Rare species of frogs. Types of frogs

This is an ordinary inhabitant of the pond and there seems to be nothing surprising about it. However, this is one of the most amazing representatives animal world. Let's find out more about the most unusual species frogs in the world.

Transparent or glass frog

The length of this small strange frog, found in the Mexican state of Chiapas, is only 2 cm. All the insides are clearly visible through the colorless skin of the abdomen, which is why it is also called glass. This type of amphibian hunts at night, eating small insects. transparent frog lays eggs on the leaves of bushes hanging over the water so that the hatched tadpoles can immediately get into their native element.

Poison frog coca

Another miniature representative of amphibians comes from the jungles of Colombia. Another name for this frog, aptly describing both appearance and lifestyle, is spotted poison dart frog. This strange frog gained a bad reputation thanks to its unusual toxic poison, which is several thousand times stronger than the poison of one of the most dangerous snakes- rattling. Until now, scientists have been unsuccessfully trying to find an antidote to it. The poison is produced in the skin of the frog, in special glands, and is released when touched. The body of just one frog is capable of producing an amount of poison that can kill one and a half thousand people. Well what can I say, be careful in the jungles of Colombia!

Hairy frog

This unusual species of frog was discovered in Gabon, which Central Africa, at the beginning of the twentieth century. The peculiar hair on the back of males is an extension of the skin; blood circulation occurs in them, and nerve endings are also located in them. It is believed that these conditional hairs are a kind of respiratory organs of the male frog, and by increasing the surface of the body, they help to increase metabolism.

Goliath frog

Enough rare view amphibians that live in West Africa. Long body The frog reaches 30 cm and weighs an incomprehensible 3.5 kg. The largest specimen caught in Angola was 40 cm long. This giant among tailless amphibians loves clean running water saturated with oxygen. The goliath's diet consists of small frogs, tadpoles, mice and lizards. Local residents, in turn, happily hunt this amazing frog, which threatens the safety of the species.

bull frog

Living in North America, this large species of frog, although smaller in size than the African Goliath frog, makes a loud statement in another way. In the spring, bullfrogs emit a deafening croaking sound, more reminiscent of the mooing of a herd of cows. The roar of a frog alone can be heard from a distance of 3 kilometers. However, unlike real bulls, the bullfrog is not a vegetarian at all: it feeds on shellfish, insects, as well as chicks and small fish.

Sharp-nosed tree frog

The unusual nose of this species of frog, native to New Guinea, gives it a funny appearance. But this is not just a whim. This nocturnal hunter is forced to hide in crevices during the day, leaving only her thin, curved, hard nose on the surface. It’s not possible to pull a frog out of its hiding place, let alone small predators, but even to a person.

flying frog

This little frog has set a record for long jumps, which are more like flying. Living in humid tropics South-East Asia, she is capable of jumping as much as 12 meters. This is a huge distance, considering that the size of the frog itself is 10-12 centimeters. The reason for this jumping ability lies in the wide, dark orange membranes between the toes on the frog's legs, flat body and ability to glide.

Many unusual discoveries have been made by frog researchers, and simply concerned naturalists. But these amazing animals still keep many secrets. In anticipation of new discoveries, with respect and love, we will look at our neighbor on the planet - such an ordinary and at the same time extraordinary frog.

Toads and frogs, many want to know how these amphibians differ and whether there is at least some difference between them. People confuse them because they are similar in appearance, are amphibious, and are not very pleasant to look at. In fact, the difference is very big. They have their own characteristics by which they can be distinguished. How can they be different?

How is a frog different from a toad?

More about frogs

The frog is an animal of the order Anura, which inhabits almost all countries. Lives up to fifteen years. This tailless creature loves a bright, nice, sunny day more than a dark evening. Why hunt for insects at night when you can hunt during the day and relax at night and in the evening. The individual has long legs that are designed for jumping. She is quite timid; when she sees a threat, she immediately runs away at the first opportunity. To get to your food, you just need to pull out long tongue and guess the moment when to eat. The frog has its own uniqueness, it can breathe through skin. Despite the fact that her body is small, her head is large and she is always in an elevated position.

