Fun Frog Facts

  1. Frogs have teeth! They have a ridge of very small cone teeth around the upper edge of the jaw. These are called Maxillary Teeth. Frogs often have Vomerine Teeth on the roof of their mouth. They have no teeth on their lower jaw, so the upper teeth are used to hold the prey in place until they can get a good grip on it and squash their eyeballs down to swallow their meal. (Toads do not have any teeth.)
  2. Ranidaphobia is the fear of frogs.
  3. Frogs sing! The male frogs are the ones that sing. Different species sing different songs. Males are the ones that have the loud voice. Some females have voices, too, but they are softer. The males sing (grunts, croaks) to attract the females for mating.
  4. In Japan, the frog is a sign of good luck!
  5. The biggest frog is the Goliath frog (Conraua goliath) in Cameroon, West Africa. Their bodies can reach 1 foot – and remember, their legs are at least that long! The Conraua goliath weighs as much as a housecat! One of the smallest frogs is the Gold Frog (Brazilian Psyllophryne Didactyla). The adult Gold Frog’s body grows to measure only 3/8 inch long (with legs drawn in).
  6. Frogs can breathe by means of the lungs and also through their skin. This is because of the way their heart is formed. It has 3 chambers instead of the normal 4.
  7. In 1867, Mark Twain made frog jumping world famous in his book “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches”. Angel’s Camp, California has it’s annual frog jumping contest in May every year!
  8. Blue poison dart frogs were only discovered in 1968! These little frogs are easily recognized by their blue color and black spots. As their name implies, poison dart frogs can release toxins from their skin that are distasteful and potentially lethal to would-be predators. Some toxic species of poison dart frogs from Colombia and South America were utilized by Indians to poison the tips of blowgun darts.
  9. The idea that frogs can change into people is very popular in many cultures. The most famous story is that of the Frog Prince. The story is simple: A frog woos a princess and asks for a kiss. At first the princess is frightened and disgusted, but she feels sorry for the poor frog and kisses him. Suddenly, the frog is transformed into a handsome prince, and the prince and the princess are married, living happily ever after. Interestingly enough, this story has many early variations that are reversed! The frog is a girl, and a young man must take the chance in order to discover a beautiful princess or bride.
  10. Did you know that a group of frogs is called an “army” ? (A group of toads is called a “knot”.)