Amazing natural comparisons. They can amaze for a long time and become firmly embedded in the memory. If, for example, you visit the Natural History Museum in New York, you can see the diversity of the world's fauna. There is a skeleton of a huge moa bird, which reaches a height of about three meters. The giants themselves are already extinct; the last representative disappeared in the 19th century. And next to the moa is a tiny skeleton of a small hummingbird, an inhabitant of South and Central America. And the contrasts don't end there. If you were looking for tours to Thailand, then you can buy a Moscow Thailand tour at msk.viasun.ru.

The biggest frog

An unusual exhibit in the museum belongs to a giant frog. They look more like the remains of a monster. And these are the bones of the squat and broad-boned goliath frog, belonging to the genus Konraua. This is the largest frog on the planet. The skeleton remaining in the museum is about a meter in size. But next to the goliath, nestled are the remains of a tiny cocoa frog, these are jewelry-fragile, tiny remains the size of a thimble.

And here's what we know about the record holders

The goliath frog is the most major representative of 250 species of real frogs. Amphibians can be found to this day in the wilds of West Africa, namely in Rio Muni and Cameroon. By the way, local tribes of frogs quite affectionately call them “nia-moa”, which means “sons”. They are called that because the frog grows to the size of a one-year-old baby.
The goliath frog lives near the noisy waterfall of the river called Mbia River. Under the canopy she hides on gray stones, thus taking a copious shower. It is noteworthy that gray frogs cling to the stones so much that even at close range they cannot be distinguished from the gray surface. And the animal is quite comfortable in its shelter, since water spray brings them an abundance of oxygen. And it is necessary for amphibians for normal skin respiration. Even with the slightest danger, the frog, which sat motionless like a statue, disappears in an instant - it makes an almost lightning-fast jump into the water. And after that it is impossible to find her in the waterfall. The goliath frog feeds on insects, rodents, scorpions and small birds. And the animal goes out in search of food only at night. She jumps out onto the shore near the waterfall and begins to leisurely look for dinner. The giant is capable of leaping three meters in length and covering its prey with its own body. However, the energy necessary for such a long jump runs out quickly, after which the goliath, as a rule, rests for a long time. By the way, local residents consider frogs to be silent because they do not have vocal cords. However, the sounds that the giants do make are almost impossible to hear amid the noise of the water.

By the way, the amazing device that allows the frog to stay on the surface of slippery stones that are washed by rapid streams of water can be called truly a miracle. And this device is suction pads located at the very ends of the toes of the front paws only. However, the hind legs also help the holiath to sit firmly on the stone - they have elastic membranes.

And the waterfall itself on Mbiya Riva, by the way, is very formidable, especially after heavy rains. Water cascades fall down with a roar and try to tear off the frogs sitting tightly on the stones. Well, where the water is not so seething, female frogs spawn. And each egg comes out the size of a whole pea. The frog reproduces only during the dry season; the female lays about 10 thousand eggs in 5-6 days. The development of an egg to an adult creature, that is, metamorphosis, lasts approximately 70 days. If at the time of birth the tadpole is only 8 millimeters long, then after 45 days it grows to 48 millimeters.
Tadpoles initially feed on plants, and after they go through the necessary stages of development, they become the same size as their relatives. And at this time, the goliath’s gills and tail disappear, the frog begins to grow rapidly and reaches a weight of three kilograms.

However, the place of residence of the largest frogs in the world is not so safe. It came under the close attention of a person. All because he tasted the taste of holiath meat. Therefore, the herd is constantly hunted and gradually destroyed completely.
However, the local Fanga tribes who live near the Mbia River waterfall are not interested in the frog as a subject of hunting. The Bayel pygmy tribes, who are well aware of the existence of the giant, do not see the source of food in the holiath. However, the frog is hunted by tourists, collectors and gourmets who have tasted frog meat. They catch rare animals with spinning rods, so the number of holiath is slowly but surely declining.

