This is an ordinary inhabitant of the pond and there seems to be nothing surprising about it. However, this is one of the most amazing representatives of the animal world. Let's find out more about the most unusual species frogs in the world.
Transparent or glass frog
The length of this strange little frog found in mexican state Chiapas, only 2 cm. All the insides are clearly visible through the colorless skin of the abdomen, which is why it is also called glass. This species of amphibian hunts at night, eating small insects. transparent frog lays eggs on the leaves of bushes hanging over the water so that the hatched tadpoles can immediately get into their native element.
Poison frog coca
Another miniature representative of amphibians comes from the jungles of Colombia. Another name for this frog, which aptly describes both its appearance and lifestyle, is the spotted dart frog. This strange frog gained a bad reputation thanks to its unusual toxic poison, which is several thousand times stronger than the poison of one of the most dangerous snakes- rattling. Until now, scientists have been unsuccessfully trying to find an antidote to it. The poison is produced in the skin of the frog, in special glands, and is released when touched. The body of just one frog is capable of producing an amount of poison that can kill one and a half thousand people. Well what can I say, be careful in the jungles of Colombia!
Hairy frog
This unusual species of frog was discovered in Gabon, which Central Africa, at the beginning of the twentieth century. The peculiar hair on the back of males is an extension of the skin; blood circulation occurs in them, and nerve endings are also located in them. It is believed that these conditional hairs are a kind of respiratory organs of the male frog, and by increasing the surface of the body, they help to increase metabolism.
Goliath frog
A rather rare species of amphibian that lives in West Africa. The frog's long body reaches 30 cm, and its weight is an incomprehensible 3.5 kg. The largest specimen caught in Angola was 40 cm long. This giant among tailless amphibians loves clean running water saturated with oxygen. The goliath's diet consists of small frogs, tadpoles, mice and lizards. Locals, in turn, are happy to hunt this amazing frog, which threatens the conservation of the species.
bull frog
Native to North America, this close-up view frogs, although inferior in size to the African Goliath frog, loudly announces itself in a different way. In the spring, bullfrogs emit a deafening croaking sound, more reminiscent of the mooing of a herd of cows. The roar of a frog alone can be heard from a distance of 3 kilometers. However, unlike real bulls, the bullfrog is not a vegetarian at all: it feeds on shellfish, insects, as well as chicks and small fish.
Sharp-nosed tree frog
The unusual nose of this species of frog, native to New Guinea, gives it a funny appearance. But this is not just a whim. This nocturnal hunter is forced to hide in crevices during the day, leaving only her thin, curved, hard nose on the surface. It is beyond the power of small predators, or even humans, to pull a frog out of its hiding place.
flying frog
This little frog has set a record for long jumps, which are more like flying. Found in the humid tropics South-East Asia, she is capable of jumping as much as 12 meters. This is a huge distance, considering that the size of the frog itself is 10-12 centimeters. The reason for this jumping ability lies in the wide, dark orange membranes between the toes on the frog's legs, flat body and ability to glide.
Many unusual discoveries have been made by frog researchers, and simply concerned naturalists. But these amazing animals still keep many secrets. In anticipation of new discoveries, with respect and love, we will look at our neighbor on the planet - such an ordinary and at the same time extraordinary frog.
Tree frogs, also known as tree frogs, are the most colorful members of the amphibian order - their colors range from yellow and green to red and blue mixed with black. Such a bright range is not just a quirk of nature, it is a signal for predators, warning of danger. Producing a poisonous toxin that can paralyze, stun and kill even a large animal, tree frogs have firmly established themselves in the impenetrable tropical forests of Central and South America, where high humidity and the enormous biodiversity of insects allows them to survive for more than 200 million years. Having appeared on Earth at the same time as dinosaurs, frogs demonstrate extraordinary adaptation to the environment - painted in all the colors of the rainbow, they are practically invisible among lush vegetation and inedible for most representatives of the fauna.