The color of an animal consists of a combination of colors

• yellow
• green
• red

Caviar looks like small round lumps, wrapped in a mucous layer. An individual always begins its frog life in water. From the eggs that she laid in the water, a small tadpole develops, and when it is born, it is very similar to a fry. For example, an amphibian bovine species, individuals of which are capable of laying more than twenty thousand eggs, from which tadpoles emerge. Only when little frog becomes more like an adult frog, it comes to land.

Frogs never do not go far from bodies of water. Tailless babies move around different ways. In the environment natural habitat These animals can jump, swim and dig holes. The skin of these amphibians is bare and covered with mucus, so the activity of this animal is highly dependent on humidity and air temperature.

Who are toads

The toad is a large amphibian animal. They can live more than thirty-nine years. In various fairy tales, this nasty animal is a bad symbol and is often associated with a freak character. The main injustice is that people are compared to this disgusting creature. And if you remember how much benefit this unfortunate creature brings, then you really feel sorry for the animal. Toads have a rather dense build. Scattered on the skin poison glands. The parotid glands are located behind the eyes; they are safe for humans as they do not secrete poison.

When she sees a person, she remains in place thanks to her skin, which protects her. A toad, of course, is different from a frog, it is larger, but the head of this person is smaller than that of a small frog. Another difference between the toad is that it cannot jump deftly and moves very slowly.

Toad goes out hunting in the evening, hiding in the grass and looking for tasty insects. After all, she doesn’t like the heat of the day. She has short tongue, so she will have to get close enough to the food and somehow push it into her mouth. It is much more difficult for an individual to eat an insect, because it has to make slow movements to catch food. And if the insect flies away, the toad will have to chase it while it is in its field of vision.

The individual does not have a chest, that is, if you touch the front legs, you can find a special softness.

They lay out their eggs in the form of small ropes. The eggs are found at the bottom of reservoirs or shrouded in underwater plants. Their tadpoles are also at the bottom, as are their eggs. When the tadpoles have already grown up, they come to land and enter only when they need to lay eggs. In one year a toad can lay out ten thousand eggs.

Its color is dull and dull, making it almost impossible to find at night.

Differences between a toad and a frog

Even our ancestors knew the difference between a toad and a frog. And they knew that all individuals are useful for life because they catch insects. And even now, some people use animals as a mosquito repellent.

What does a person know about a frog and its way of life? Monotonous croaking summer evenings, unpresentable appearance (unpleasant to pick up), bulging eyes and mosquitoes as a favorite food (at least as shown in cartoons) - these are the main associations with the word “frog”. But it’s interesting: is a frog an animal or an insect?

Frog: external characteristics

True frogs are the most numerous representatives of the amphibian class. Various in size (body length from 30 to 250 mm), they are distributed throughout the world, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia.

Belonging to the family of tailless amphibians, frogs have more than 3,500 species that share external characteristics. These are teeth on mildly expressed tuberculation of the skin, swimming membranes on the hind legs. The frog's head has two huge bulging eyes, which are protected by three eyelids (lower, upper and transparent nictitating membrane) and are an order of magnitude more mobile than those of fish. In front of the eyes there are through nostrils equipped with valves and opening into the oral cavity.

Is a frog an animal or an insect?

This peculiar structure of the head helps the frog to quietly track prey: plunging into the water, the animal puts its eyes and nostrils out, breathes in this way and, looking at everything around, patiently waits for its potential dinner. The frog's hearing organ is located behind the eyes. The glass frog with its completely transparent skin is the most a shining example, which can be used to study internal structure amphibian body organs. Through the completely transparent skin, all the insides can be clearly observed. Judging by the above description, to the question “is a frog an animal or an insect?”, one can give a clear and confident answer: of course, an animal!

Amphibians have a wide range in size. The smallest is the representative of Cuba: its length is 8.5-12 mm. The largest individual from the category of amphibians is the goliath frog, a resident of Cameroon. The weight of the most outstanding representative of the species caught was 3 kg 660 grams with a total length (with outstretched paws) 87 cm. Such a large specimen loves to live “largely”, preferring crystal clean water and royally, as if on a pedestal, sitting on the ledges of rocks.