The smallest frog


But the tiny cocoa, a representative of amphibians, is the smallest frog. These dwarfs live in the virgin forests and jungles of Colombia. Even despite their miniature size, they can fend for themselves. Local Indians, who still use blowguns, risk their lives, but look for cocoa, collect the poison that is secreted by the skin, moisten the tips of their arrows and go hunt wild animals.
By the way, Indians extract poison from the skin glands of frogs in a far from humane way. They tie a live cocoa to a wire and spin it over an open fire. Then poison begins to accumulate along the back. And if you dry it, the solid mass will not lose its properties for up to fifteen years. It is worth noting that the venom of the green toad, which was caught in Kyrgyzstan in 1935, retained its toxic properties until 1949.

And the crystalline poison, which was obtained from an alcohol solution of the skin glands of the cocoa, is ten times more toxic than the deadliest animal poison - puffer fish.
What is cocoa? Those red creatures have bright yellow stripes that are located on the sides of the body. By the brightness of the creatures, by the way, they are similar to gems, that’s why they attract the attention of curious and unknowing tourists. The frog is only 2-3 centimeters in size, so two adults can easily fit in one teaspoon.

Frogs and toads are probably the most common amphibians on our planet. They are so diverse that we didn’t even suspect the existence of some.

Very poisonous, even one touch causes allergic reaction. Males panama frog They make a whistle and a loud, long-lasting sound that can be heard throughout the entire forest. An interesting thing is that frogs communicate with each other using the semaphore system - a system of gestures and touches. It is believed that this species of frog has evolved such unusual shape communication due to strong noise in reservoirs. To attract attention, frogs wave or raise their paws.

One of the largest representatives of the amphibian world. The frog reaches an average length of 20 cm, and average weight- half a kilogram. But there are real giants - in 1949, in the US state of Washington, a fish weighing 3 kg 250 grams was caught. An interesting fact is that the bullfrog is one of the top ten on Earth.

An extremely poisonous frog. The Indians of Peru and Ecuador catch dart frogs and dip their arrows in their poison. Fertilized eggs are laid in moist soil. When tadpoles are born, they are attached to the male's back and he carries the babies to trees, where water collects in leaves and flowers. The male dart frog guards the pools with tadpoles, the female feeds them with unfertilized eggs.

Razor-faced frog or marsh frog- the back is light brown, olive in color. From the eyes and almost to the shoulders there is a dark stripe, which narrows towards the end. The muzzle is pointed. It seems like an inconspicuous frog, but... but during mating season she turns blue.

normal state

during the mating season

Hairy frog- from the name it is clear that the frog has an unusual appearance. During the breeding season, the body of males is covered with patches of skin, like hair. The hairy amphibian is distinguished not only by its bizarre appearance, but also the ability to release “claws” like a cat. In times of danger, the bones on her fingers pierce the skin and form peculiar claws.

Paradoxical frog. Lives in South America. The adult individual does not differ in anything peculiar - small size- about 6 cm, green. But the tadpole of the paradoxical frog grows up to 25 cm in length.

Scutopum, also known as . It has an unusual body shape - it is perfectly round. At the moment of danger, it takes in air and becomes spherical, while straightening its legs, puffing its lips and making loud, frightening sounds. Tadpoles practice cannibalism - they eat each other.

Vietnamese moss frog or lichen copepod- the owner of the most camouflage skin among frogs. It almost completely merges with external environment, even her eyes seem camouflaged among the moss.

It has not only a bizarre appearance, but also an unusual way of raising offspring. The female lays eggs in a puddle, but when the embryos begin to move, the male swallows them. The eggs with tadpoles are located in a special pouch in the male’s throat. When the offspring grows up and is ready to independent life, the baby frogs begin to jump in the male’s throat, after which he spits them out.

Nosoha toad or big-nosed toad- eater of ants and termites. Outwardly, it is very similar to a mole, and just like a mole, it spends almost its entire life underground and digs tunnels. The long-nosed toad's tunnels and burrows lead to anthills and termite mounds - the frog's only food source.

Nobella frog

The smallest frog was found, oddly enough, high in the mountains. Namely, in the southern part of Peru, in the Andes mountains. The new kind The animals were named Noblela (Noblella pygmaea). It turned out to be very difficult to see the smallest amphibian, since its size is very miniature; an adult reaches only 10-13 millimeters in length. Females of these amphibians reach a little large sizes than males: the former grow up to 12.5 millimeters, and the latter - only 11.

