Types of Frogs

Frogs are fascinating amphibians that belong to the order Anura, which has three suborders - Archaeobatrachia, Mesobatrachia and Neobatrachia. There are around 29 families and 5,280 species, that are distributed in these families. These families consist of both frogs and toads. Even though, both are considered to be same, there are some minor differences between frogs and toads. While frogs have smooth, thin and slimy skin, toads have rough and warty ones. Frogs are mostly found near some water source, but, toads live away from water. However, both belong to the same order and are basically similar. Now, you know that there are numerous types of frogs, that inhabit almost all parts of the globe, except the Antarctica. This article deals with some frogs from the long list of types of frogs and toads.

Different Types of Frogs and Toads

Frogs are one of the common amphibians, which are also familiar to most of us. There are numerous types of frogs and toads, which differ in body shape, structure, color, calls, habitat, etc. The following are some of the popular and common frogs and toads.

Tree Frogs

Tree frogs are those frogs, that spend most of their time in trees and tall vegetation. They are found to be small, so that they can easily move slender branches and twigs. Most of them are green in color with different patterns and this feature acts as a camouflage for these frogs. The most popular among them are green tree frogs, which are raised as pets and the glass frogs. Another common tree frog is gray tree frog or North American tree frog, which come out during spring for mating. The color of their warty skin may vary between green and gray, according to the background.

Bullfrogs

Bullfrogs are very large in size and are often found near water bodies. These frogs belong to the family Ranidae, which is referred to as the family of true frogs. True frogs can be found in many regions of the world and it include both large and small-sized ones. The largest frog in the world, called 'Goliath frog', belong to this family only. Coming back to bullfrogs, the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) can be found across North America. These frogs are found in large numbers and voracious eaters. These nocturnal frogs are used in schools for dissection. Like the American bullfrogs, the African ones are also very large in size and are commonly found in many African countries. Their habitat includes freshwater lakes, pasture land, and canals, ditches, dry savanna, moist savanna, etc. In some countries, these bull frogs are grown as pets.

Fire-bellied Toads

Fire-bellied toads belong to the genus Bombina, which has eight species. They are relatively small in size and derived their name from the bright colors on their bellies. Most of them have these warning belly colors, which range between red, orange, yellow and black. The mating call of these toads resemble dog barking, but are barely audible. These toads are kept as exotic pets.

Northern Leopard Frog

Like the bullfrogs, northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) are also common in the United States. These frogs belong to the family Ranidae and are fairly large in size. Northern leopard frogs are often found near water bodies with dense aquatic plants. The dorsal part of their bodies are green to brown in color with large round spots. These spots are dark in color, bordered by a light-colored ring. The mating calls of these frogs are like snores. Northern leopard frogs are used for research purposes.

Northern Cricket Frog

Another common frog, which is found in most parts of the United States if the northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans). It is a species of the family of tree frogs (Hylidae), but, these frogs, do not inhabit trees. They are very small in size and grow up to 1.5 inches in length. The dorsal skin of northern cricket frogs carry blotchy patterns and a color that range between gray, green or brown. Their mating call resembles the sounds produced by crickets and hence the name.

Poison Dart Frog

As the name suggests, these frogs are poisonous, as they carry toxic alkaloids on their skin. Most of them are brightly colored and these colors act as warning signs for predators and enemies. Poison dart frogs belong to the family Dendrobatidae and are natives to central and south America. They are usually small in size and are found in rain forests. There are various color morphs of poison dart frogs and strawberry dart frog is one of the popular ones among them. These frogs are very distinct for the high levels of parental care exhibited by them. Many species of poisonous dart frogs are raised as exotic pets and these captive frogs are found to be less poisonous, as compared to the wild ones.

The above said are only a few species among the wide range of different frogs and toads. There are various other types of frogs, which are spread across the world. If you are interested in knowing more about the different frog types, conduct a study about these interesting amphibians.