What does a frog eat?

The lurking frog is a cunning hunter, whose prey is moving individuals: spiders, insects, worms, slugs and fish fry. Having decided on the future food moving in its field of vision, the frog in the water lets the latter closer and throws out a wide sticky tongue, to which the insect sticks. The frog is able to swallow large prey, placing it in its mouth using its forelimbs. There are known cases when swallows drinking water in flight became their victims. By running, flying, crawling past her, that is, moving; a stationary object simply will not arouse interest in a tailless amphibian.

The family of tailless amphibians is most often found on the banks of reservoirs in the warm season. The animal’s movements are so expressive and sharp that it immediately becomes clear where the expressions “swims like a frog” or “jumps like a frog” came from. When making a jump, the frog sharply straightens its legs; the force generated by such a push throws the amphibian forward and upward. Landing occurs on short front legs. The frog swims just as sharply, pushing off the water with its hind legs, between the toes of which there are membranes. If we return once again to clarifying the question “is a frog an animal or an insect?”, the answer is clear: an animal!

Frogs: how they reproduce

Reproduction in frogs occurs in the spring, after waking up from hibernation. Total eggs laid in various types varies and ranges from 600 to 20 thousand eggs. Tadpoles feed on unicellular algae, as well as simple rotting animals and plant debris. Frogs reach sexual maturity at 2-4 years of age with a total lifespan of 5-6 years. There have been cases where tailless amphibians have existed in captivity for more than 10 years.

The life of frogs in nature is of genuine interest because of its unusual nature. Thus, most of them leave eggs laid in the water or nearby a reservoir unattended; A minority of amphibians are concerned with parental care. For example, the male lays eggs on the back of the female, and the male Darwin's rhinoderma stores them in a special throat sac, from which the hatched and grown frogs subsequently climb out on their own.

Features of the skin of frogs

All frogs have thin, bare skin covered with mucus, which aids in the respiratory process and prevents drying out. skin. The mucus on the skin of frogs contains substances that protect them from harmful microorganisms. In some species, this substance is even poisonous and is a kind of amulet for frogs from being eaten by other animals. Thus, dart frogs and leaf frogs, living in Central and South America, produce the most deadly toxins on the planet.

When on land, the moisture contained in the mucus evaporates, causing amphibians to lose it a large number of. It is for this reason that the habitat of frogs is the most comfortable wet area for them. The life of a frog in nature is interesting; interesting fact is that amphibians do not drink water, replenishing the lack of water through the skin. Among all this smooth-skinned brethren, the hairy frog stands out noticeably; During the breeding season, males of this species are covered with patches of skin resembling hair. Characteristic feature The hairy frog is also able to release claws in times of danger, which, piercing the skin, form bones on the fingers.

Is the skin of frogs poisonous?

By the way, in ancient times leather served as the main component in the manufacture of arrow poison; one individual was enough to lubricate 500 units. The toxicity of frogs can be judged by their bright, downright garish coloring. So, the poison of the poison dart frog - an inhabitant South America- even in an amount of 2 milligrams can kill a person.

Coloring also serves to camouflage the animal; The leader in this area is considered to be the mossy frog, which almost completely merges with the environment, even its eyes are barely visible against the background of moss.

It is this type of frog that is very popular among exotic lovers who want to keep it as a pet. The beautiful coloration of a representative of the tropics is valued accordingly: the cost of one individual that can excellently climb rocks and tall trees, reaches $75.

Amazing facts from the life of frogs

The body temperature of amphibians is similar to that of environment. The following fact has been recorded: living in Alaska in winter period freezes to such an extent that it turns into ice. In such a frozen state, the amphibian does not breathe, blood circulation and heart function stop. With the onset of spring, the animal naturally thaws, gradually returning to normal life. Such unique amphibians capable of carrying low temperature, there are only a few species on the planet; most representatives of this class are not able to survive in such conditions.

Frogs have an increased ability to survive; examples of this have been recorded more than once. In 1835, an Englishman witnessed a block of sandstone collapse to the ground from a platform and split in the middle, and a frog jumped out of its cavity. And there are a large number of such completely reliable reports about frogs walled up inside hollow blocks; this only confirms unique ability frogs survive in extreme conditions.

