List I | List II | ||
---|---|---|---|
A | Mesozoic Era | I | Lower invertebrates |
B | Proterozoic Era | II | Fish & Amphibia |
C | Cenozoic Era | III | Birds & Reptiles |
D | Paleozoic Era | IV | Mammals |
A frog is any member of a miscellaneous and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians constituting the order Anura. Frogs are extensively distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the significant concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforests. Frogs account for around 88% of enduring amphibian species. They are also one of the five most varied vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be termed toads, but the divergence between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.
An adult frog has a stout (fat and round) body, protruding eyes, limbs folded underneath, anteriorly-attached tongue, and no tail. Frogs have glandular skin, with secretions aligning from distasteful to toxic. Their skin differs in color from well-camouflaged dappled (dots and spots) brown, grey and green to lifelike patterns of bright red or yellow and black to show toxicity and ward off predators. Adult frogs live in fresh water and on dry land and some species are adapted for living underground or in trees.
Read More: Metamorphosis: Life-Cycle of Frogs