4. What do amphibians have in common?
– They live on land and in
water
– They breathe water when
they are young and
• either grow gills OR breathe air
when they are older
– They are cold-blooded
– Many lay their eggs in water
– Most live in fresh water
– About 88% of amphibians
are frogs
5. What do Frogs Look Like?
• Have a short body
• Webbed fingers or
toes
• Protruding eyes
• NO tail
• Are excellent jumpers
• Start out as tadpoles
6. Where Do Frogs Live?
• All over the world (see black on map)
• Most species live in the rainforest
• They do NOT live in Antarctica and some oceanic
islands
7. Camouflage
• Is common in frogs
• Most with camoflage
are nocturnal
– awake at night
– this helps them hide
• Some can change
colors
– only two colors
8. Poison
• Many frogs have toxins so other animals will not eat
them; they taste bad
• Some frogs are very poisonous
– They usually have bright colors
• Some frogs get their poison from the animals they eat
(e.g., ants)
9. Eating
• Frogs have teeth
used to grind food
• Frogs have a sticky
tongue
– Use it to catch food
– Most eat flies and insects
– Some large frogs eat small
mammals, fish, and
smaller frogs
– Very few eat just plants
10. Life Cycle
2. Tadpole (or Polliwog)
1. Egg – most female frogs lay eggs in
early spring
3. Metamorphosis
4. Adult
Captive frogs and toads can live up to 40 years
11. Frog Calls and Croaks
• Some are so loud they can be heard a mile away
• Many have deep calls or croaks
• They call by passing air through their throat
• The main reason they call is so males can attract
females
• Other reasons are to guard territory, to forecast
rain, and when under stress (if a predator is near)
