Paedophryne amanuensis

The smallest frog in the world is the Paedophryne amanuensis. First discovered in New Guinea in 2009, it’s a relatively new species that doesn’t even have a common name yet! With an average body size of just 0.3 in (7.7 mm), they are the smallest vertebrate and well-deserving of the top spot in this list!

 Amazing Facts About the Frog

·        There are over 5,000 species of frog.

·        Frogs don’t need to drink water as they absorb it through their skin.

·        A frog’s call is unique to its species, and some frog calls can be heard up to a mile away.

·        Some frogs can jump over 20 times their own body length; that is like a human jumping 30m.

·        Due to their permeable skin, typically biphasic life (aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults), and mid-position in the food web frogs and other amphibians are excellent biological indicators of the wider health of ecosystems.

·        In Egypt the frog is the symbol of life and fertility and in Egyptian mythology Heget is a frog-goddess who represents fertility.

Do frogs care for their offspring?

·        Many species of frog care for their offspring. For example, some poison dart frogs lay their eggs on the forest floor so they can guard them and urinate on them to keep them moist.

·        Females of some frog species keep a regular check on their offspring (tadpoles) and if food becomes scarce she will deposit unfertilized eggs for them to eat.

·        Asian tree frogs build nests in trees above water so that when the tadpoles hatch they fall directly into the water.