The word ‘amphibian’ comes from a Greek word called ‘amphibious’, which means ’to live a double life’.Frogs are considered amphibians as they are capable of living both on land and in water. Such a unique feature, isn’t it?Although frogs don’t drink water, this doesn’t mean they don’t need water for survival. Frogs are not required to drink water separately through their mouth, but they use a drinking patch that enables them to absorb water through their skin.Except for icy areas like the Arctic or Antarctic, frogs are found almost in every habitat and on every continent in the world. They are found in different sizes and colors in the wild. At 0.27 in (7 mm) long, Paedophryne amauensis, found in Papua New Guinea is the world’s smallest frog. The largest frog in the world is the goliath frog, which weighs around 7.2 lb (3.3 kg). You would be surprised to know a goliath frog can be as big as a house cat!If you liked the fun facts we listed so far, please do check out our other fun-filled articles on what do frogs eat and how do frogs mate.Do frogs live in groups?Different names are to refer to a group of frogs. They are called an army of frogs or a knot or referred to as a colony.Frogs usually like solitary life but are often seen in groups, especially during the breeding season or in areas where food is abundant. A group of young frogs is often seen swimming together.Do frogs group together when threatened?Did you know that a group of crocodiles is known as a bask or float while that of camels is known as caravan, herd or flock and that of sloth and jellyfish is known as snuggle and fluther or smack, respectively? Most animals live in groups to increase their chances of survival. They help each other during hunting, raising the young ones, and protect each other from predators.It is not known if frogs group together when threatened. It is often seen that frogs group together during the breeding season, and once the mating is over, the male and female frogs separate to live independently. When threatened, different species of frogs use different defense mechanisms to protect themselves. Some secrete poison, some camouflage; some secrete foul-smelling liquid, some use bright colors, some give out a high-pitched scream, while others can mask their scent with urine or hold their breath and play dead to protect themselves from their predators.Which animal group do frogs and toads live in?Frogs and toads belong to the animal kingdom and have many common features. For a layperson, it is often difficult to tell apart a toad from a frog. Because of their similarities, these animals have been classified under the same class and in the same order.Frogs and toads are classified as amphibians belonging to the order Anura. The main reason being that they are capable of surviving in water, as well as, on land, which is the main feature of an amphibian. Another feature that justifies their classification is that frogs are cold-blooded animals, which means they can adjust their body temperature as per the temperature of the air around them or water around them. Frogs usually lay their eggs in water which hatch to form a stage called tadpoles. These tadpoles have tails, gills and live in water. These tadpoles have highly specialized mouthparts suitable for planktivorous, herbivorous, or omnivorous diets. The frog’s life cycle is considered complete when tadpoles change into adults. However, a few species bypass the tadpole stage altogether and deposit eggs on land. Many species of frogs have a carnivorous diet, only a few species of frogs have an omnivorous diet.Both frogs and toads are classified under the order Anura as they are amphibians without a tail. The other two orders are Urodela, e.g., salamanders, which include the tailed amphibians, and Apoda, caecilians, that include legless amphibians. Now that we know what to call a group of frogs, let us continue to discover more fun facts ahead.From what group of organisms did frogs evolve?Fossil records show that the evolution of the present-day amphibian groups can be traced back to about 400 million years ago when the first tetrapod appeared.The evolution of tetrapods from fishes occurred during the Devonian period in a span of about 50 million years. One of the earliest tetrapods is from the aquatic genus Acanthostega, and fossil evidence shows that they had gills similar to fish but had four limbs with a skeletal structure similar to the present-day amphibian groups. In 2006, a fossil of ’tetrapod-like fish’ was discovered called Tiktaalik roseae, which was found to be the intermediate form between a fish and a tetrapod. Slowly with the abundance of food and few predators, the early tetrapods moved on to the land. This led to the ‘age of the amphibians.’ Frog and toads belong to the Anura order, which consists of all tailless amphibians.Difference Between A Group Of Frogs And ToadsAt first glance, frog and toad may appear to be the same. On a closer look, you can make out the difference. These animals appear to be the same because they both belong to the class Amphibia, order Anura and have close features.So how to tell apart a group of frogs from that of toads? It does not require much research to spot the differences. If the creatures you are looking at have moist, smooth, or slimy skin, you are probably looking at a group of frogs, a knot, or a colony. However, if the back of the skin is bumpy, dry, and rough, then chances are you are looking at a toad. Another feature that can tell them apart is the size of their hind legs. Frogs have longer hind legs than their head and body, enabling them to leap far when on the ground and swim faster when in water, but toads have shorter hind limbs than their body and head, enabling them to take shorter hops. So next time you see a tailless creature hopping around in your garden or house, we are sure you will be able to identify it as a frog or a toad!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what is a group of frogs called, then why not take a look at how do frogs breathe or poison dart frog facts?
The word ‘amphibian’ comes from a Greek word called ‘amphibious’, which means ’to live a double life’.