Can a frog fly?

In the process of evolution, this amphibian learned to fly, escaping from enemies in this way. Flying specimens that can even change their flight path (sometimes reaching 12 meters) are characterized by spreading long, webbed fingers. Frogs, with human help, are capable of setting world records.

So, in competitions organized especially for them, held in 1977 in South Africa, a frog nicknamed Sandtji jumped 10.3 meters!

How do frogs communicate with each other?

Frogs communicate with each other in a range inaccessible to the human ear through the use of ultrasounds that are beyond human audibility. This can be explained by the noisy habitat of amphibians, in which low frequencies familiar to humans are difficult to distinguish. This feature in frogs is also facilitated by the unusual location of the hearing organ; The eardrums are located behind the eyes, inside a special cavity. According to scientists, this arrangement of ears allows frogs to overcome the water noise inherent in their habitat. The most vocal frogs can cover a radius of several kilometers. From the cry of a bullfrog, heard for the first time and associated with the roar of a huge terrible beast, you can run away without looking back.

Frogs are a very large group of tailless amphibians; this word often means any amphibian without a tail. But from a scientific point of view, it would be correct to use this word only for representatives of the family of true frogs: amphibians from other families usually have different names (toads, tree frogs, dart frogs, etc.). There are 555 species of true frogs in the world, and their closest relatives are representatives of the copepod family, of which there are 230 species.

Sardinian disc-tongue frog (Discoglossus sardus).

In general, frogs have a body structure typical of tailless amphibians: a large head, a wide toothless mouth, bulging eyes, and long hind limbs. Swimming membranes are located between the toes of the front and hind paws, and there is no tail. In general, these animals look more graceful and thin-bodied compared to toads; in some species, the dorsal side of the body has a characteristic kink (“hump”), by which frogs can be unmistakably distinguished from toads.

The leopard frog (Rana pipiens) has a characteristic kink in its back.

At the same time, different types of frogs differ greatly in structural details. For example, copepods have a flattened body, as if crushed, but piglet frogs, on the contrary, look bloated.

Chocolate white copepod (Nyctixalus pictus).

In some species the snout is oblong, in others it is rounded and looks blunt, and in Darwin's rhinoderma it is generally elongated into a pointed proboscis.

Hairy frog (Astylosternus robustus).

The toes of real frogs have small, prehensile claws; copepods have suction cups. This structure of their paws brings them closer to poison dart frogs and tree frogs. A hairy frog whose thighs are covered with... fur looks very unusual. Of course, this fur is not real wool, but an accumulation of thin skin outgrowths that improve gas exchange. The ability to breathe through the skin is inherent not only in hairy frogs, but also in all other frogs, although to a somewhat lesser extent.

Like all amphibians, the skin of these amphibians is thin and constantly moist due to the mucus secreted. The composition of mucus is species specific and differs greatly in chemical properties in different species. In all frogs, mucus performs a protective function, as it contains bactericidal substances that kill pathogens. In some species it can also be conditionally toxic (unpleasant to the taste for predators), but real frogs are not deadly poisonous (this is typical of other amphibians - dart frogs). By the way, modern research tropical species frogs have shown that their mucus can be used to produce antibiotics.

Spotted piglet frog (Hemisus guttatus).

Most often, frogs have a protective color - brown, gray, green, with faint spots and streaks that perfectly camouflage them among the greenery, in the thickness of silt or fallen leaves. But among them there are also very bright species. For example, the tomato frog is bright orange or red in color. This coloring is not accidental, because this species is classified as conditionally toxic. The mucus of the tomato frog is irritating and very sticky; there are known cases where a snake that attacked this frog had its jaws stuck together.

Tomato frog, or tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii).

But the glory of the tomato frog pales in comparison with even more amazing creatures — glass frogs. This genus of frogs has several species, which have one thing in common: amazing property— the skin of their abdomen is completely transparent!

The belly of the dotted gecko frog (Centrolene prosoblepon) is visible through the transparent skin of the abdomen. internal organs and ripening caviar.

