Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura (meaning "tail-less", from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin saltare, to jump). Most frogs are characterized by long hind legs, a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance. Due to their permeable skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds or lakes, and their larvae, called tadpoles, have gills and develop in water. Adult frogs follow a carnivorous diet, mostly of arthropods, annelids and gastropods. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.

The distribution of frogs ranges from tropic to subarctic regions, but most species are found in tropical rainforests. Consisting of more than 5,000 species described, they are among the most diverse groups of vertebrates. However, populations of certain frog species are declining significantly.

A distinction is often made between frogs and toads on the basis of their appearance, caused by the convergent adaptation among so-called toads to dry environments; however, this distinction has no taxonomic basis. The only family exclusively given the common name "toad" is Bufonidae, but many species from other families are also called "toads," and the species within the toad genus Atelopus are referred to as "harlequin frogs".

The name frog derives from Old English frogga, (compare Old Norse frauki, German Frosch, older Dutch spelling kikvorsch), cognate with Sanskrit plava (frog), probably deriving from Proto-Indo-European praw = "to jump".

The frog is a small hopping amphibian in the order Anura (meaning "tail-less").

Contents

• 1 Sourced
• 2 Unsourced
• 3 See also
• 4 External links

Sourced

• Eye of newt and toe of frog,
  • William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 4 sc.1

• A frog he would a-wooing go.
  • Nursery rhyme

• Too hard for any frog's digestion, To have his froghood call'd in question!
  • Christopher Smart, The Duellist

• In a puddle, ask for a pool; in a pool, ask for a lake; in a lake, ask for an ocean. This is the way for a frog to reach the stars!
  • Mehmet ildan, Quotations

• I don't see no p'ints about that frog that's any better'n any other frog.
  • Mark Twain, The Celebrated Jumping Frog (1867)

Unsourced

• You can't tell by looking at a frog how high he will jump.
  • Mormon proverb

• Ếch ngồi đáy giếng coi trời bằng vung.
  • Translation: Sitting at the bottom of wells, frogs think that the sky is as wide as a lid.
  • Vietnamese proverb

• I'd kiss a frog even if there was no promise of a Prince Charming popping out of it. I love frogs.
  • Cameron Diaz