Amphibians, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 6, 2015

Frogs from Hell: Their Venomous Head Spikes Could Kill You

In the wilds of Brazil, researchers have discovered frogs with venomous spikes on their heads. Although scientists have long known of poisonous frogs, these are the first venomous frogs — that is, they not only secrete poison, but are armed with weapons that can deliver this poison into victims. Most...

Aug 24, 2015

Mini Frog, Bat with Freakish Tongue Found in Bolivia

A robber frog with beady, gold-rimmed eyes and a bizarre bat with a record-long tongue are among the menagerie of species discovered during an expedition in Bolivia. The slick, earth-hued robber frog, or big-headed frog, was spotted during the first leg of the 18-month-long expedition to explore Bolivia's Madidi National...

Sep 4, 2015

Kermit the Cannibal? Frogs Sometimes Eat Each Other

It's a frog-eat-frog world out there. While it may seem like frogs are insectivores (a long tongue snatching a fly comes to mind), these amphibians are actually generalist carnivores. They will eat just about any small critter they can swallow, including other frogs, according to a new study. It's no...

Jan 13, 2016

Frogs 'Talk' Using Complex Signals

Frogs are known for producing a wide range of sounds, and they certainly aren't shy about piping up to win mates or warn intruders off their territory. But some types of frogs have a broader vocabulary than others, combining different vocalizations with gestures to say, Come hither! or Keep your...

Feb 2, 2016

Baby Frogs Dine on Mom's Unfertilized Eggs

Two frog species with a bizarre behavior have been discovered in Taiwan: The tadpoles of the newfound tree frogs munch on their mom's gooey, unfertilized eggs. One of the newly discovered tree frogs — Kurixalus berylliniris, which is Latin for green-colored iris — has emerald-hued eyes and a slim body...

Mar 15, 2016

'Wasteland' Frog Fits on a Thumbnail, Chirps Like a Cricket

A tiny new frog species — so small that it can sit comfortably on the tip of your thumb and with a distinctive call that sounds like a cricket's chirp — was recently discovered in the southwestern plains of India, and was described in a new study. Researchers gave the...

Mar 31, 2016

Purple Digging Frog Undergoes Amazing Transformation

A strange purple species of frog that lives most of its life underground undergoes a drastic change from rock-clinging tadpole to grown-up digger, new research finds. While most frog tadpoles swim freely in the water, the Indian purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) spends its tadpole time clinging, with its suckerlike mouth,...

Apr 1, 2016

Elusive 'Dancing Frog' Tadpoles Finally Glimpsed

Elusive tadpoles of the Indian dancing frog, known for its leg-waving dance moves, have been seen for the first time ever. Though scientists had known about the adult frogs' graceful dances, which lure mates and ward off rival males, the juveniles of the species had never been seen before. That's...

Apr 27, 2016

Photos: America's Only Lake Titicaca Frogs

Rare frog (Image credit: Courtesy Denver Zoo)One of three critically endangered Lake Titicaca frogs on display at the Denver Zoo, the only place in the northern hemisphere where these amphibians are on view for the public. These frogs are endemic to Lake Titicaca, a high-elevation lake on the border of...

Apr 27, 2016

Dying Breed? Zoo Toils to Save Strange 'Scrotum Frog'

DENVER — In a back room of the Tropical Discovery exhibit at the Denver Zoo, it's feeding time for 17 of the most critically endangered frogs in the world. The strange, baggy-skinned amphibians leaping for red wiggler worms are Lake Titicaca frogs (Telmatobius coleus), which can grow to more than...

Jun 14, 2016

Photos: Bombay Night Frogs Get Busy

Bombay Night Frog Calling (Image credit: SD Biju)A male Bombay night frog (Nyctibatrachus humayuni) calls out in the monsoonal night for a mate. This species lives only in the Western Ghats of India. They mate at night, perched on vegetation above fast-flowing forest streams, making their behavior difficult to observe....

Jun 14, 2016

Freaky! New Frog Mating Position Discovered

A new frog mating position, only the seventh type ever observed, has been discovered in the monsoonal forests of India. Bombay night frogs (Nyctibatrachus humayuni) mate by having the male straddle the female without grasping her, and releasing sperm over her back. The female then lays her eggs, allowing the...

Jun 16, 2016

Frog Embryos Speed-Hatch to Escape Danger

A developing frog embryo in its jelly-like egg mass can be quite the escape artist: When predators come calling, the red-eyed tree frog embryo can detect the threat and drop out of its egg to safety in a matter of seconds, even though it normally wouldn't be ready to hatch...

Oct 21, 2016

Why Are Thousands of 'Scrotum Frogs' Dying Off in South America?

More than 10,000 endangered frogs and other water-dwelling animals living near a lake in South America were found mysteriously dead this month, according to reports from Peru’s wildlife and forestry service Serfor, leaving many people to wonder what could have caused this bizarre die-off. The Titicaca water frog (Telmatobius culeus),...

Feb 21, 2017

So Tiny! Miniature Frog Species Are Among World's Smallest (Photos)

Tiny frog (Image credit: SD Biju)Seven new frog species from India's Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were recently described in a new study. This pint-sized individual measures 0.54 inches (13.6 millimeters). Perched on a fingertip (Image credit: SD Biju)The tiny frog Vijayan's Night Frog (Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani) lives in...