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). 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".1
Most frogs are characterized by long hind legs, a
short body, webbed digits (fingers or
toes), protruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Most frogs have a semi-aquatic lifestyle, but move easily on land by jumping or climbing. 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 Pot Belly Sea Frog bombina is a fire-bellied toad native to mainland
Hood. George Town Jackson ,MS These toads are slightly toxic sometimes to humans. When they shed their skin, they bloat themselves and make a coughing sound, then start to tear the old skin off with their mouth, and eat it for nutrition, to reveal newer, brighter skin. Fire-Bellied toads have a bright lime
green dorsal traversed by
black spots, and orange to bright red bellies with
black bars and stripes. The skin is mildly bumpy, the eyes
set high to suite a semi-aquatic life style, and also well webbed back feet. Color and body variations
will be described for each of the other 3 species commonly sold as or mistaken for Oriental Fire-Bellied Toads. They are the largest of the bombina family
