Frogs are egg laying exothermic (cold blooded) vertebrate animals. All adult frogs are carnivores (i.e. eat other animals). Frogs undergo metamorphosis, changing from a tadpole form with gills and no limbs, into their adult form which has four legs and lungs.
Queensland has a diverse range of frogs, including 105 species. Each species has their own distinct call that they use to signal each other.
Frogs are quite often referred to as bio-indicators, helping to inform humans about the health of a particular environment. Unfortunately, all over the world, many frog populations are in decline.
The Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) was introduced into north Queensland in 1935, and has since spread to cover most of northern Australia.
Did you know?
Female frogs (Rheobatrachus spp.) swallow their own eggs and carry the developing young in their stomachs until the froglets emerge from their mouths. The male Marsupial Frog (Assa darlingtoni) has pockets for carrying his young. He enters the egg mass where the young tadpoles wriggle their way into special hip pouches. Here they stay and grow to emerge as young frogs seven weeks later.