In the bush of Peru

This small frog, the size of a tiny coin, also has a camouflage brown coloring, so it is almost impossible to notice it in the thickets of Peru.

Nobles live in dense tropical evergreen forests and meadows located high in the mountains, at an altitude of about 3000-3200 meters above sea level.

Caring for offspring

The smallest frog in the world, it has several differences from other amphibians. One of them is that the frog lays only 2 eggs (eggs). Each of which is 1/3 the size of the frog itself. Lays eggs in something damp, it can be fallen leaves, moss, grass.

The amphibian grabs 2 eggs and cares for them until they mature and hatch. Newborn animals do not have the same developmental stage as a tadpole; they are immediately in the adult.

Uncharted Territories

Nobles live in one territory all their lives, not leaving it even during the breeding season. This is very unusual for other frogs. Their small size allows them to take their place in the distribution of animals throughout the territory, without interfering with larger inhabitants.

Scientists believe that with further search and study of unexplored territories in the area South America even smaller creatures may be found.

24.04.2012 - 16:53

What kind of miracles exist in nature! Frogs are one of the most amazing creatures living on our planet. Don't believe me? Then look for yourself at the giant frogs, tiny frogs, golden frogs and other most unusual and wonderful representatives of the “wah” fauna...

Tree frogs, toads and frogs

First, in order not to get confused, let's quickly figure out how frogs differ from toads, and those, in turn, from tree frogs. So, frogs. They prefer to live in bodies of water (or in close proximity to water), and have teeth on the upper jaw and swim membranes on the hind legs. Frogs also have fairly smooth skin.

Toads have no teeth, their skin is rather uneven and drier and darker than that of frogs. Toads live on land, but do not go into water very willingly and only during the breeding season.

Tree frogs are the smallest family of amphibians. Tree frogs have fingers that end in discs that allow them to climb trees, something neither frogs nor toads can really do. Having climbed higher, the tree frog, if the need suddenly arises, can easily glide to a nearby tree or back to the ground.

Meeting Goliath

Different types of frogs (we will call them all frogs for convenience) amaze us with a wealth of shapes, colors and sizes. Are you not amazed? That's because you've never met a goliath frog, for example. Imagine that you are walking through the swamps of Equatorial Guinea, approaching a small waterfall, and suddenly something jumps from the bushes straight into the water with a terrible roar and a cloud of splashes!

Something – about a meter in length (including legs) and weighing about three kilograms. Zoologists will tell you about weight and length later, but the first impression (and for the faint of heart, the last) will be as if you scared away a slimy, disgusting dinosaur.

In fact, the Goliath frog is only dangerous to people with weak hearts. She does not know how to bite, she is afraid of people (because the natives perceive her as a delicacy), and not only people. It hunts mainly insects, and spends most of its time sitting on beaches and coastal rocks, ready to dive into the depths at any hint of danger. Having disappeared under the water, the goliath emerges after 10-15 minutes, but not entirely, and to begin with, it exposes only the tip of its nose and eyes to the surface. Having made sure that the beach is clear, the goliath climbs entirely onto the shore and again takes its position on its favorite pebble.

Panamanian gold

Did not impress? Are you a person with nerves of iron, and some (even very large) toads won’t scare you? Fine. Then let's move to Panama and get acquainted with one of the symbols of this country - the Panamanian golden frog.

The Panama frog is small and very beautiful - its skin is bright and juicy yellow. There is a belief that this amphibian turns into gold after its (necessarily natural) death. That is why in Central America before the arrival of the conquistadors there was so much gold and products made from it. They say that the first colonists, having heard enough Indian stories about frogs, drove the poor amphibians into special pens and left them there to die in the expectation that they would turn into precious ingots.

If you meet golden frog, then you can watch her life (rather sparsely saturated), make a wish or honor the memory of the Indians, and at the same time the first settlers. You can listen to male golden frogs, which are capable of making sounds that can travel for several kilometers. Surely you will be attracted by the “gesture language” of these amphibians. The fact is that golden frogs live near noisy waterfalls, and therefore communicate with each other mainly not with sounds, but with gestures - they raise their right or left paws, wave them quite funny, turn their heads, etc.

