Frogs and Toads
Part 2
Herpetoculture
Pensacola Jr College
Leptodactylidae =
wide mouth toads and many others (722 species, largest anuran group)
Family
Leptodactylidae
w Range: Mexico/Florida
through C and S America
w Physical characteristics:
1 12 inches long
Extreme wide variation in
type
Horizontal pupil shape
Visible external tympanum
Tongue not deeply notched
Often similar to tree frogs
Family
Leptodactylidae
w Aquatic / amphibious /
terrestrial forms
w Widely varying habitats
w Reproduction:
External fertilization and
oviparous EXCEPT Puerto Rican live-bearing frog
Terrestrial forms build foam
nests
Barking Frog
Greenhouse Frog
Rio Grande
Chirping Frog
Cliff Chirping
Frog
For comparison
(NOT required):
Microhylidae = narrow-mouthed toads
Eastern
Narrowmouth Toad
Great Plains
Narrowmouth Toad
Sheep Frog
Bufonidae = true
toads and harlequin frogs
Family Bufonidae
w Range: worldwide including
border marine (except polar regions & Australia?)
w Physical characteristics:
1 9 inches long
Thick body with wide head
Usually shorter legs (hop)
Dry rough warty skin
Family Bufonidae
w Physical characteristics:
Externally visible tympanum
Tongue not deeply notched
Parotid glands behind head
No teeth
w Adults terrestrial, often
burrowers
w Poisonous skin secretions
from parotids, warts, legs
Family Bufonidae
w Reproduction:
Breeding males develop
nuptial pads on fingers to mate
External fertilization
Usually huge numbers of eggs
laid in long chains
Eggs hatch in 3 12 days
Free swimming tadpoles
Metamorphosis at ~ 2 months
American Toad
Southern Toad
Houston Toad
Canadian Toad
Woodhouses Toad
Gulf Coast Toad
Oak Toad
Great Plains Toad
Texas Toad
Red-spotted Toad
Green Toad
Colorado River
Toad
Western Toad
Southwestern Toad
Cane Toad
Ranidae = true
frogs (second largest group, 611 species)
Family Ranidae
w Range: worldwide (except
polar regions, southern S America, Australia)
w Physical characteristics:
0.5 14 inches
Slender streamlined body
Pointed head
Longer hind limbs (jump,
swim) with webbed rear feet
Family Ranidae
w Physical characteristics:
Smooth skin, usually brown
or green
Externally visible tympanum,
often extremely prominent
Deeply notched tongue
w Adults almost always aquatic
Family Ranidae
w Reproduction:
Males develop nuptial pads
on fingers, congregate, chorus
External fertilization
Large number of eggs in
clusters
1 4 weeks to hatching
Free swimming tadpoles
6 months 2 yrs to
metamorphosis
Bullfrog
River Frog
Pig Frog
Carpenter Frog
Green Frog
Mink Frog
Wood Frog
Northern Leopard
Frog
Southern Leopard
Frog
Rio Grande Leopard
Frog
Plains Leopard
Frog
Pickerel Frog
Crawfish Frog
Gopher Frog
Foothill
Yellow-legged Frog
Mountain
Yellow-legged Frog