What is the Largest Frog in the World
Frogs are amphibians that are found throughout most of the world. They begin life as an egg, which hatch into larvae (tadpoles) with tails and gills. They turn into adults at a later stage when they develop legs and lose their tail. There are about 5000 different species of frogs that have been identified. The average size of a frog is about 8 cm (3.1 in) long, but some species are much smaller or larger than this. Let’s find out which of the 5000 species of frogs is the largest in the world.
What is the largest species of frog?
The goliath frog (scientific name: Conraua goliath) is the largest frog in existence. This frog can grow up to 33cm (13 in) in length (as measured from the snout to the back end) and reach an impressive 3 kg (8 lb) in weight. Despite their large size the tadpoles and eggs of the goliath frog are similar to other frogs. This means that their impressive size is achieved after they have passed the juvenile stage. The goliath frog is only found in a small portion of the African countries Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. It lives near river systems in this region and water is vital to the survival of this species.
It is a popular species in the pet trade and as a pet they can live for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, this has put significant pressures on the wild population of this animal (they rarely breed in captivity). They are now listed as an endangered species and the government of Equatorial Guinea caps the amount of frogs sent to the pet trade each year.
Did you know?
Unlike most other frogs, the goliath frog has no vocal sac. This means that they cannot croak and do not produce a mating call!
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