From their unique ways of swallowing and drinking to their extraordinary tongues and survival strategies, frogs are full of surprises. Discover how these amazing creatures breathe through their skin, sing love songs at night, and even contribute to medical advancements. Get ready to be amazed by the wonders of frogs! 

1. Frogs swallow with the help of their eyes

2. If frogs eat something poisonous they can actually vomit their stomach up and wipe the poisonous food off with their hands

3. Frogs have four fingers and five toes

4. Each species has a different call (from hoots, to croaks, to creaks and beeps!)

5. Only male frogs make the calls you hear at night- they are love songs to attract female frogs

6. Female frogs are generally larger than male frogs

7. Frogs have soft, long tongues. A softer tongue can reach farther: the Northern Leopard Frog from the US has a tongue that is 10 times softer than the human tongue and can extend to 130% of its length when propelled!

8. Frogs breathe, at least in part, through their skin

9. Frogs drink through their belly skin, the water gets sucked in through a patch of skin called their "drink patch". You'll never see a frog lapping water out of a bowl or anything!

10. Frog saliva is 175 times more sticky than human saliva.

11. In most mammals, the tongue is attached to the throat, but in frogs, it is attached to the front of the lower jaw. Frogs and toads use this attachment point to propel the tongue like a mousetrap.

12. Some species of frog can spend months or years buried underground in the desert until the rains fall. Some make waterproof cocoons of layers of their own skin and secretions so they don't try out underground!

13. Frogs produce chemicals on their skin to stop them from getting infected by things or being eaten, and they are now being explored for use in human medicine - from antibiotics, painkillers, antivirals and internal "glue" for surgeries!

14. Some frog species spend years as tadpoles.

We hope you enjoyed these fourteen fascinating frog facts! From their unique physical traits to their incredible survival strategies, frogs truly are remarkable creatures. But there's more to learn and discover about these amazing amphibians.

 Help Save Australia's Frogs!

Australia has over 250 known species of frog, almost all of which are found nowhere else in the world. Some species are flourishing, like the Striped Marsh Frog. But others have declined dramatically since the 1980s, and four have become extinct.

FrogID is a national citizen science project that is helping us learn more about what is happening to Australia’s frogs. All around the country, people are recording frog calls with nothing more than a smartphone. Visit the FrogID website to view Australia’s top froggers on the FrogID leaderboard.

With the data obtained through FrogID they are able to track the Cane Toad and identify where frogs are thriving and where they aren’t. And by matching calls to weather and habitat, we are learning more about how different frog species are responding to a changing environment.

Learn more

Create Your Own Frog Habitat

Creating your own frog habitat is a fun and exciting way to help our froggy friends and make your backyard a cool place to explore! Frogs need safe places to live because their homes are disappearing, and by making a frog habitat, you give them a cozy spot to stay safe. 

FrogID Mobile App

Croaks, whistles, bleats and barks - every frog species makes a different sound! By recording a frog call with the Australian Museum's free FrogID app, you can discover which frogs live around you and help us count Australia's frogs! 

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