Wallace's Flying Frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 4 in (10 cm)
Group name: Army

Did you know? The Wallace's flying frog is named for the 19th-century British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who first described the species in 1869.
Size relative to a tea cup.

The overachieving Wallace's flying frog wasn't content to just hop and swim. Thousands of years of watching birds navigate the rain forest and avoid predators by taking to the sky appears to have convinced this unique amphibian that air travel is the way to go.

Also known as parachute frogs, Wallace's flying frogs inhabit the dense tropical jungles of Malaysia and Borneo. They live almost exclusively in the trees, descending only to mate and lay eggs.

When threatened or in search of prey, they will leap from a branch and splay their four webbed feet. The membranes between their toes and loose skin flaps on their sides catch the air as they fall, helping them to glide, sometimes 50 feet (15 meters) or more, to a neighboring tree branch or even all the way to the ground. They also have oversized toe pads to help them land softly and stick to tree trunks.

Wallace's flying frogs are not the only frogs who have developed this ability, but they are among the largest. The black color of their foot webbing helps distinguish them from their similarly aerial cousins.

They are generally bright green with yellow sides and grow to about 4 inches (10 centimeters). They survive mainly on insects.

The Wallace's flying frog population is considered stable, and they have special status only in certain localities. However, they are partial to breeding and laying eggs in the fetid wallowing holes of the nearly extinct Asian rhinoceros, and further decreases in rhino populations may negatively affect the species.

>> Amazon Horned Frog

Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 5 years
Size: 1.5 to 2.75 in (4 to 7 cm)
Group name: Army

Did you know? The red-eyed tree frog is also called the red-eyed leaf frog.
Size relative to a tea cup.

Many scientists believe the red-eyed tree frog developed its vivid scarlet peepers to shock predators into at least briefly questioning their meal choice.

These iconic rain-forest amphibians sleep by day stuck to leaf-bottoms with their eyes closed and body markings covered. When disturbed, they flash their bulging red eyes and reveal their huge, webbed orange feet and bright blue-and-yellow flanks. This technique, called startle coloration, may give a bird or snake pause, offering a precious instant for the frog to spring to safety.

Their neon-green bodies may play a similar role in thwarting predators. Many of the animals that eat red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal hunters that use keen eyesight to find prey. The shocking colors of this frog may over-stimulate a predator's eyes, creating a confusing ghost image that remains behind as the frog jumps away.

Red-eyed tree frogs, despite their conspicuous coloration, are not venomous. They are found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America. Nocturnal carnivores, they hide in the rain forest canopy and ambush crickets, flies, and moths with their long, sticky tongues.

Red-eyed tree frogs are not endangered. But their habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate, and their highly recognizable image is often used to promote the cause of saving the world's rain forests.

>> Wallace's Flying Frog

Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobatidae)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 3 to 15 years
Size: 1 in (2.5 cm)
Group name: Army

Did you know? The only natural predator of most of the poison dart frog family is a snake called Leimadophis epinephelus, which has developed a resistance to the frogs' poison.
Protection status: Threatened
Size relative to a paper clip.

Poison dart frogs, members of the Dendrobatidae family, wear some of the most brilliant and beautiful colors on Earth. Depending on individual habitats, which extend from the tropical forests of Costa Rica to Brazil, their coloring can be yellow, gold, copper, red, green, blue, or black. Their elaborate designs and hues are deliberately ostentatious to ward off potential predators, a tactic called aposematic coloration.

Some species display unusual parenting habits, including carrying both eggs and tadpoles on their backs. Although this "backpacking" is not unique among amphibians, male poison arrow frogs are exceptional in their care, attending to the clutch, sometimes exclusively, and performing vital transportation duties.

Dendrobatids include some of the most toxic animals on Earth. The two-inch-long (five-centimeter-long) golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill 10 grown men. Indigenous Emberá people of Colombia have used its powerful venom for centuries to tip their blowgun darts when hunting, hence the genus' common name.

Scientists are unsure of the source of poison dart frogs' toxicity, but it is possible they assimilate plant poisons which are carried by their prey, including ants, termites and beetles. Poison dart frogs raised in captivity and isolated from insects in their native habitat never develop venom.

The medical research community has been exploring possible medicinal uses for some poison dart frog venom. They have already developed a synthetic version of one compound that shows promise as a painkiller.

>> Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 2 to 4 years
Size: 3 to 5 in (7.6 to 12.7 cm)
Group name: Army

Did you know? A genetic mutation gives rise to the Burnsi leopard frogs, which have no spots.
Protection status: Threatened
Size relative to a tea cup.

The northern leopard frog is perhaps most recognizable as the formaldehyde-soaked specimen in the high school lab tray.

Once the most abundant and widespread frog species in North America, leopard frogs were widely collected not only for dissection but for the food industry (frog legs) as well.

