In informal usage, the term “frog” usually refers to species that are aquatic or semi-aquatic and have smooth, moist skins; the term “toad” generally refers to species that are terrestrial with dry, “warty” skins. Both, however, are amphibians belonging to the order Anura and taxonomy does not differentiate between the two—all members of the order Anura being frogs. Typically, frogs lay their eggs in water, the eggs hatch into tadpoles, and the tadpoles ultimately metamorphose into frogs. The world’s largest frog is the goliath frog that can grow up to 12 inches in length and weigh up to 7 pounds. The world’s smallest frog is the Paedophryne amauensis that is only 0.30 inches long. Variants among the frog species include poisonous frogs, flying frogs, and burrowing frogs. Amphibians, including frogs, are said to be bellwethers of broader ecosystem health. More than one-third of frog species are considered to be threatened with extinction, and more than 120 species are believed to have become extinct since the 1980s. And then there’s Kermit …