- the Amerinds, have long learned to benefit from the poison of poison dart frogs, using it as a deadly substance to lubricate the tips of their hunting darts. Having pierced the frog with a stick, the Indians first held it over the fire, and then collected the droplets of poison that appeared on the skin of the animal into a container, after which they dipped the arrows in a viscous liquid. This is where another name for poisonous tree frogs- dart frogs.
Unusual facts from the life of poison dart frogs
- Among the brightly colored 175 species of tree frogs, only three pose a threat to humans, the rest mimic toxicity with their appearance, although they are not poisonous.
- The size of dangerous tree frogs reaches 2-5 cm, with females being larger than males.
- Tree frogs climb trees thanks to the rounded ends on their legs that resemble suction cups. Making circular movements with their limbs, they move quite easily along the vertical plane of a tree trunk.
- Poison dart frogs prefer to live alone, carefully protecting the boundaries of their territory, and only come together during the mating season after reaching 2 years of age.
- Tree frogs acquire their bright colors with age; baby frogs always have a nondescript brown color.
- The frog's body does not produce poison - it adsorbs toxins from small insects. Toxic secretions appear on the skin of an amphibian at the moment of danger and are caused by a specific “diet”, which includes ants, flies, and beetles. Tree frogs raised in captivity, far from their natural habitat and deprived of their usual food, are absolutely harmless.
- Dart frogs are both diurnal and night image life, climb the ground and trees, and use a long sticky tongue when hunting.
- The life cycle of tree frogs is 5-7 years, in captivity – 10-15 years.
Yellow poison dart frog
Inhabited in the Andean foothills - in coastal areas southwestern Colombia, the most poisonous frog in the world - the terrible leaf climber ( Phyllobates terribilis ) , prefers growing on rocks 300-600 m above sea level. The leaf litter under the treetops near the pond is a favorite place for the most dangerous vertebrate animal in the world - the yellow-gold tree frog, whose poison can kill 10 people at a time.
Distribution zone of the strawberry tree frog (Andinobates geminisae) measuring 1.5 cm from the family poisonous leaf climbers, first found in 2011, is the jungle of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. The red-orange palette of the unusual amphibian's body is adjacent to bright blue on the hind legs and black markings on the head. After the dreaded golden leaf frog, the red tree frog is the second most toxic species in the world.
Okopipi blue poison frog
In 1968, the sky-blue tree frog Dendrobatus azureus was first discovered by scientists in the humid tropics. A bright shade of cobalt or azure sapphire with black and white flecks is a classic Okopipi colorway. Own name poisonous tree frog received from local aborigines a long time ago - unlike scientists, the Amerindians have known it for many centuries. The distribution area of the unusual vertebrate is relict rainforests, surrounding the Sipaliwini savanna, extending across the southern regions of Suriname and Brazil. According to scientists, the blue dart frog was, as it were, “canned” in this area during the last Ice Age, when part of the jungle turned into a grassy plain. The surprising thing is that Okopipi does not know how to swim like all amphibians, and it gets the necessary moisture in the humid thickets of the tropical forest.
Distribution area red-eyed tree frog- Agalychnis callidryas, quite extensive: from Northern Colombia, through the entire central part of America, to the southern tip of Mexico. Lives this type amphibians mainly in the lowlands of Costa Rica and Panama. The coloring of the “big-eyed” dart frog is the most intense in the family of tailless vertebrates - neon spots of blue and blue are scattered against a bright green background. orange color. But the eyes of this amphibian are especially remarkable - scarlet, with a vertical narrow pupil, they help the harmless little frog scare away predators.
In the east of the continent, there is another species of red-eyed frog - Litoria chloris - the owner of a rich light green color with yellow splashes. Both types of tree frogs are not poisonous despite their expressive “outfit” and piercing gaze.