However, massive declines beginning in the early 1970s, particularly in Canada and the western United States, have significantly reduced their numbers. Scientists have not determined the cause of the declines, but it is likely a combination of ecological factors: pollution, deforestation, and water acidity.

Northern leopard frogs are so named for the array of irregularly shaped dark spots that adorn their backs and legs. They are greenish-brown in color with a pearly white underside and light-colored ridges on either side of their backs. They are considered medium-size, reaching lengths of 3 to 5 inches (7.6 to 12.7 centimeters), nose to rump. Females are slightly larger than males.

Their range is most of northern North America, except on the Pacific Coast. They generally live near ponds and marshes, but will often venture into well-covered grasslands as well, earning them their other common name, the meadow frog.

Leopard frogs will eat just about anything they can fit in their mouths. They sit still and wait for prey to happen by, then pounce with their powerful legs. They eat beetles, ants, flies, worms, smaller frogs, including their own species, and even birds, and garter snakes.

>> Poison Dart Frog

Green-Eyed Tree Frog (Litoria genimaculata)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Group name: Army

Did you know? The green-eyed tree frog’s previous scientific name was serratta, which more closely describes the serrated skin flaps along the edges of its legs.
Size relative to a tea cup.

The green-eyed tree frog has adapted its appearance to blend in with the moss-covered rain forests of Queensland, Australia. The frogs' coloration and markings vary with their specific habitat, but they usually have a brownish-green body with rust-colored blotches that match the lichen-covered rocks lining the creeks and streams they tend to live near.

This species gets its name not for green eyes per se, but rather for a line of brilliant green that often adorns the brow of each eye. They are also distinguishable by a row of skin flaps along their arms and legs, which resembles a serrated knife.

Females, which are significantly larger than males, grow to about 2.8 inches (7 centimeters). Males, which emit a mating call that sounds like a quiet tap-tap-tap, max out at about 1.8 inches (5 centimeters).

Green-eyed tree frogs are abundant in the rugged wet tropics of northeast Queensland, near the Great Barrier Reef. Their population is healthy in the region's lower elevations, but, for unknown reasons, may have disappeared completely from the higher-altitude areas. They have suffered serious declines in the past, possibly due to a fungus or virus, but their numbers have rebounded, and they are not currently threatened or endangered.

>> Northern Leopard Frog

Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in captivity: 10 years
Size: 1 in (2.5 cm)
Weight: Less than 1 oz
Group name: Army

Did you know? The only natural predator of the golden poison dart frog is a snake called Leimadophis epinephelus, which has developed a resistance to the frog's poison.
Protection status: Endangered
Size relative to a paper clip.

The golden poison dart frog is considered one of the most toxic animals on Earth. A single specimen measuring two inches (five centimeters) has enough venom to kill ten grown men. Indigenous Emberá people of Colombia have used its powerful venom for centuries to tip their blowgun darts when hunting, hence the species' name.

These brightly colored amphibians are among the largest of the more than 100 poison dart frog species, averaging more than one inch (two and a half centimeters) in length. They live within a tiny plot of rain forest on the Pacific coast of Colombia. And though the population in its small range is abundant, widespread decimation of the rain forest has landed this species on international endangered lists.

Their coloring, which can be yellow, orange, or pale green, depending on their particular range, is deliberately ostentatious to ward off potential predators, a tactic called aposematic coloration. Their diet includes flies, crickets, ants, termites, and beetles.

Scientists are unsure of the source of this frog's amazing toxicity, but it is possible they assimilate plant poisons, which are carried by their prey. Poison dart frogs raised in captivity and isolated from insects in their native habitat never develop venom.

The medical research community has been exploring possible medicinal uses for the golden poison dart frog's venom. They have already developed a synthetic version of one of the venom's compounds that has promise as a powerful painkiller.

>> Green-Eyed Tree Frog

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 7 to 9 years
Size: (adult female) 3.5 to 6 in (9 to 15 cm)
Weight: 1.1 lb (0.50 kg)
Group name: Army or colony

Did you know? A female bullfrog can lay as many as 20,000 eggs, which float in a clump on the surface of the water.
Size relative to a tea cup.

The baritone call of the bullfrog is so deep and resonant, it resembles the mooing of a cow, hence its name. Only males emit this trademark "jug-o-rum" bellow, and their choruses can be heard during the day or night.

The largest of all North American frogs, this giant can grow to a length of 8 inches (20 centimeters) or more and weigh up to 1.5 pounds (750 grams). Even the tadpoles of this species can reach 6.75 inches (17.2 centimeters) in length.

They are among the most wide-ranging of all North American amphibians, found in freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes from Nova Scotia, Canada, throughout the continental United States, and as far south as Mexico and Cuba. They have even found their way to Europe, South America, and Asia.

Bullfrogs are typically green or gray-brown with brown spots and have easily identifiable circular eardrums, or tympanum, on either side of their heads.

