Fun Trivia » Animals » Reptiles and Amphibians » Frogs, Toads and Amphibians

John White described the creatures in his "Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales with sixty-five plates of non descript animals, birds, lizards, serpents, curious cones of trees and other natural productions." The frogs are also known as dumpy tree frogs and green tree frogs. It was the first Australian frog to be scientifically described. Although green, the frog was once called "the blue frog." Difficulty: Average.

 

For Dr. Jacob White, who discovered their medicinal properties in 1850, For the town of White, Australia, where they live in abundance, For the color white, because they have a high incidence of albinism

Both frogs and toads are amphibians. They lay their eggs in the water, and both breathe with gills when young and with lungs as adults. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Neither, Frogs, Toads

Its range starts in western Maryland, southwest Pennsylvania and southeast Ohio, extends through eastern Kentucky and most of West Virginia, down to Tennessee, northern Alabama and northern Mississippi. The mountain chorus frog doesn't need deep forests, just a bit of woodland outside of town. Difficulty: Hard.

 

east coastline from Maine to Florida, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas to Oklahoma, the Blue Ridge Mountains, primarily Virginia

The common toad species, found throughout Europe, belongs to the genus 'Bufo' and is known as 'Bufo bufo'. It was named as such in 1768 by the Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Flabonidae, Fatonidae, Bloatonidae

Goliath frogs start out as tadpoles but they keep growing and can reach the size of a cat. With legs outstretched, these large amphibians can reach almost three feet in length. Their natural habitat is West Africa, specifically Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Goliath frogs are often found in and around waterfalls and fast-flowing rivers. Their diet consists of worms and insects. Difficulty: Average.

 

Giant, Behemoth, Brobdingnagian

They are pretty widespread throughout the northern part of Australia. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Africa, South America, Eastern US

The word "tadpole" developed from Middle English terms meaning "toad" and "head". The root words for "pollywog" mean "head" and "wiggle". Difficulty: Average.

 

Swimmies, Toadlets, Wigglers

Aquatic dwarf frogs mostly live under water. Because they do not possess gills, they have to come to the surface to breathe air. Their only source for gaseous exchange is lungs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Water dwarf frogs, Aquatic small frogs, Aquatic nocturnal frogs

Sirens can cover short distances on land during rainy periods, and if their home dries out, they can embed themselves in the mud for months. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Hellbender, Giant Salamander, Waterdog

The newt's metamorphosis is not as great as a frog's because during its larvae stage it is already a predator.

The newt starts as an egg. After a few weeks the egg hatches, and a larva comes out with gills for breathing underwater. It then becomes an eft or a juvenile newt. (Not all newts go through this stage, for example, the Spanish newt does not). In two or three years these efts will become mature adults. Difficulty: Easy.

 

retrograde, catacoustics, photosynthesis

While these frogs have been introduced to New Zealand, they are not native to that country. They are, however, native to the southern part of the island of New Guinea. They can also be found in Indonesia. Difficulty: Average.

 

Bolivia, Canada, New Zealand

Frogs generally stay close to the water once they have grown past their tadpole stage and move to land. On the other hand, toads usually make their way towards land and head for gardens and wood lots. Difficulty: Average.

 

Toads, Both, Neither

Male mountain chorus frogs start moving downhill as temperatures warm and begin their songs when they find a suitable place near water. If warm spells occur in January, they may begin for a few days, then stop, and restart when warm temperatures are sustained. They are calling for females of course, and the sound may mean the coming of spring to us, but it has more important meanings to the frogs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

June, summer solstice, January-February, snow cover melt, April, first sighting of females

Also known as the giant neotropical toad and the marine toad, the cane toad is native to South and mainland Middle America. It was not only introduced to Australia but many other countries throughout Oceania and the Caribbean for the biological control of agricultural pests following its successful introduction to Puerto Rico in the early twentieth century to control beetles on the sugarcane plantations.

