Tree Frog

True Wild Life | Tree Frog | The tree frog is a small species of frog that spends its life in the trees. True tree frogs are found inhabiting the forests and jungles in the warmer regions all over the world. Tree frogs are best known for their distinctive disc-shaped toes on the end of each leg. The rounded toes of the tree frog, gives its feet more suction and therefore better grip when moving around in the trees.

There are four main species of tree frog which vary in size from just a few to more than 10 centimetres in length. The European tree frog is found in meadows and shrublands across eastern Europe but is considered endangered in western Europe. The Common tree frog is the smallest of the tree frog species and is found in a variety of habitats across south-east Asia. The Cuban tree frog is the largest of the four tree frog species ans is natively found in Cuba and its surrounding islands, but has been introduced to parts of Florida, the Caribbean and Hawaii. The Red-Eyed tree frog is the most distinctive of the tree frog species and is native to the jungles of Central America. The Red-Eyed tree frog has a long narrow body and hind legs which point outwards, along with its characteristic red eyes.

As with other frogs and toads, tree frog are generally carnivorous animals, feeding primarily on insects, worms and spiders. The large Cuban tree frog will eat anything that will fit in its mouth including lizards, snakes, small mammals and even other frogs. Due to their small size, the tree frog has numerous predators wherever it lives in the world. Birds, mammals and reptiles of all shapes and sizes prey on the tree frog and the tree frog is also known to be a tasty tree for large fish.

During the mating season, tree frogs make loud croak-like calls to one another in order to attract a mate. The female tree frog lays her eggs on a leaf above the water, which develop into tadpoles in just a few days when they fall into the water below. The metamorphic process from tadpole to adult tree frog can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

Striped Rocket Frog

True Wild Life | Striped Rocket Frog | The striped rocket frog is a small species of rocket frog natively found on mainland Australia and on a number of the islands that are both close to it and surround it. The striped rocket frog is closely related to other species of rocket frog, all of which are named for their remarkably agile jumping abilities and their streamlined-shaped bodies. The striped rocket frog is found mostly in coastal areas from northern Western Australia to New South Wales in the south and is also found inhabiting lowland areas of parts of the tropical Indonesian island of Papua New Guinea. The striped rocket frog is found in a variety of wetland habitats including swamps, ponds and flooded grasslands in forests and open woodland.

The striped rocket frog is an easily identifiable species of frog due to its relatively small size and the two stripe-like folds of skin the run vertically down the striped rocket frog's back. The skin of the striped rocket frog is usually a dark brown colour and has dark spot-like markings across it's back and legs. The striped rocket frog has a narrow and streamlined body which makes for more agile movement through both the air and water. The striped rocket frog has incredibly long and powerful legs which can propel this little frog over vast distances (comparable with it's size). The striped rocket is actually a type of tree frog but despite this, the striped rocket frog spends the majority of it's life on the ground due to the fact that they sticky discs on their toes are simply not big enough to allow them to climb with ease.

Like most other species of frog, the striped rocket frog is a carnivorous animal that catches the majority of it's using it's long and sticky tongue. The striped rocket frog primarily feeds on small invertebrates such as insects, moths and spiders along with worms and insect larvae. The webbed feet of the striped rocket frog mean that this animal is able to hunt effectively both on land and in the water. Due to the fairly small size of the striped rocket frog, it has numerous predators within its natural environment. Large birds and bats prey on the striped rocket frog from the skies and ground-dwelling predators such as cats and foxes prey on this species on the ground. The water-based eggs and tadpoles of the striped rocket frog are preyed upon by aquatic animals including fish and other frogs.

In the same way as other species of frogs (and indeed toads), the striped rocket frog undergoes the incredible metamorphic process of turning from the young aquatic tadpole, to the generally ground-dwelling adult. Females lay an average of 60 eggs in a sticky mass known as frogspawn which floats on the surface of the water. When they are ready, the hatching tadpoles drop into the water where they begin there life underwater. Today, the striped rocket frog has been listed as Least concern as although it is not deemed to be under immediate threat from extinction, the striped rocket frog populations have been affected in much of the native range from deforestation and the introduction of mammalian predators.

Spadefoot Toad

True Wild Life | Spadefoot Toad | There are two main types of spadefoot toad, those that live only in North America and those that live in Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia. The spadefoot toad is an amphibian and anurans. Anurans are frogs and toads. Spadefoot toads are rarely seen because of their unusual habits. They are usually found in Western North American deserts like the Mojave, Chihuaha, and Sonoran. Normally this would be a problem for an amphibian, but spadefoot toads are able to deal with the hot and dry weather as spadefoot toads spend most of their time underground.

