Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods excluding the amniotes. All extant (living) amphibians belong to the monophyletic subclass Lissamphibia, with three living orders: Anura, Urodela (salamanders), and Gymnophiona (caecilians). Evolved to be mostly semiaquatic, amphibians have adapted to inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living in freshwater, wetland or terrestrial ecosystems. Their life cycle typically starts out as aquatic larvae with gills known as tadpoles, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this.
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. The oldest fossil "proto-frog" Triadobatrachus is known from the Early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their split from other amphibians may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforest. Frogs account for around 88% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.
The African clawed frog, also known as simply xenopus, African clawed toad, African claw-toed frog or the platanna) is a species of African aquatic frog of the family Pipidae. Its name is derived from the short black claws on its feet. The word Xenopus means 'strange foot' and laevis means 'smooth'.
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.
The purple frog, Indian purple frog, or pignose frog is a frog species of the genus Nasikabatrachus. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in India. Although the adult frog was formally described in October 2003, the juvenile form of the species was described earlier in 1917.
Cranwell's horned frog, also called commonly the Chacoan horned frog, is a terrestrial frog in the family Ceratophryidae. The species is endemic to the dry Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. It, like other members of its genus, Ceratophrys, is commonly called the Pac-man frog, because of its resemblance to the video game character of the same name. Most adult specimens range from 8–13 cm (3.1–5.1 in) long and can weigh up to 0.5 kg (1.1 lb).
The Neobatrachia are a suborder of the Anura, the order of frogs and toads.
Pseudis is a genus of South American frogs in the family Hylidae. They are often common and frequently heard, but easily overlooked because of their camouflage and lifestyle, living in lakes, ponds, marshes and similar waters with extensive aquatic vegetation, often sitting at the surface among plants or on floating plants, but rapidly diving if disturbed. Whereas the adults are medium-sized frogs, their tadpoles are large; in some species the world's longest.
The Ceratophryidae, also known as common horned frogs, are a family of frogs found in South America. It is a relatively small family with three extant genera and 12 species. Despite the common name, not all species in the family have the horn-like projections at the eyes. They have a relatively large head with big mouth, and they are ambush predators able to consume large prey, including lizards, other frogs, and small mammals. They inhabit arid areas and are seasonal breeders, depositing many small eggs in aquatic habitats. Tadpoles are free-living and carnivorous or grazers (Chacophrys).
Lepidobatrachus is a genus of ceratophryidid frogs. They are commonly known as Paraguay horned frogs or Budgett's frogs, although the latter technically describes a specific species, Lepidobatrachus laevis.
Rheobatrachus, whose members are known as the gastric-brooding frogs or platypus frogs, is a genus of extinct ground-dwelling frogs native to Queensland in eastern Australia. The genus consisted of only two species, the southern and northern gastric-brooding frogs, both of which became extinct in the mid-1980s. The genus is unique because it contains the only two known frog species that incubated the prejuvenile stages of their offspring in the stomach of the mother.
Edalorhina perezi is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is one of the only two species in the genus Edalorhina in the family Leptodactylidae. This species is diurnal and terrestrial. During mating season both female and male frogs gather around treefall pools. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and possibly Bolivia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and freshwater marshes. The species listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List and the population is stable.
Lepidobatrachus asper is a species of frog in the family Ceratophryidae. It is found in the Chaco of northern Argentina and Paraguay. Record from Mato Grosso do Sul in southern Brazil is in error.
Leptodactylus macrosternum is a species of frogs in the family Leptodactylidae. It is found in northern Argentina and adjacent eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Uruguay, and southern and western Brazil. The specific name chaquensis refers to the area of Gran Chaco in Argentina. Common name Cei's white-lipped frog has been coined for it, although this particular species lacks the light upper lip stripe common in the genus.
Leptodactylus labyrinthicus is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. Its common names are labyrinth frog, pepper frog, South American pepper frog, and pepper foam frog. This frog is found in central and southeastern Brazil, northeast Argentina, and eastern Paraguay. Earlier reports from Bolivia refer to Leptodactylus vastus, or possibly an unnamed species.
Leptodactylus latrans is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is native to much of South America east of the Andes, and Trinidad and Tobago. It has many common names, including rana criolla, sapo-rana llanero, butter frog, and lesser foam frog.
Leptodactylus pustulatus is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are moist savanna, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, freshwater marshes, pastureland, rural gardens, urban areas, and ponds. The female frog seems to provide some level of parental care for the tadpoles. This is a common species of frog and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as being of "least concern".
Lithodytes is a genus of frogs in the family of Leptodactylidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, Lithodytes lineatus, also commonly known as the gold-striped frog or painted antnest frog. It is found in tropical South America where it lives in humid forests among the leaf litter. These frogs build foam nests at the edge of temporary pools, and the tadpoles develop within these. The frogs also associate with certain leafcutter ants and breed inside their nests without being attacked by the ants.
The Usambara torrent frog, also known as Martienssen's torrent frog or Tanzania rocky river frog, is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae. It is endemic to the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, where it is found 200–1,000 m (656.2–3,280.8 ft) above sea level. It is one of many, often taxonomically unrelated, frogs referred to as torrent frogs. It is mostly grey brown to yellowish brown, with a lighter underside and a dark stripe extending from the nostril to the shoulder, and can grow 59 mm (2.3 in) long.
Lepidobatrachus dibumartinez is an extinct species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae that was found in the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene Tunuyán Formation of Argentina.