You can do all this. Except for one thing - don’t even think about picking up the golden frog. The Panama golden frog is one of nature's most poisonous creatures, and its poison is found directly on the skin. Moreover, the younger the individual, the more deadly the poison, which helps teenage frogs survive in this world.

Amphibian Princess

If you really want to cuddle the poor amphibian, or even take it home to keep it in an aquarium, leave the golden frog alone and get a real “princess” - the red-eyed tree frog, which also lives in South America.

Photos of this funny creature can be found everywhere, which is not surprising. The red-eyed frog is slender, with smooth skin and suction cup legs, very cute, defenseless, safe, and makes an unforgettable impression on even the most inveterate frogphobes. Its main color is green, on the sides and base of its paws it is blue with a yellow pattern, and its toes are orange. The belly is white or cream. The eyes, as we understand it, are red. Some individuals have small white spots on the back.

It's funny that young Panamanian tree frogs can change their color: daytime they are green and turn purple or red-brown at night.

An example of minimalism

We talked about the largest, most poisonous and most beautiful frogs. Next up is the smallest tree frog to date.

This little one, whose name - Paedophryne amauensis - is much longer than itself, was discovered by a group of scientists from Louisiana State University in the forests of Papua New Guinea just last December.

The body length of the microfrog is only 8-9 mm. And the coloring is such that it is almost impossible to notice it on the ground. It's even surprising that she was found at all...

Uncombed wah

Gerald Durrell wrote: “I was looking for a hairy frog in the lowland forests of Cameroon, but all the hunters there unanimously insisted that such a thing did not exist in the world. I stood my ground, and they looked at me with pity - this, they say, is another proof of incomprehensible stupidity white man, because even small children know that frogs don’t have hair!” And it was completely in vain that the African hunters laughed at the famous zoologist. Hairy frogs do exist, and Darrell finally managed to get them for his zoo!

So what kind of miracle is a hairy frog? This is a rather large amphibian with a wide and flat head, eyes bulging in endless surprise and a huge, greedy mouth. The body color on top is dark chocolate, the belly is white. Well, the main difference between the hairy frog and ordinary marsh tree frogs is, in fact, the hair sticking out from the sides and on the hips.

That is, this is, of course, not the kind of hair that grows on our heads, but something like thick, tangled algae. Only males have this decoration. Hairy females have not been observed in nature.

At first, scientists were extremely surprised. They even decided that hairy females simply had to exist, they were just hard to find. But later, when it became clear why the hairy frog actually needed its hair, the question of gender inequality disappeared by itself.

It turned out that frogs... breathe with these “hairs” when they sit under water for a long time. These are just a type of gills as an addition to the lungs. And only males have hair, and only for that period when they are forced to sit in their pond almost without getting out and guard the clutch of eggs. But females have no need for gills at all; they breathe only through their lungs.

And all because, firstly, they do not protect underwater masonry, and secondly, they rarely climb into ponds and puddles, preferring land. It is interesting that Mother Nature, unlimited in her imagination, awarded this amazing frog not only thick and lush hair, but also... huge claws that are like a cat's " fish hooks» hide in special pouches on the fingers.

If the predator manages to grab the frog, then it releases its claws and begins to swing its paws until the discouraged and scratched enemy spits out this seemingly harmless, but, it turns out, such a bloodthirsty creature.

Pipa Americana

Everyone who has read M. Bulgakov’s novel “Fatal Eggs” knows about this frog (more precisely, a toad). After all, it was her death that Professor Persikov grieved most of all. Pipa is a unique toad. First of all, it looks like a paver has driven over it. This helps the Americana pretend to be “non-living” and avoid contact with predators.

These amazing amphibians are found only on the South American continent: Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname. Pipas prefer to spend most of their lives in water. The mating call of male pipas resembles the ticking of a small clock. Obeying the calling tick, the female comes across her half and begins the process of throwing eggs, unlike any other existing in the world.