The spadefoot toad is a burrowing species of toad and they use their large front feet to make tunnels in the sand. Spadefoot toads are able to spend weeks underground but will come to the surface at night time after heavy rain when the air is moist, so that they can feed. Spadefoot toads are omnivorous animals and have a primarily vegetarian diet when they are young. As the spadefoot toad gets older, they begin to eat large invertebrates such as snails, grasshoppers and caterpillars.

The spadefoot toad tadpoles develop very quickly. They can also dig holes and bury themselves until the next desert rain, when they will spawn and turn into the larger, rounder adult toads.

Spadefoot toads generally live between 3 and 12 years but are prey to a number of larger predators. Birds and birds of prey can pick out an unsuspecting spadefoot toad from the sky above and snakes often hunt them on the ground. Fish are the primary predators for the smaller and more vulnerable spadefoot toad tadpoles.

Monte Iberia Eleuth

True Wild Life | Monte Iberia Eleuth | The Monte Iberia Eleuth is a tiny species of frog that, as it's name suggests, is natively found in the woodlands around Mount Iberia. The Monte Iberia Eleuth is the smallest species of frog in the Northern Hemisphere and is the second smallest species of frog in the world behind the Brazilian Golden frog found in Brazil, average less than 1cm in length. The Monte Iberia Eleuth is a critically endangered animal that is confined to just two remote areas of forest in Cuba. The Monte Iberia Eleuth was first discovered on Mount Iberia in 1996, and populations are known to be very vulnerable as this frog is only found in very specific habitats that include areas of closed rainforest, with poorly drained soil and high levels of humidity.

The Monte Iberia Eleuth is a tiny black frog that can be easily identified by the bright yellow stripes that run along each side of the frog's back. Due to the fact that the head of the Monte Iberia Eleuth is about the same size as the head of a pin, this tiny frog has fewer teeth than larger frogs and is also thought to make more highly-pitched vocal calls. Only two isolated populations are known to exist, both in the Holguín Province of eastern Cuba at elevations under 600 meters. The first location is on top of the Monte Iberia tableland where the Monte Iberia Eleuth was first discovered. The second is smaller (less than 100 km²) and sparsely-occupied, near Nibujón at sea level. This area has suffered great disturbances over the past 40 years from human activities which has obviously led to drastic declines in Monte Iberia Eleuth population numbers.

Despite it's miniature size, the Monte Iberia Eleuth has a very similar diet to other small frogs, hunting and eating a wide range of invertebrates in the Cuban jungle. The Monte Iberia Eleuth feeds on insects, moths and spiders along with a number of semi-aquatic invertebrates when it is close to water. Due to it's small size, the Monte Iberia Eleuth has numerous predators within it's natural environment including birds, rodents, lizards, toads and even larger frogs. The Monte Iberia Eleuth is also an incredibly sensitive animal that is easily affected by changes to it's environment including pollution and deforestation.

Little is known about the reproduction of the smallest frog in the Northern Hemisphere, besides the fact that once hatched, the life-cycle of the Monte Iberia Eleuth is similar to that of other frogs turning from water-based tadpoles to ground-dwelling frogs. When the first Monte Iberia Eleuth frog was found, she was found next to a single egg which indicates that this species reproduces slowly as they don't lay hundreds of eggs at once. Today, the Monte Iberia Eleuth is considered to be an animal that is critically endangered in the wild and therefore population numbers are very low in the wild.

Marsh Frog

True Wild Life | Marsh Frog | The marsh frog is a medium, fairly colourful species of frog that natively found in Europe. The marsh frog is closely related to the edible frog and the pool frog, all three of which belong to the family of "green frogs" (the common frog belongs to the brown frog family). The marsh frog is the largest species of true frog native to Europe and is found in deep ponds, lakes, rivers and around streams across the continent. The range of the marsh frog is wider than it once was, as the marsh frog is also found in parts of western Asia and Russia and even in some areas in China and Pakistan.

The marsh frog is a very aquatic species of frog and has adapted well to a water-based life. As with other frogs, the toes of the marsh frog are webbed to both assist the marsh frog in swimming and when negotiating the slippery banks. The eyes of the marsh frog are also on top of it's head which means that they can be looking on the surface of the water while the body of the marsh frog is safely submerged. Marsh frogs are often easy frogs to identify due to their bright-green coloured skin and long hind legs. Marsh frogs are often medium sized frogs with females often growing to 17cm in length. The male marsh frog is often much smaller, maybe two thirds of the size of the female marsh frog.