Interesting to know! Many animals have striking colors - warning colors developed during evolution to protect against predators and indicating the toxicity of its owner. As a rule, this is a combination of contrasting colors: black and yellow, red and blue or others, a striped or drop-shaped pattern - even those predators that are naturally color-blind can distinguish such colors. In addition to the catchy color scheme, miniature animals have large eyes that are incommensurate with the size of the body, which in the dark creates the illusion of a large organism. This feature, intended for survival, is called aposematism.
Medical uses of tree frog venom
Research by scientists regarding the pharmacological use of frog toxins began back in 1974 - then in National Institute US Health, experiments were first conducted with dendrobatid and Epidatidine, the main components of tree frog venom. It turned out that in its pain-relieving properties one substance is 200 times superior to morphine, and the other is 120 times superior to nicotine. In the mid-90s, scientists at Abbott Labs. managed to create a synthetic version of epidatidine - ABT-594, which significantly reduces pain, but does not put people to sleep like opiates. The American Natural History Museum team also analyzed 300 alkaloids found in tree frog venom and determined that some were effective in treating neuralgia and muscle dysfunction.
- The most big frog in the world - goliath (Conraua goliath) from West Africa, the length of her body (excluding legs) is about 32-38 cm, weight - almost 3.5 kg. The giant amphibian lives in Cameroon and Guinea, on the sandy banks of the African rivers Sanaga and Benito.
- The smallest frog in the world is the tree toad from Cuba, it grows 1.3 cm in length.
- In total, there are about 6 thousand species of frogs in the world, but every year scientists find more and more new species.
- A toad is the same as a frog, only its skin is dry, unlike frogs, and covered with warts, and its hind legs are shorter.
- The frog sees perfectly at night and is sensitive to even the slightest movement; in addition, the location and shape of the eyes allows it to perfectly view the area not only in front and to the sides of itself, but also partially behind.
- Thanks to their long hind legs, frogs can jump a distance of 20 times their body length. The Costa Rican tree frog has membranes between the toes of its hind and front paws - this unique aerodynamic device helps it float in the air when it jumps from one branch to another.
- Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded - their body temperature changes in direct proportion to the parameters environment. When the air temperature drops to a critical level, they burrow underground and remain in suspended animation until spring. Even if 65% of a tree frog's body is frozen, it will survive by increasing the concentration of glucose in its vital fluid. important organs. Another example of vitality is demonstrated by the Australian desert frog - it can survive without water for about 7 years.
New species of frogs and toads found in the world
Recently, in the highlands of western Panama, a the new kind gold tree frog. Scientists were able to spot the amphibian in dense foliage due to an unusual loud croaking sound, unlike any previously studied. When zoologists caught the animal, a yellow pigment began to appear on its paws. There was a fear that the discharge was poisonous, but after a series of tests, it turned out that the bright yellow mucus did not contain any toxins. A strange feature of the frog helped the scientific team come up with its scientific name - Diasporus citrinobapheus, which conveys the essence of its behavior in Latin. Another new species of poisonous frog, Andinobates geminisae, was found by scientists in Panama (Doroso, Colon province), in the upper reaches of the Rio Caño River. According to experts, the neon orange frog is on the verge of extinction, since its habitat is extremely small.
On the island of Sulawesi near the Philippine archipelago, scientific group discovered the existence large quantity clawed frogs - 13 species, and 9 of them were hitherto unknown to science. Differences are observed in the body size of amphibians, the size and number of spurs on the hind legs. Due to the fact that this species is the only one on the island, nothing prevents it from breeding and reproducing, unlike its relatives in the Philippines, where clawed tree frogs compete with another species - amphibians of the Platymantis family. The rapid increase in the number of island anurans clearly demonstrates the correctness of Charles Darwin's concept of adaptive distribution, described by the example of finches from the Galapagos archipelago.
Biodiversity of frogs on Earth
- Vietnam. About 150 species of amphibians are common here; in 2003, 8 new species of frogs were found in the country.
