A tadpole or polliwog is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in adult amphibians such as a lateral line, gills and swimming tails. As they undergo metamorphosis, they start to develop functional lungs for breathing air, and the diet of tadpoles changes drastically.
Sooglossidae, the Seychelles frogs or Seychelles Island frogs, are a family of frogs found on the Seychelles Islands. Until recently, this family was believed to include the genera Sechellophryne, Nesomantis and Sooglossus, but following a major revision of amphibians in 2006, the genus Nesomantis was named a junior synonym of Sooglossus. Their closest relatives are the purple frogs (Nasikabatrachidae) of India.
The Mantellidae are an amphibian family of the order Anura, and are endemic to the Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar and Mayotte. At first glance, the diminutive, brightly-coloured mantellas appear visually similar to the Latin American poison dart frogs, such as Dendrobates, Oophaga and Phyllobates, among others.
The Arthroleptidae are a family of frogs found in sub-Saharan Africa. This group includes African treefrogs in the genus Leptopelis along with the terrestrial breeding squeakers Arthroleptis, and several genera restricted to the Guinean forests of central and west Africa, such as the hairy frog (Trichobatrachus).
Breviceps is a genus of frogs in the family Brevicipitidae. Species in the genus Breviceps are commonly known as rain frogs or short-headed frogs. They occur in arid to semiarid climates of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Callulina is a small genus of frogs in the family Brevicipitidae with nine members in Tanzania and Kenya. Originally Callulina was thought to be monotypic and widely distributed through Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania and in southern Kenya. However, within the last decade eight new species has been identified, the majority of which are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Probreviceps is a small genus of brevicipitine frogs with only six members. They occur in the montane forests of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and possibly Mozambique. They are sometimes known as the forest frogs, forest rain frogs, big-fingered frogs, or primitive rain frogs.
The Cameroon forest tree frog is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is expected to occur in southwestern Central African Republic and in the Republic of the Congo, but no records have been confirmed from those countries.
Engystomops pustulatus is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is known with certainty from western Ecuador, whereas the status of Peruvian records is ambiguous as they may refer to an undescribed species or possibly Engystomops puyango. Nevertheless, given that E. pustulatus is now known from Huaquillas in southern Ecuador, near the Peruvian border, it is likely to be found in Peru too.
Breviceps adspersus, also known as common rain frog, bushveld rain frog, and many other vernacular names, is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is found in Southern Africa, in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini, and Mozambique.
Breviceps fuscus, also known as black rain frog, plain rain frog, brown short-headed frog, and Tsitsikamma rainfrog, is a species of frogs in the family Brevicipitidae. It is endemic to the southern coast of South Africa.
The cape rain frog or giant rain frog is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. Adults grow up to 45 mm in length. It was the first African frog species to be scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, under the name Rana gibbosa. It is the most common and largest of rain frogs. The name "rain frog" that is applied to the genus refers to a belief that these frogs bring rain.
The desert rain frog, web-footed rain frog, or Boulenger's short-headed frog is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitat is the narrow strip of sandy shores between the sea and the sand dunes. This area is characteristic of loose sand and continuous strong winds, with approximately 60mm of annual precipitation and no surface water. It is threatened with habitat loss by such factors as mining and tourism.
The Mozambique rain frog, also known as the flat-faced frog, is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Lesotho. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, temperate shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, pasture land and rural gardens.
Probreviceps rhodesianus is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. At present, it is only known from three localities in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe north of Mutare; it is thus endemic to that country. However, it is possible that its range extends to adjacent Mozambique. This species has many common names: forest rain frog, highland primitive rain frog, highland rain frog, and Zimbabwe big-fingered frog.
Arthroleptides is a small genus of frogs in the family Petropedetidae. Their common name is rocky river frogs. They are found in the mountains of East Africa. They have been considered to belong to Petropedetes, which after exclusion of Arthroleptides is restricted to Central Africa.
Engystomops is a genus of frogs in the family Leptodactylidae. They are known commonly as foam frogs or túngara frogs, though the latter name most commonly refers to Engystomops pustulosus. They are native to the Americas from southern Mexico south to the Amazon Basin.
Beddomixalus is a monotypic genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae. The only described species, Beddomixalus bijui, is endemic to the Western Ghats, India. Its name is derived from a combination of the cognomen of Richard Henry Beddome, in honour of his work on the amphibian diversity of the Western Ghats, as well as Ixalus, which is often used as a suffix for names of rhacophorid genera.
The Leiuperinae are a subfamily of frogs in the family Leptodactylidae. Over 90 species are in five genera. The distribution of this subfamily is from southern Mexico to the Central America and much of South America.
Callulina laphami is a species of frogs in the family Brevicipitidae. It was discovered in 2010 during a survey of rainforests in the northern part of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. It is present at a single location in the Kindoroko and Minja Forest Reserves in the Pare Mountains. The forest area in which this frog lives is a remnant patch of a larger forest with trees in the surrounding area being felled for agricultural development, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the frog's conservation status as critically endangered.