As with many other amphibious animals, the marsh frog is a carnivore meaning that it only eats other animals in order to survive. Marsh frogs primarily feeds on small invertebrates in, on or close to water including various species of insect, spiders and moths. The relatively small size of the marsh frog and easily spotted green skin, means that the marsh frog has a number of predators within it's natural environment. Birds, large toads, fish, mammals and lizards all prey on the marsh frog.

Marsh frogs tend to breed in the early spring, when mating takes place in calm, shallow pools of water. The female marsh frog lays around 1,000 eggs in a sticky cluster that floats on the water's surface, known as frogspawn. Once developed the marsh frog tadpoles emerge into the water where they are fully aquatic until they metamorphose into adult marsh frogs and are able to leave the water. Today, although not in immediate danger of becoming extinct in the wild, the marsh frog populations are under increased threat due, primarily due to deforestation and pollution of their natural habitats. 

Horned Frog

True Wild Life | Horned Frog | There are two main species of Horned Frog, the Argentine horned frog and the Cranwells horned frog, both of which are found in the wetland areas of Argentina on the tip of South America. The Argentine horned frog is also commonly known as the Argentine wide-mouthed Frog or Pacman frog, and is the most common species of horned frog. The Argentine horned frog is native to the rain forests of Argentina but can now be commonly found throughout Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

The Argentine horned frog is most well known for being a voracious eater, as the horned frog will attempt to swallow anything that moves close to the horned frogs wide mouth. The horned frog tends to hunt things such as insects, small birds and mammals, lizards and other frogs, and the horned frog is often very greedy with its selection.

The Cranwells horned frog is also originally from Argentina but is hard to find elsewhere as the Cranwells horned frog is an extremely popular exotic pet particularly in North America. This is because the horned frog is a very hardy species of frog, making the horned frog one of the easier exotic pets to look after.

The horned frog is commonly known as the Pacman frog due the horned frogs very close resemblance to the characters in the Pacman video game.

Frog

True Wild Life | Frog | Frogs are amphibians, creatures that inhabit both land and water environments equally successfully. There are thought to be around 5,000 different species of frog around the world. Frogs are well known for their coiled, sticky tongue which they project out of their mouths to catch insects. Frogs are also well known for being able to breathe through their skin as well as their lungs.

Some frogs can leap over 50 times their body length, which results in the frog jumping an enormous height. Many frogs in cooler climates hibernate through the winter in compost heaps and big piles of mud. Most species of frog have webbed hands and feet, which aids the frog in swimming, jumping and even climbing. Frogs tend to lay their eggs (known as frog spawn) in ponds and lakes but some frogs have been known to also lay their eggs in big puddles. Baby frogs are called tadpoles and are completely water-based until the tadpoles develop arms and legs and are able to climb out of the water.

Frogs are found all over the world with the exceptions of the polar regions. Although this is the case, many of the 5,000 frog species are found in the tropical rainforests of the southern hemisphere in places like South America and Indonesia. Frog populations of certain frog species are severely declining mainly due to deforestation and climate change. Frogs are very susceptible to atmospheric changes and many frog species, therefore cannot exist outside of their native habitat.

Many species of frog, particularly those species of frog living in the tropics, are known to contain chemicals that are poisonous to make the frog inedible for potential predators. The levels of poisons within different frog species differs from mild amounts of poison to large amounts of poison, which can end up being deadly for those animals that eat it.

Edible Frog

True Wild Life | Edible Frog | The edible frog is a species of frog found across Europe that is also known as the common water frog and the green frog. The edible frog is a fertile hybrid of two other European frogs, the pool frog and the marsh frog, that bred when populations where isolated close to one another during the ice ages. The scientific name of the edible frog means both "mud" and "guardian" as they are known to never stray far from water, almost guarding the muddy banks. It was first described in 1758 and has adopted it's name as the "edible" frog due to the fact that they are now seen as a culinary delicacy in France, particularly the legs.