- Venezuela. An exotic state is sometimes called " lost world“—many table mountains, difficult to reach for researchers, are distinguished by endemic flora and fauna. In 1995, a group of scientists undertook a helicopter expedition to the Sierra Yavi, Guanay and Yutaye mountains, where 3 species of frogs unknown to science were found.
- Tanzania. Open in the Ujungwa Mountains new variety tree frogs - Leptopelis barbouri.
- Papua New Guinea. Behind last decade 50 unstudied species of tailless amphibians were discovered here.
- Northeastern regions of the USA. Habitat of the rare spider-like toad.
- Madagascar. The island is home to 200 species of frogs, 99% of which are endemic - unique species not found anywhere else. The scientists' latest find, the narrow-mouthed toad, was discovered through a study of the soil and foliage of the jungle, during which they were able to identify the amphibian's excrement.
- Colombia. The most outstanding discovery scientists in this region– a species of tree frog, Colostethus atopoglossus, found only on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in El Boquerón.
Argentina, Bolivia, Guyana, Tanzania and many more countries with tropical climate and rugged landscapes - these are regions where scientists are constantly finding new subspecies of animals, including tailless amphibians - frogs. Possessing miniature sizes, arboreal representatives of the amphibian order are not only the smallest, but also the most dangerous animals in the world - modern zoologists are increasingly convinced of this.
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Ironically, the most beautiful representatives of the animal world are often the most dangerous and even deadly for humans and other representatives of the fauna. It's the same with frogs. So, the most poisonous and most beautiful frogs peace.
The more beautiful, the more dangerous. So much more dangerous that just one touch to their skin can end fatal. So which one should we be wary of?
Phyllomedusa bicolor
Sometimes it is also called the "monkey frog". A large individual that can boast of its two-colored body, as its name immediately implies: its top part It is painted in a bright light green color, slightly yellow towards the edge of the transition downwards, where the second, brown side of the frog begins, which has light spots. She is very curious and can go anywhere in search of adventure. The venom of the bicolor phyllomedusa causes strong, not very pleasant hallucinations and stomach upset. However, some tribes living off the coast of the Amazon are deliberately “poisoned” with poison to induce hallucinations.
Spotted dart frog
A stunningly beautiful frog: the head and body are decorated with large black and yellow circles, and the legs are black and blue. The skin of this frog is interesting not only for its beauty and poisonousness, but also because with its help, or more precisely, with the help of the poison secreted, Amazonian aborigines change the color of their feathers.
Red-backed poison frog
A bright red head and back, black circles on a light body, this is exactly what the poisonous little one originally from Peru looks like. Like many other animals, it produces its poison with the help of special food, in this case it poisonous ants. The frog uses poison only in case of its own protection.
Little poison dart frog
A bright, orange-red, very small frog that lives in impenetrable forests Central America. Her bright color warns that the frog is as dangerous as fire. And this is true, the poison of her skin leaves an unpleasant feeling of a burn.
Blue dart frog
Very cute creature, bright blue, the sides of this frog are slightly lighter than the rest of the body, but no less bright for this. The poison of this creature can kill itself large predator and even a person.
Charming leaf climber
This wonderful name is given to a small frog from Central America. It is the least poisonous compared to its other brethren, but this does not mean that its poison can give someone joy. The frog itself is very dark, almost black, with two bright orange stripes along its back.
Striped leaf climber
The poison of this frog is very severe pain, can even lead to paralysis. She has the same bright orange stripes along her back as the charming leaf climber, only wider. The frog itself is dark green, sometimes brown.
Spotted poison frog
In the tropical forests of Ecuador and Peru lives a beautiful frog, rightfully called the most poisonous among all representatives, because its poison is enough to kill up to 5 people! But you shouldn’t be afraid of her prematurely; she won’t attack first. In appearance it has many similarities with the spotted poison dart frog. Only at spotted frog larger spots all over the body.
