Frog

Frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. An adult frog has a stout body, protruding eyes, anteriorly-attached tongue, limbs folded underneath, and no tail. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.

About Frog in brief

Summary Frog Frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. An adult frog has a stout body, protruding eyes, anteriorly-attached tongue, limbs folded underneath, and no tail. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history. There are over 6,300 recorded species, which account for around 88% of extant amphibian species. Frogs are valued as food by humans and also have many cultural roles in literature, symbolism and religion. They are also seen as environmental bellwethers, with declines in frog populations often viewed as early warning signs of environmental damage. More than one third of species are considered to be threatened with extinction and over 120 are believed to have become extinct since the 1980s. The use of the common names ‘frog’ and ‘toad’ has no taxonomic justification. The word frogga is somehow related to the word ‘froscal’, which means ‘toad’ in Old English, and is still used in some dialects today. The origin of the name Anura is uncertain and debated and is widely paralleled in Germanic languages, including Froskros, Icelandic frosch, and modern German frosk.

The name ‘Frogga’ is also used in English as frosh and in the nineteenth century as froscal, and remained in use in dialects into the 20th century. It refers to the character of these amphibians, meaning ‘animal tail’ or ‘without’. The oldest fossil ‘proto- frog’ appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their origins may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs have glandular skin, with secretions ranging from distasteful to toxic. Their skin varies in colour from well-camouflaged dappled brown, grey and green to vivid patterns of bright red or yellow and black to show toxicity and ward off predators. The skin is semi-permeable, making them susceptible to dehydration, so they either live in moist places or have special adaptations to deal with dry habitats. The European fire-bellied toad has a slightly warty skin and prefers a watery habitat whereas the Panamanian golden frog is in the toad family Bufonidae and has a smooth, moist skin. The Greek word Anura—and its original spelling Anoures—is the Ancient Greek prefix “anou’s” meaning “without” or “animal tail.” The word “frog” means “toad,” and the Greek “anos” is the Greek word for “goat”.