The breeding season for edible frogs begins during March and generally lasts for a couple of months. Males sing by drawing air in and out of their vocal sacs to produce the highest-pitched sound possible, as the female is most attracted to the loudest frog. After courting her in a lake, pond or swamp, the male lets the female lay up to 10,000 eggs in a sticky mass into the water, before he fertilises them. Tadpoles can be as small as 0.5cm long when they hatch and are a grey/brown colour, then growing up to 7cm in length before metamorphoses occurs, and they leave the water as 2cm long young frogs. Edible frogs reach sexual maturity at the age of two and can live until they are 15 years old.

Adult edible frogs are carnivorous animals, surviving only by eating other animals. The tadpoles however, mainly eat vegetation although are known to supplement their diet with aquatic micro-organisms on occasion. Small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, moths and flies make up the majority of their diet along with larger aquatic animals like fish, newts and other frogs, and even small birds. Edible frogs hunt for their food during the day and can be seen catching food in ponds, and even on land. There are even reports of edible frogs venturing up to 500 meters away from water in their quest for nutrition.

Edible frogs remain very still when they are guarding the muddy banks, and this along with their camouflage, makes them very difficult for predators to spot. Their eyes are positioned near the top of their heads meaning they can also see danger coming whilst their body is mainly hidden. Snakes, owls and water-dwelling birds are the main predators of the edible frog, along with humans who commonly eat them. Edible frogs will jump into the water and hide if they sense approaching danger, and will make a loud screeching sound if caught. Edible frog populations are also under threat from habitat destruction mainly caused by deforestation and water pollution.

The edible frog is one of the few animals in the world that is a fertile mix of two different species, as although similar but genetically different species are known to mate, it is very rare that their offspring will be able to breed. The kl. of the edible frog's scientific name indicates that the species is made up of chromosomes that have been stolen from other species. The esculentus part of the edible frog's scientific name is Latin for edible as this species is one of the most commonly eaten frog species in the world. Today, the edible frog is listed as a species that is of Least Concern from extinction in the near future, but populations in certain areas are declining. They are particularly adaptable animals and have been able to inhabit man-made bodies of water. Providing however, that the water quality is good, there is an ample supply of food and little competition for it from other species.

Common Frog

True Wild Life | Common Frog | The common frog is a medium-sized species of frog that inhabits a wide range of habitats across much of Europe. Although the common frog is not as commonly seen in our gardens as it once was, the common frog still appears to be surviving effectively within its environment and is not considered to be an animal that is currently at risk from extinction. The common frog is found throughout the European continent, with the range of the common frog stretching from Ireland in the east to the mountains in western Russia. The common from is also found in parts of Scandinavia that actually lie within the cold Arctic Circle.

The common frog tends to grow to between 6 cm and 10 cm in length. The common frog has dark blotches that run down its back, with the body of the common frog ranging from green, to brown, to grey in colour. The common frog is said to be able to change its skin tone in order to fit in more effectively in its surroundings. Like many other frog species, the common frog has webbed toes and eyes on the top of its head, in order to better equip the common frog for its aquatic lifestyle. The male common frog can also be distinguished from the female, by a small swelling that appears on one of his toes during the mating season.

The common frog is a carnivorous animal and the majority of the common frog's diet consists of small invertebrates such as insects and spiders. The common frog also hunts larger invertebrates including worms and snails that are present in the common frog's woodland or marshland habitat. Due to its small size, the common frog often has numerous predators within its natural environment. The common frog is eaten by various animal species that includes foxes, cats, birds, snakes and even some large fish.

Common frogs tend to breed in the early spring, when mating takes place in calm, shallow pools of water. The female common frog lays up to 2,000 eggs in a sticky cluster that floats on the water's surface, known as frogspawn. Once developed the common frog tadpoles emerge into the water where they are fully aquatic until they metamorphose into adult common frogs and are able to leave the water.

Burrowing Frog

True Wild Life | Burrowing Frog | The burrowing frog is a large sized species of frog that is natively found in Australia. Burrowing frogs are most commonly found in their burrows in river banks and close to marshes, streams and lakes. There are six different species of burrowing frog in Australia which vary in size from around 6cm to 10cm long. Only one of the six species of burrowing frog is found in south-eastern Australia, as the other five burrowing frog species are all found in western Australia.

The burrowing frog has a very distinctive appearance and is easily identified by its large, bulging eyes, short body and long legs and toes. Unlike many other species of frog, the toes of the burrowing frog are not webbed as webbing would make digging much more difficult. As with all amphibians, burrowing frogs are semi-aquatic and are always found close to large bodies of water. Burrowing frogs hide in the banks close to the water where they can remain unseen by predators and undetected from potential prey.