The sizes of these amphibians vary widely: most species have a body length of 7-15 cm, the smallest frog is the Cuban whistler, or Cuban dwarf, which reaches only 8.5-11.8 mm, and the largest species is the goliath frog up to 32 cm long. The average weight of a goliath frog is 3-3.5 kg, but specimens up to 6 kg are known!

The goliath frog (Conraua goliath) is used as food in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Due to widespread extermination, it has become very rare.

Males are always 1.5-2 times smaller than females; in addition, they can be brighter in color and have special resonator sacs for producing sound signals.

Frogs can be found on all continents except Antarctica: in Europe, for example, their range reaches the Arctic Circle, and they are also found on remote oceanic islands (Hawaiian, Seychelles, etc.). They live in a wide variety of landscapes: on the banks of fresh water bodies (rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps), in forests, mountains, partly in the tundra and deserts. Moreover, frogs living in tropical forests, can live in the litter or on tree branches and are not attached to bodies of water, as they make do with moisture from the soil or that accumulated in the leaves of plants. Frogs living on the banks of reservoirs spend part of their time on land (for hunting), and part of their time in the reservoir (for rest and protection from enemies). Different types frogs have different peaks daily activity: Some species are active mainly at night, others are active throughout the day to approximately equal extent.

Frogs are solitary animals with no social connections. For the most part, they live sedentary lives, but during the mating season they can make short migrations to bodies of water for spawning. Species living in the temperate zone hibernate during the winter. To do this, amphibians hide in rodent holes, piles of fallen leaves, or lie at the bottom of reservoirs. Frogs hibernate, depending on their habitat, in September-October, and wake up in March-April (in the tundra in May).

The pond or edible frog (Rana esculenta) simultaneously hunts and hides. Frozen motionless in anticipation of prey, it remains invisible to predators thanks to its camouflage green coloration.

Typically, frogs sit motionless, looking for prey. By the way, their brain is designed in such a way that it picks up signals only from moving objects, so these animals spend a lot of time in ambush, waiting for flying insects. Seeing prey, the frog throws out a long sticky tongue, and, if necessary, makes a jump towards the prey. Compared to toads, frogs are much more mobile; they move in fast jumps up to 3 m long! Copepod frogs that live in trees, thanks to the suction cups on their legs, can stay on vertical surfaces and... fly! It was not for nothing that they were called copepods, because these animals have especially wide membranes between their toes, with the help of which they glide from tree to tree.

Not only in France they appreciate refined and delicate taste frog legs. There are already many admirers of this dish not only in Europe, but also in Russia. Frog meat is valued much higher than veal, and in some countries it is believed that this meat is biological value comparable to sturgeon and pike caviar.

In some countries they even manage to add frog meat to desserts and chocolate. This is done in Peru, and it is believed that the dried meat of these amphibians saves from anemia and helps cure infertility. Even in restaurants in conservative England you can find dishes made from frog legs.

However, not all types of frogs are suitable for consumption, so edible species are bred on special farms.

Kinds

The French understand the term “edible frogs” special kind, because it’s not proper to eat just anything. In fact, the frogs that are eaten are different from those that live in natural environment, only differ in the color of the resonator bubbles. Lake lakes have resonators gray, and those individuals that were artificially bred are white.

The most common species eaten in Europe, European frog, is a mixture of pond and lake species.

In general, there are three species in the family of true frogs, which are all considered edible, that is:

• lake Ranidaei Redibunda;
• pond Rana lessonae;
• edible (hybrid of the two previous species) Ranaesulenta.

TO edible species also include Leopard frogs and Bullfrogs, but such species do not live in our country.

What frogs are edible in Russia? All three species are found in our country.

Other species that can be eaten do not live in our country. Although such studies have never been carried out in any country, there is no classification of frogs based on the principle of edibility and inedibility. Moreover, there are no such differences among the peoples of our country, because for us this is not a traditional product. It is clear that if the question is whether to survive or die of hunger, but not eat the frog, it is natural that where the amphibian swam and what it ate is not of fundamental importance, the main thing is to survive.

