you also need to gain a rock-solid strum and learn how to use a capo.
