Fork Tongued Frog

Family Dicroglossidae

Amphibian

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing forked tongue frogs. We'll be honest with you, in all our research we couldn't find anything giving a solid answer as to why these frogs have the common name forked-tongue. They probably do have forked tongues, but we couldn't find a copyright free image to show here, so, we're all just going to have to take that name at face value. Of course, there are over 200 species of these amphibians, and likely more to be named in the future, so they have a variety of common names which we'll share with you here. 

These frogs are often confused for toads because of their warts. In fact, they're called wart frogs or warty frogs for this very feature. Many species come in shades of brown and green to help them blend in with their environment and others sport grooves which give them a striped appearance. For this reason, they're sometimes called tiger frogs. Not all species have grooves and bumps, however, and some species grow these protuberances over time. Male forked-tongue frogs may develop spines during the breeding season or even a fleshy, warty head cap. 

Forked-tongue frog tadpoles sometimes have sharp, tooth-like projections in their mouth for catching prey, so these amphibians also get the common name of fanged frogs. But wait, there's more! These vertebrates are also known as swamp and paddy frogs based on their preferred habitats. It's not uncommon for these frogs to live near water. This water may be fast flowing such as mountain streams or it may be something as simple as vernal pools. Some fork-tongued frogs are almost entirely aquatic. These species will even rest by simply floating on the water's surface. Other species are terrestrial to the point that even their tadpoles spend their time on moist rocks. These tadpoles have suction cup mouths to help them stick to the rock's surface!

There is huge diversity in this frog family. Some species are under an inch (2.5 cm) long while the largest can reach over ten inches (25 cm) in length and 2 pounds (0.9 kg) in weight! Especially in the case of the larger species, forked-tongued frogs are eaten by people for their legs. They're also harmed by habitat destruction and water pollution. Some humans like to have them around, such as farmers, as the frogs eat pest insects like mosquitoes and their larvae. Other prey for these amphibians include spiders, beetles, termites, freshwater crabs, and even other tadpoles– sometimes of the same species! In turn, fork-tongued frogs are eaten by other frogs, monitor lizards, large fish, wading birds such as herons, crocodiles, and snakes.

Fork-tongued frogs have a vast range. The most species diversity occurs in southeast Asia, however they live throughout all of South Asia including India. They're also found in sub Saharan Africa. Many species are nocturnal, spending their days hiding in leaf litter, under rocks, in natural cracks in riverbeds, and other dark, damp places. While the breeding habits of most species are undocumented, what is known is that they generally breed during the rainy season. Depending on the species there may be a few dozen to a few hundred eggs laid at a time. 

The males call to attract a female's attention. Here's an example: (chirping) They're sometimes known as cricket frogs for their call!  It's not uncommon for female forked-tongue frogs to lay their eggs in separate pools to help avoid predation from other tadpoles or frogs. In fact, she may not lay her eggs in a body of water if other tadpoles are present. This is to avoid competition. The eggs are often protected until they hatch which takes about a week. About a month later they'll have fully metamorphosed into adult frogs, and they can breed by the following year.

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