The burrowing frog is a carnivorous animal that uses it long, sticky tongue in order to catch food. When the burrowing frog spots a meal, it remains very still watching it closely with its large eyes before shooting its tongue out of its mouth at remarkable speed to catch its prey before pulling its back in. Burrowing frogs primarily hunt invertebrates such as insects, spiders and worms. Due to their relatively small size, the burrowing frog has numerous natural predators within its natural environment. Foxes, cats, dogs, birds, snakes and lizards are among the most common predators of the burrowing frog.

After mating, the female burrowing frog can lay up to 1,000 eggs in a foamy mass in her burrow in the river bank, where the eggs develop until they hatch. Burrowing frog tadpoles hatch after water has flooded the burrow, the aquatic tadpoles to leave the burrow into the water.

Bullfrog

True Wild Life | Bullfrog | The bullfrog is one of the most widely distributed frogs across the North American continent. The bullfrog is a medium-sized frog that is best known for it's loud cow-like calls, hence it's name. Bullfrogs are found in a wide range of permanent freshwater habitats including ponds, swamps and lakes where the bullfrog tends to prefer to be closer to the banks rather than out in the open water. Bullfrogs also prefer to be in warmer climates rather than the cooler ones.

Today bullfrogs are being more and more commonly kept as pets and are even eaten by locals in some of the more southern regions of North America. Bullfrogs have also been introduced to other countries throughout the world where they have generally had a devastating impact on the local ecosystems. Bullfrogs are carnivorous animals and bullfrogs have a diet that is meat-based. Bullfrogs are nocturnal hunters, hiding and resting during the day and actively hunting by night. Bullfrogs hunt a variety of insects and their larvae, eggs, spiders and even small fish. Some of the larger bullfrogs, today found in South Korea, have been even known to eat small snakes.

Due to the relatively small size of the bullfrog and the fact that its calls can be heard for some distance, the bullfrog has numerous different predators within its natural environment. Aquatic animals including large fish and river turtles are the most common predators of the bullfrog along with a number of snake species. Bullfrog breeding occurs around late spring to early summer, when the male bullfrogs call out to the female bullfrogs attracting them into their territory. Once the bullfrogs have mated, the female bullfrog can lay around 20,000 eggs which float together on the surface of the water.

The bullfrog eggs hatch in less than a week, and thousands of bullfrog tadpoles emerge into the surrounding water. The tadpoles begin to develop limbs and start to look like adult frogs. This whole process can take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years, depending of where the bullfrog lives. Bullfrogs are generally quite hardy animals and can get to be 10 years old in the wild. One bullfrog kept in captivity was said to have died at the age of 16!

African Clawed Frog

True Wild Life | African Clawed Frog | The African clawed frog is also known as the platanna. The African clawed frog is thought to have originated in South Africa, and is today found naturally across the African continent. The African clawed frog has been introduced to the Americas and parts of Europe. The average adult African clawed frog grows to about 12 cm in length, and weighs around 200g. The African clawed frog spends its whole life in water, except for poking its head up to the surface from time to time. The African clawed frog can swim at astonishing speeds sideways, backwards, forwards, up and down, and in all other directions. The African clawed frog then catches its prey with its claws aided by its long tongue.

The African clawed frog is often a greenish, grey colour although other colours of the African clawed frog are not uncommon (such as albino). The African clawed frog is known to have a long lifespan for small aquatic animals, and can live up to around 5 to 15 years in the wild. Some adult African clawed frogs have been recorded to live to nearly 30 years old in captivity! The African clawed frog's main food is water bugs and small fish but the African clawed frog is also known to eat its own skin whenever it is shed. African clawed frogs also hunt other small invertebrates such as insects, spiders and worms.

Due to its small size, the African clawed frog has a number of natural predators within its natural environment, that occur both in and out of the water. Small mammals including rodents, cats and dogs, numerous birds and reptiles, all prey on the African clawed frog.

Female African clawed frogs are often nearly double the size of the males, and are able to reproduce more than once a year. After mating, the female African clawed frog can lay thousands of eggs at a time which are held together in the water by a jelly-like substance. After hatching, the African clawed frog tadpoles begin their life in the water until they grow legs and are able to venture out onto the river banks. Over the years, humans have managed to find a number of uses for the African clawed frog in our day to day lives. The most notable (and probably cruellest) of these practises was the use of the African clawed frog females as a type of pregnancy test, as the hormone produced by human babies (passed on through the mother\'s urine) known as HCG induces ovulation in the female African clawed frog.