1. Frogs belong to a class of animals called amphibians. This is a large
group worldwide which evolved from a group of fishes around 270
million years ago.
Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts, salamanders and caecilians.
Frogs are Australia’s only native amphibians.
Amphibians are cold-blooded which means they cannot generate their
own body heat and rely on external sources in their surroundings for
warmth. They also have soft glandular skin, and a lifecycle which
usually begins as a larval stage in water before a metamorphosis into an
adult living on land.
Australia is ranked number 13 in the world for the highest number of
frog species with approximately 219 different frog species, 93.5% of
these species occur no where else in the world!
Although new species are regularly being discovered, in the last 40
years, at least 12 frog species have disappeared from Australia with a
further 47 of our remaining species considered threatened.
Frogs and other amphibians profoundly enhance our lives and our world
in countless ways. In addition to their intrinsic value as a beautiful part
of nature, they offer many benefits to us;
They play an important role in the food web as both predator and
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prey, maintaining the delicate balance of nature. Where they are
disappearing, harmful effects are already being documented.
• Amphibians eat pest insects, benefiting successful agriculture
around the world and minimizing the spread of diseases, including
malaria.
The skin of amphibians has substances that protect them from
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some viruses, offering possible medical cures for a variety of
human diseases, including HIV and AIDS.
Worksheet created by Alix Ludeke using information retrieved from; www.arf.net.au/frogs/index.html and
www.flickr.com/photos/76195812@N00/2438313785