In Australia, however, the introduction of the cane toad in 1935 was a disaster. They were unsuccessful in reducing the Australian grey-backed beetles (which infest the tops of sugar cane) because cane toads are ground-dwellers, not good at climbing. And, because they fed instead on native creatures, they have had a shocking effect on Australian biodiversity. Prolific breeders and fast travelers, the cane toads soon moved out of the Queensland cane fields and can be found in the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia. Difficulty: Average.

 

Colorado River toad, Spiny toad, Caucasian toad

The Monte Iberia Eleuth does not start out as a tadpole. Instead it breeds by direct development, thus avoiding the tadpole stage. It's easily identified by two yellow stripes on its back. Growing to a grand size of 1/2 inch, these petite frogs are found in the fertile mountains of Cuba. Its name comes from the mountain range in which it was first discovered in 1996. These frogs require a lot of humidity to survive and are often found in areas of poorly drained soil. Much like other frogs, they feed on insects, spiders and moths. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Pygmy, Miniature, Teeny

Hyla versicolor refers to the gray tree frog of North America, Hyla caerulea does not exist, and Rana catesbienna is the American bullfrog. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Hyla versicolor, Hyla caerulea, Rana catesbienna

For frog and toad tadpoles, the tail contains no bones. During the metamorphosis to adult, the tissue of the tail is biochemically broken down and absorbed by the frog's body functions.
Many species of salamanders, newts, and caecilians retain their tails as adults. Difficulty: Average.

 

The tail falls off naturally after the frog spends time on dry land., The frog chews off his tail., The tail breaks off the first time a predator tries to grasp it.

This frog is a member of the Ranidae family. It is a source of food in different regions of the Southern United States and the Midwestern United States. This frog is widely used for dissection purposes. Fenestrated means "having windowlike openings". Difficulty: Hard.

 

Green tree frog, Northern bullfrog, Leopard Frog

Axolotls live in Lake Xochimilco in Mexico but in very small numbers. They once lived in Lake Chalco but lost this area when it was drained to prevent flooding. Axolotls are few in numbers and are rated Critically Endangered. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Canada, Japan, Mongolia

All newts are salamanders; however, not all salamanders are newts. Newts have a subfamily called the Pleurodelinae. This is all the different newts. Newts usually have webbed feet whereas salamanders are more developed for land use. The newt's tail is more like a beaver's shape, which is like an oar to make it useful on water. A salamander's tail is more rounded. Difficulty: Average.

 

Centrolenidae, Rhinophrynidae, Pipidae

Because the White's tree frog can tolerate arid conditions better than many other tree frogs, it does better in home environments and makes an easier pet. It's important to wash your hands with warm water before handling these pets and to avoid lotions, as their skin can easily absorb chemicals. Difficulty: Hard.

 

humid conditions, rocky conditions, hot conditions

Some people have been told not to touch toads because that causes warts to form on the hands. This is a myth. Picking up toads does not cause warts. However, handling toads should be avoided because toads have sensitive skin. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Both, Frogs, Toads

The frogs take "mountain" seriously in their name, and may live at an elevation of 3,500 feet (1,100 m), well above major river valleys. A good-size puddle, farm pond or roadside ditch will make a mountain chorus frog happy. They sing openly at the water's edge, not hiding themselves as some other members of their genus do. Difficulty: Average.

 

large rivers and lakes in valleys, creeks and fishponds, a little higher than rivers, backwaters, pools and lakes, the same elevation as large rivers

Since some species of glass frogs have this transparency, if you turn one over you can see its organs. These frogs are nocturnal, arboreal creatures and breed on the vegetation which overhangs streams. Eggs are deposited on the surface of the water until the tadpoles are ready to drop into the streams. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Transparent, Miniature, Paradox

They have, in fact, been known to eat their own kind, though they usually choose smaller prey items such as insects. Difficulty: Hard.

 

False, other frogs are too jumpy, True, other frogs are their favorite food., False, they have very small appetites.

