Category: Amphibians
These frogs, sometimes called hippo frogs, are natives of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. Budgett’s frogs have a rounded, flattened body with eyes set high on their head. They are regarded as intelligent but aggressive creatures, and may vocalize and bite when cornered. Their smooth, olive-colored skin is effective camouflage – they look like a smooth river rock.
Learn more about Budgetts Frogs at Wikipedia and Reptiles Magazine.
An Ample Amphibian
Before reptiles and mammals appeared to challenge amphibian supremacy on the land, amphibians were much larger. But while they have shrunk in size over the last 315 million years, the Chinese Giant Salamander never got the memo: at up to 5.9 feet in length and 66lbs, this amphibian is longer than your dog, and probably weighs at least as much! Compare that to Paedophryne amanuensis, the world’s smallest frog (and smallest vertebrate) who is the size of a house fly! Due to habitat loss, environmental changes, and over-hunting/collecting, the Chinese giant Salamander is critically endangered, though conservation efforts to save it are underway today.
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