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5 Fun Frog Facts

March 14, 2023

There are over 7,000 frog and toad species on planet Earth, and every single one of them is weird and wonderful in its own unique way.

And since World Frog Day is just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to learn some little-known (and wildly bizarre) frog facts to impress your friends with—and to spread the word on just how spectacular these amphibians really are.

Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

1. Glass frogs make their skin transparent by hiding red blood cells in their livers

In order to protect themselves from predators while resting on leaves, these tiny frogs make their skin nearly transparent by packing their red blood cells into their livers. Since nearly 90% of their blood cells are collected in one place, the rest of the body appears virtually invisible.

2. Certain species of frogs can freeze nearly solid in the winter, and emerge unscathed in the spring

Wood frogs evolved to freeze up to 65% of their body every winter! The amphibians produce urea and glycogen to make a kind of “antifreeze” that fills and protects their cells and vital organs while the rest of the body freezes solid.

3. Frogs use their eyeballs to help them eat

When a frog swallows food, it pulls its eyes down into the roof of its mouth to help push food down their throats.

4. The biggest frog in the world can weigh nearly seven pounds—the size of a newborn baby!

The Goliath frog, found in small ranges in the rainforests of western Africa, are truly massive: they can grow to lengths of 2.5 feet with their legs extended. But despite their formidable size, they’re now endangered: hunting and habitat loss have caused steep population declines.

Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher©WCS

5. Extinct in the wild, the Bronx Zoo is one of the only places in the world where you can see one special frog

The Kihansi spray toad is extinct in the wild. This fascinating species is one of the only frogs that give birth to live young. This means they are born as frogs and not tadpoles. Wildlife Conservation Society is working in Tanzania, the frog’s native country, to reintroduce the species back into the wild.

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