All living things on the surface of the planet are exposed to ultraviolet light to some extent. Diffused and reflected UVB will penetrate into deep shade and even nocturnal creatures may be exposed to small amounts whilst hidden in their daytime retreats. Exposure to UVB allows frogs to synthesize vitamin D in their skin, which … Read more
All living things on the surface of the planet are exposed to ultraviolet light to some extent. Diffused and reflected UVB will penetrate into deep shade, so even creatures on the floor of thick rainforests may be exposed to small amounts of UVB. Exposure to UVB allows poison dart frogs to synthesize vitamin D in … Read more
Most frogs (not all), start their lives as tiny tadpoles adapted for a fully aquatic life. Over time, the tadpoles will grow legs, lose their tails, and metamorph into adult frogs. Many tadpoles have lungs that they can use to breathe air in as little as 3 days post-hatch. Air breathing is necessary for survival in waters … Read more
Frogs are amphibians, which means they live part of their lives in the water and part on land. They typically start their lives as fully aquatic tadpoles, which metamorph into mature frogs over time. In each of these life stages, they will have different diets. Frog tadpoles are mostly herbivorous and eat algae and aquatic … Read more
American green tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) are small, smooth-skinned frogs found in the central and southeastern United States, from eastern Virginia down to Florida and as far west as Texas. Like most other frogs, they are obligate carnivores as adults, which means they eat animal-based food instead of plants or vegetation. Green tree frogs are opportunistic predators – … Read more
Spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) are small, slender tree frogs found throughout much of the eastern part of North America. Like most frogs, spring peepers are obligate carnivores as adults, which means they eat animal protein instead of plants or vegetation. Spring peepers are opportunistic predators – but they are mainly insectivores. In the wild, they eat worms, snails, slugs, mites, spiders, … Read more