
Around the world, there are about 2,600 species of frogs. Despite this diversity, frogs share common features. They have round, squat bodies, long and strong back legs, and shorter front legs. Frogs are often found sitting in a squat position, maybe at a pond’s edge or on a water plant leaf.
Frogs have wide mouths, but no teeth. They catch their prey with long tongues. Their front feet have four toes, while the back feet have five and are webbed. Frogs mostly live in water and their webbed toes help them swim.
Frogs are also called tailless amphibians, different from salamanders, which have tails and are known as tailed frogs. Frogs are carnivorous, meaning they eat other animals. They have powerful legs and tongues that are attached at the front of their mouths. Most frogs start their lives eating plants as larvae, but some species are omnivorous.
Frogs lead a semi-aquatic life and go through a process called metamorphosis. This is when they change from juvenile to adult. Young frogs have tails, but as they grow, the tails shorten and disappear. However, the Ascaphus genus, with two species, is an exception. These frogs seem to have tails, but it’s actually an extension of the cloaca, not a real tail.