Nocturnal predators, they will ambush and eat just about anything they can fit in their ample mouths, including insects, mice, fish, birds, and snakes. They sit quietly and wait for prey to pass by, then lunge with their powerful hind legs, mouths open wide.

Males are highly territorial and will aggressively guard their land. Females are slightly larger than males.

>> Golden Poison Dart Frog

Amazon Horned Frog (Ceratophrys cornuta)

Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm)
Weight: Up to 1 lb (480 g)
Group name: Army or colony
Did you know? Some Amazon villagers wear high leather boots called botas escuerzas to repel attacks by the highly territorial Amazon horned frog. Size relative to a tea cup.

The first thing that stands out about the Amazon horned frog is its size. These rotund amphibians can grow to 8 inches (20 centimeters) in length and would cover a good-size tea saucer. They are found in freshwater marshes and pools throughout the Amazon Basin, from Colombia to Brazil.

Amazon horned frogs achieve their enormous girth by being generally indiscriminate about what they eat. Typical ambush predators, they squeeze their bodies into the forest substrate or leaf litter so only their heads protrude. When anything smaller than their own bodies happens by, they spring from the mud and swallow their prey whole, locking it in their jaws with their sharp teeth.

They are aggressively territorial and voracious to fault. Some have been found dead in the wild with the remains of an impossible-to-ingest victim still protruding from their mouths. Their ravenous appetite and huge mouths have earned them and other horned frogs the pet-trade nickname "Pac Man frogs."

Females are generally larger than males, but males are more ornately colored, ranging from dark green to lime-colored. Females are usually tan. Scientists are unsure what purpose their namesake horns serve, but it is likely they aid in camouflage, resembling leaf stems in the wild.

>> American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

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a P a i T u K a T a K ?

Katak dan kodok tergolong dalam kelompok amfibia. Dalam bahasa Yunani, amfibia membawa maksud dua alam. Sehingga kini, ada kira-kira 4014 spesies amfibia yang dikenal pasti. Bilangan ini terbahagi kepada tiga order, 400 genus, dan 34 famili.

Semakin jauh ke utara atau ke selatan, taburan haiwan amfibia semakin kurang. Sebagai contoh, Brazil mempunyai 502 spesies, Ecuador 343 spesies, dan Indonesia 270 spesies. Ketiga-tiga buah negara itu terletak di kawasan khatulistiwa. Sebagai bandingan, Itali mempunyai 34 spesies, Jerman 20 spesies, dan United Kingdom tujuh spesies. Ketiga-tiga buah negara itu terletak di kutub utara. Kajian menunjukkan bahawa ada 2900 spesies katak dan kodok di dunia.

Di Malaysia, spesiesnya 158. Familinya pula ada 12. Malaysia mempunyai lima famili sahaja, iaitu Pelobatidae (katak sarap hutan), Ranidae (katak sejati), Bufonidae (kodok), Microhylidae (katak mulut kecil), dan Rhacophoridae (katak pokok). Antara spesiesnya pula
termasuklah katak bertanduk Borneo (Megophrys nasuta), katak bongkok (Rana kuhli), katak pokok empat garis (Polypedates leucomystax), katak perut kuning (Chaeperina fusca), dan kodok pokok perang (Pedostibes hosei).

Katak mempunyai kulit yang lebih licin dan basah. Kulit kodok pula lebih kering dan menggerutu kerana dipenuhi oleh bintil. Dari segi fizikalnya, tubuh katak lebih kecil dan lebih panjang daripada tubuh kodok. Katak turut memiliki kaki belakang yang lebih panjang daripada kaki hadapan yang membolehkan katak boleh melompat lebih jauh dan tinggi.

Di samping itu, kulit renang di antara jari kaki belakang katak lebih lebar. Selain itu, dikatakan hampir semua spesies katak mempunyai gigi, manakala kodok tiada gigi. Selalunya proses mengawan berlaku pada musim hujan di kawasan berair. Semasa mengawan, yang jantan akan memeluk yang betina, sama ada di bahagian kaki belakang atau di bahagian ketiak. Katak betina mengeluarkan beribu-ribu biji telur sementara katak jantan memancutkan spermanya ke atas telur untuk mensenyawakannya.

Setelah disenyawakan, telur menetas dalam masa enam hingga sembilan hari. Maka keluarlah berudu, yang mempunyai insang di luar badan untuk bernafas. Berudu tinggal di dalam air. Selepas 75 hari, kaki belakang berudu tumbuh. Insang hilang dan digantikan oleh paru-paru yang terletak di dalam badan. Pada hari ke-96, ekor berudu hilang dan lahirlah anak katak yang dapat hidup di darat dan di dalam air. Dengan hal yang demikian, lengkaplah proses metamorfosis katak.

K i T a R a N H i D u P K a T a K

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