Caecilians are unique among amphibians in that they never develop legs. They are found in tropical regions near the equator. Newts and salamanders are amphibians, but have legs. Nematodes are roundworms. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Newt, Salamander, Nematode

It is called so because of the "ko-KEE ko-KEE" sound it makes. This sound is believed to serve two important purposes.
1. To aware other frogs about the territory occupied by itself
2. To attract female frogs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rico, Kooko, Coueqe

There are over 5,000 species of frog. There are over 1,000 of them in this rainforest alone. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Yellow River Forest, Fatu Hiva Rainforest, Rio Muni Rainforest

It lunges forward to grasp prey in its mouth. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Is a vegetarian., Hatches on dry land., Has residual teeth.

Toads have something called a "parotoid gland" on the back of their heads. The gland is used to create a poison that is secreted if the toad is feeling threatened or stressed. The poison has different effects on other animals. Some animals may simply find it irritating, while it is fatal to others. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Frogs, Neither, Both

The mountain chorus frog has a brown, gray or greenish body with a black or dark X or )( on its back. When I heard some singing around a puddle, I walked up and of course they all jumped in and swam to the bottom. I lay down with my face a few inches from the water, not moving, and in 15 minutes or so, the frogs started to come back out, one by one. Soon, there was a whole crowd, singing, listening, and doing embarrassing froggy things just inches from me. I'd definitely recommend it as a way to be part of their lives for a bit on a warm spring day. Difficulty: Hard.

 

palm size, 3-4 inches (8-10 cm), bright green, palm size but drab to almost black, like a bullfrog, 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm), dark green mottled

The common toad has yellowish irises, but what makes their eyes look quite sinister is their horizontal slit-shaped pupil, designed for night feeding. Toads emerge at dusk for feeding and travel considerable distances in the dark in their hunt for prey, and while their eyes don't recognize their prey as such, they are sharp enough to attempt to eat any small, moving object they encounter in the dark. Actually, in light intensities at which humans are unable to see anything, toads can see very well.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Reddish, Black, Greenish

Due to their muscular legs and fully webbed feet, the aquatic paradox frogs are well-adapted to their environment. Tadpoles reach an enormous size, sometimes over 9 inches long, but as adults they shrink down to 2.5 inches. Thus, the adult frogs are dwarfed by their babies, which might explain why this species is so named. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ghost, Burrowing, Narrow-Mouthed

These frogs are carnivores just like most frogs. A newborn mouse, though it can be fed, should not be fed to your White's tree frog very often as a newborn mouse is very fattening. Difficulty: Average.

 

Mice, Lettuce, Fireflies

This frog is mostly found in Cuba. Because it secretes a toxic mucus from its skin, it is not considered as an ideal pet for children. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Cuban night frog, Cuban grass frog, Cuban pet frog

This interesting evolutionary adaptation necessitates the retraction of the eyes towards the roof of the mouth! Frogs will often employ this mechanism several times before the food becomes completely lodged in the esophagus. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ears (tympanic membranes), Nostrils, Trachea

They are underwater amphibians that come from Mexico and they have legs. They actually resemble a lizard, but they have a larger head. Although they are called walking fish, they actually swim. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Mexican Flying Fish, Chalco Creeping Fish, Mexican Strutting Fish

If a newt loses a leg it can regenerate that, but it can also regenerate an eye. The newt can regenerate limbs and other body parts all of its life. The coolest of all is if a newt's heart is partially destroyed, it can also regenerate that. Difficulty: Easy.

 

reemergence, reactualization, revolution

Frog tadpoles have small gold flecks in their skin, while toad tadpoles are plain black or dark brown with no gold flecks. Another way to tell the tadpoles apart is their shape. Frog tadpoles are slimmer while toad tadpoles are chunkier, similar to the shape differences in the adults. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Toads, Neither, Both

The female lays groups of 10 to 50 eggs at a time, working toward her total of 500. The eggs are attached to underwater vegetation, which may mean no more than blades of grass in a ditch, until they hatch almost two months later, as long as they escape predators and their water source doesn't dry up. The tadpoles are around 5/16" (8 mm) when they turn into frogs.


Difficulty: Hard.

 

females lay 20-50 eggs together each season, which are tadpoles for three months, a female lays 100 eggs, spread individually in water, and they spend a year as tadpoles, the female gives a gel pouch of 50 eggs to the male, who swallows it until tadpoles emerge from his mouth and become frogs in two months