Frogs are a diverse and predominantly carnivorous group of amphibians known for their jumping abilities, bulging eyes, and smooth or slimy skin. They belong to the order Anura, which is characterized by a body plan that typically includes a short, stout body, protruding eyes, cleft tongue, and limbs folded underneath, which aid in their well-known leaping movements. Frogs are found across a variety of climates and habitats, from tropical rainforests to deserts and from lowland ponds to mountain meadows. They are particularly noted for their vocalizations, especially during the breeding season, when males call to attract females. The lifecycle of a frog includes several stages: egg, tadpole (the aquatic larval stage), and adult. Frogs play significant ecological roles, serving as both predators and prey in their ecosystems and are indicators of environmental health due to their permeable skin that easily absorbs toxins. Unfortunately, many species are currently threatened by habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and diseases like chytridiomycosis.
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking method using heat to combat chytridiomycosis in frogs. This simple strategy involves creating ‘hotspot’ shelters where frogs can elevate their…
Paleontologists discovered that the exceptional preservation of 45-million-year-old frog fossils can be attributed to the mineralization of their skin, offering new insights into their adaptation…
Scientists have discovered a virus that infects a deadly amphibian fungus, offering hope for combating a disease that has led to significant declines in frog…
For the first time in South America, researchers recorded the use of ultrasound by a frog endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil, which has…
The discovery illuminates the origins of living frogs and other amphibians, while also paying tribute to the iconic Muppet. Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull…
The males of these tiny frogs guard their eggs, which are laid on leaves. Generally, frogs’ teeth aren’t anything special—they appear as tiny, pointed spikes…
A newly identified protein helps poison dart frogs accumulate and store a potent toxin in their skin which they use for self-defense against predators. Scientists…
Paleontologists discovered molecular evidence of phaeomelanin, the pigment that produces ginger coloration. “This will paint a more accurate picture of ancient animal color.” Phaeomelanin is…
Most detailed and comprehensive family tree to date of frogs created using molecular data. Researchers, including Jeff Streicher, Senior Curator in Charge, Amphibians and Reptiles…
New study suggests some vaccines could induce a protective shift in the microorganisms that live with a host organism. A human or animal’s microbiome —…
Researchers have introduced the concept of “nested invasions,” where invading species like Johnstone’s whistling frog carry invasive microbiomes to new ecosystems. The study emphasizes the…
Through literature review and fieldwork, Michigan State University researchers and partners in Ecuador have discovered that up to 32 harlequin frog species that were thought…
The largest release of radioactive material into the environment in human history occurred in 1986, with an accident on April 26 at reactor four of…
For fossil frogs, an ancient swamp is a sex death trap. Paleontologists at University College Cork (UCC) have determined why hundreds of fossil frogs in a…
A new treatment helped frogs regenerate their amputated legs – taking science one step closer to helping people regrow their body parts, too. Our bodies…
Frogs briefly treated with a five-drug cocktail administered by a wearable bioreactor on the stump were able to regrow a functional, nearly complete limb. For…
A water-borne fungus that has led to the extinction of several species of amphibians that spend all or part of their life cycle in water…
Researchers at the University of Kansas have described a new species of fanged frog discovered in the Philippines that’s nearly indistinguishable from a species on…