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Adult frogs may live in or near water, but few are fully aquatic. [159] Almost all frog species are carnivorous as adults, preying on invertebrates, including insects, crabs, spiders, mites, worms, snails, and slugs. A few of the larger ones may eat other frogs, small mammals and reptiles, and fish.
Adult frogs do not have tails and caecilians have only very short ones. [69] Didactic model of an amphibian heart. Salamanders use their tails in defence and some are prepared to jettison them to save their lives in a process known as autotomy. Certain species in the Plethodontidae have a weak zone at the base of the tail and use this strategy ...
Research by Cartledge et al. (2006) [7] suggests that the species' water balance is more closely linked to the hygric properties of the surrounding soil rather than the formation of a cocoon. The water potential of the soil plays a crucial role in the frog's ability to absorb water and reduce loss of body water through its skin. This adaptation ...
The toad is able to absorb water from the surrounding soil; even as the soil becomes increasingly dry in spring and early summer months, increased concentrations of urea in the toad's body allow it to continue to suck water out of the soil through osmosis. When the summer rains arrive the Great Basin spadefoot emerges from its burrow. [4]
Pig frogs are important members of their ecosystem, helping to control the populations of the insects and other small animals that they eat. They play a vital role in maintaining the balance of their wetland habitats. The percentage of Pig frogs' prey items varies throughout the year, most likely due to the availability of resources. [4]
Water-holding frogs are ectothermic, [8] meaning they depend on external sources of body heat. Aestivation is a behaviour characteristic of water holding frogs. It is similar to how other animals hibernate, except it takes place during summer as opposed to winter when weather conditions are hot and dry. This behaviour is a response to high ...
Common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpole. A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian.Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial.
A few species deposit eggs on land or bypass the tadpole stage. Adult frogs generally have a carnivorous diet consisting of small invertebrates, but omnivorous species exist and a few feed on plant matter. Frog skin has a rich microbiome which is important to their health. Frogs are extremely efficient at converting what they eat into body mass.