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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.
The origin of the order name Anura—and its original spelling Anoures—is the Ancient Greek alpha privative prefix ἀν-(an-from ἀ-before a vowel) 'without', [6] and οὐρά (ourá) 'animal tail'. [7] meaning "tailless". It refers to the tailless character of these amphibians. [8] [9] [10] The origins of the word frog are uncertain and ...
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 ...
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.
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.
A paratype specimen of Brachycephalus dacnis specimen on a human fingertip A relative comparison of some of the smallest frogs. The smallest vertebrate (and smallest amphibian) known is Brachycephalus pulex, a Brazilian flea toad, with a minimum adult snout–vent length of 6.45 millimetres (0.254 in). [41]
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 .
It belongs to a lineage believed to have given rise to the three living branches of amphibians - frogs, salamanders and limbless caecilians. Creature named for Kermit the Frog offers clues on ...