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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 smallest amphibian (and vertebrate) in the world is a frog from New Guinea (Paedophryne amauensis) with a length of just 7.7 mm (0.30 in). The largest living amphibian is the 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) South China giant salamander ( Andrias sligoi ), but this is dwarfed by prehistoric temnospondyls such as Mastodonsaurus which could reach up to 6 m ...
Paedophryne amauensis, also known as the New Guinea Amau frog, is a species of microhylid frog endemic to eastern Papua New Guinea. [ 2 ] [ 4 ] At 7.7 mm (0.30 in) in snout-to-vent length , it was once considered the world's smallest known vertebrate .
A few species deposit eggs on land or bypass the tadpole stage. Adult frogs generally have a carnivorous diet consisting of small invertebrates, but omnivorous species exist and a few feed on plant matter. Frog skin has a rich microbiome which is important to their health. Frogs are extremely efficient at converting what they eat into body mass.
Bullfrog stomachs have been found to contain rodents, small lizards and snakes, other frogs and toads, other amphibians, crayfish, other crustaceans, [47] small birds, scorpions, tarantulas and bats, [48] [49] as well as the many types of invertebrates, such as snails, worms and insects, which are the usual food of ranid frogs. [50]
Image credits: girlfr0g They have adapted to surviving in extreme weather conditions. Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperatures change with the temperature of ...
Frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (Ancient Greek an-, without + oura, tail). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar , but molecular clock dating suggests their origins may extend further back to the Permian , 265 million years ago.
Researchers studying similar small-sized “flea toads” found this species to be particularly interesting due to its diminutive size as one of the smallest known vertebrate animals.