And those brief descriptions individual species of frogs that can be found in specialized literature are only the result of a particular person’s own experience. So for breeding you will have to go to a pet store.

If you decide to independently find biomaterial for your future business, then take a good look at the photo edible frogs. On the territory of our country there are still some species classified as poisonous. Although there have not yet been cases where someone died from using them, perhaps no one simply tried them. However, to poisonous frogs RF include:

• red-bellied and yellow-bellied toad;
• spadefoot

We buy caviar

In fact, acquiring edible frog eggs is quite a difficult task. There is fierce competition in this market and many scammers. If a person is really engaged in breeding, selling paws to stores, then he is unlikely to want to share a high-quality product for breeding. Fraudsters mainly take advantage of the ignorance of novice entrepreneurs. But you can still try and buy caviar from a reputable pet store.

After purchasing the biomaterial, the eggs should be placed in an artificial reservoir. Even if you have natural water resources, it is not recommended to place eggs there, since in the natural environment future edible frogs have a lot of enemies. Preparing a container for the growth of caviar is quite simple. You can use an ordinary plastic bath, pool or vat. Place earth at the bottom, be sure to make earthen banks around the edges, which will have to be constantly well moistened.

The improvised incubator should be kept constantly clean and warm at +20 degrees. Dirty water significantly increases the percentage of population losses. It is recommended to change the water once every 3-4 days. Just do not use tap water; it is recommended to first filter it and infuse it. Chlorine can have a detrimental effect on the population, and it can even die completely.

The development of tadpoles lasts only 4 months, after which they can be safely released into open water. And already with the onset of the first year of life, the frogs can be sent for processing.

If you properly and carefully care for amphibians, the largest individuals can reach 1.5 kilograms. Although, according to statistics, average weight frogs do not exceed one kilogram.

Further reproduction

In light of the fact that caviar is not the cheapest pleasure, it is recommended to leave the largest individuals from the first, as well as from subsequent broods.

Only one female produces about 15 thousand eggs in one year. Although there is a catch here too. Even edible frogs raised in artificial conditions reach sexual maturity only in the third year.

What to feed?

Do not think that caring for amphibians is a simple matter that does not require much time. In fact, at any stage of breeding, edible frogs eat quite a varied diet. They eat almost all small invertebrates, from caterpillars to bloodworms. They eat insects: beetles, mosquitoes and crustaceans.

Older individuals can even consume small animals (mice, birds, lizards), which they swallow throughout the whole day. It is clear that in order to reach at least a kilogram in weight, a frog will need a large amount of food.

Tadpoles are usually fed organic scraps.

Costs can be significantly reduced by raising amphibians in natural reservoirs. In addition, you can resort to small tricks. With the onset of evening darkness, connect artificial lighting devices, previously connected to the pond with frogs, to attract insects. In this way, the animals will independently cope with the process of obtaining food for themselves.

Possible diseases

Regardless of the type of edible frogs, they are all susceptible to certain diseases. Young animals can develop rickets, so it is recommended to add vitamins to the food.

Preparing the product for sale

Before the frog legs can be sent for sale, the animal will have to be killed. Usually the slaughter is carried out with a mallet, the skin is carefully removed and the paws are separated. However, it should be understood that an adult, especially a large one, is capable of covering about three meters in one jump, so sometimes it is quite difficult to catch them.

After catching and separating the paws, they are placed in plastic bags and frozen.

By the way, the only part of the frog that is eaten is the legs. They are served with different sauces.

Cooking dinner

Naturally, if you are engaged in breeding edible frogs in Russia, you will want to try this delicacy. Preparing them is actually very simple. To begin with, the paws are soaked in cold water, to which is added lemon juice. Then the paws are fried in batter or breadcrumbs in a regular frying pan on vegetable oil.

Legal issues

Today, for such a unique product as frog legs, it is quite easy to find a buyer. Even in elite restaurants in big cities there are not so many dishes with frogs, and for one reason only - there is no reliable and good supplier.

However, a businessman may face another problem. At the legislative level, there are no technical regulations for working with meat of this type. And in order to work with hypermarkets or large restaurants, you will need to obtain a certificate from a veterinary service, which itself does not know how to register such a product.