Three-striped leaf climber
In the native forests of Ecuador, it is now rare to see these beautiful, bright red frogs, with three light, almost white stripes on their backs. Researchers are trying to save their species by breeding them in captivity. After all, their poison is not only deadly, but also useful, as it is about 200 times superior to morphine and is an excellent pain reliever.
Phyllobates terribilis—
a small frog from the genus of leaf climbers of the poison dart frog family. One of the most poisonous vertebrates on Earth. I - batrachotoxin.
(5 photos)
This the amphibian is considered one of the most poisonous representatives of the fauna of our planet. Terrible leaf climber is the world's largest poisonous frog.
It’s hard to imagine, but this “monster”, dangerous for all living things, measures only two to four centimeters! What is its danger?
Why is the terrible leaf climber so scary?
The most main feature The golden frog is that the danger when encountering it lies not in the teeth, the poisonous sting, or the toxic liquid injected at the moment of danger. This amphibian has a poisonous entire surface of its skin; it is covered with so much toxic substance – batrachotoxin that it is enough to poison more than ten people with a tragic outcome. And it doesn’t matter whether someone tries to offend her or just accidentally touches her - this is deadly! The poison, when it gets on the victim, blocks the nerve channels, has a paralyzing effect on the muscles, including the heart, so death occurs from heart failure or arrhythmia.
Horrible
leaf climber (Phyllobates terribilis).
The indigenous peoples of Colombia have used this poison for centuries to lubricate arrowheads, but the most amazing thing is that the toxin retains its terrible properties for up to two years! It is known that if any animal simply sits in the place where the terrible leaf climber was previously, its death is inevitable. One frog may contain only up to one milligram of batrachotoxin, but this amount is enough to kill two elephants. With its bright colors, the frog seems to warn everyone: "Careful - I'm very dangerous!"
A terrible leaf climber, a seemingly ordinary, small harmless frog.
What are the structural features of the golden frog?
Terrible leaf climbers very rarely reach sizes greater than five centimeters in length. One of the features of frogs of this species is the absence of membranes on their legs. But at the tips of their fingers there are disc-shaped extensions, similar to suction cups, with the help of which they climb trees. In addition, these frogs, unlike all other representatives of the genus, have bone plates in the lower jaw - the rudiments of teeth. It is also curious that these amphibians cannot tolerate even short-term hunger strikes. They must eat often, otherwise just three days without food can kill them.
The venom of this harmless amphibian is extremely toxic..
Habitat of Leaf Climbers– tropical rainforests, their lower layer, where they live in small groups and lead a diurnal lifestyle. Usually their “family” consists of four or five females and only one male, because males have a strong sense of ownership and fight with each other for territory. Their confrontation is expressed as follows: the males first compete with their voices, producing short trills from several minutes to several hours, and if no one gives in, then it all ends in a real brawl, reminiscent of freestyle wrestling.
Terrible leaf climbers are caring parents and excellent hunters
Another feature of these amphibians is that they spawn on land, and not in water, like most of their relatives. In dark and damp thickets, the female lays 15 - 30 eggs and considers her mission completed - she leaves. The father remains near the eggs, he protects them, waters them with water, and periodically stirs them with his hind legs. A few days later, when the tadpoles appear, the father places them on his back and heads to the pond.
The terrible leaf climber - poisonous yellow frog.
It takes two or three weeks for the tadpoles to develop into... aquatic environment, and then the baby frogs are born. Now they can go onto land and begin an independent life, but still young individuals continue to live with their parents or not far from them for quite a long time. This can continue until the moment when the grown frogs themselves are ready to create their own “family.”
An interesting fact remains that the golden poison frog never uses its terrible poison for hunting, feeding on ticks, small ants, bugs and other insects. By nature she is a peaceful creature, and her formidable weapon– poisonous toxin – serves only for self-defense.
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