Frogs – A Chorus of Colors

Booking Period: 12-week minimum

Space Required:  2,500 to 5,000 square feet; modular design permits tremendous layout flexibility.

Gallery Conditions: Requires a secure indoor space at room temperature.

Shipping: Host institution is responsible for inbound shipping of exhibition components (one 53′ trailer) and round-trip live frog/plant transport (per mile fee).

Please contact us for exhibit pricing and availability.

Exhibited species are subject to change, but typically include the following:

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) Bullfrogs are named for their loud, deep mating calls. They have a ravenous appetite for insects, fish, birds, snakes, baby turtles and other frogs. Bullfrogs are native to the eastern U.S., but they have been released throughout the country and around the world where they have devastated local populations of frogs and other small animals.

Bullfrog Tadpoles (Lithobates catesbeianus) Found in ponds, lakes, and slow moving streams throughout the eastern United States, bullfrogs lay long strings of up to 20,000 eggs. The tadpoles are large (4 to 5 inches) and may take almost two years to metamorphose into frogs. They are active swimmers.

Tomato Frog (Dyscophus guineti) Brightly colored frogs are popular with pet owners and collectors. While many frogs are bred in captivity, over-collection of wild frogs is still a major problem. Frogs that live on islands or in small populations are most at risk. Tomato frogs have been given priority protection by international law.

African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) This giant frog can grow up to eight inches in diameter and live for 40 years. They eat almost anything – insects, small mammals and even other frogs! The male African Bullfrog guards the eggs and tadpoles during development. Tadpoles swim en mass around the male for protection. While he protects the tadpoles he also feed on them. As the babies go through metamorphosis they often eat their smaller siblings.

Smooth-sided Toad (Rhaebo guttatus) These South American toads grow up to 9 inches in diameter. Although they have no teeth, smooth-sided toads are bold predators. They catch prey with their long, sticky tongues and swallow it alive. Some large toads eat almost anything they can fit in their mouths including mice, birds, snakes, and other frogs. This is one of the few toads with smooth skin.

Gliding frog (Polypedates dennysi) These beautiful tree frogs have enlarged webbing between the toes. When leaping between branches or escaping toward the ground, the toes spread and the webbing acts like a parachute. Although no frogs can truly fly, gliding frogs can soar and land gracefully from daunting heights.

African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) These bizarre frogs look like they have been flatted in a traffic accident. They stand upright underwater with forearms outstretched and wait for food. Tiny projections on the fingers sense movement in the water. When a fish swims close the frog opens its mouth, causing an inrush of water, and stuffs the prey down its throat.

Amazon Milk Frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix) Milk frogs are named for a sticky white substance they secrete from their skins. These beautiful tree frogs often live high in the rainforest canopy and reproduce in water-filled treeholes. Males of this species stay behind to guard the eggs. When the tadpoles hatch, the male lures another female to lay eggs in the same water hole. He doesn’t fertilize the second batch of eggs, using them to feed his tadpoles.

Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata) These opportunistic hunters sport intricate patterns of brown, green, red and black markings that provide camouflage against the leaf litter of a rainforest floor. They pounce on a passing prey animal with remarkable speed, eating mice, beetles, snakes and other frogs. During dry periods, they encase themselves in a thick layer of dead skin.

Borneo Eared Frog (Polypedates otilophus) The toe pads of these frogs are covered with tubular cells standing on end. These tiny bristles compress and bend under pressure, allowing the toe pad to “form-fit” over irregular surfaces. Mucus on the tips of the bristles allows them to stick to almost anything.These frogs can climb straight up trees, cling to the undersides of leaves, or hang preposterously from a branch by one toe.

Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina orientalis) These mostly aquatic creatures have the warty skin of a toad, but swim and require moisture like most frogs. When in groups, Fire-bellied toads are often seen in amplexus, the mating posture where males grasp females around the waist to fertilize eggs. These frogs use skin colors for protection. The back side of the toad is green and black, providing camouflage from above. When disturbed, they throw their legs into the air revealing a bright red “fire
belly” to startle the intruder.

Long-nosed Horned Frog (Megophrys nasuta) These secretive frogs are leaf mimics. The pointed snout, projections over the eyes, and ridged “veins” running down the back help them disappear among leaf litter on the forest floor. The frogs lie motionless and ambush unsuspecting prey, including insects, spiders, crabs, scorpions, lizards, and other frogs.

Waxy Monkey Frog (Phyllomedusa sauvagii) South American monkey frogs climb through trees with grasping feet. The Waxy Monkey frog is unusual in its preference for hot, dry conditions. By recycling water in its kidneys, the frog is able to avoid expelling precious moisture in the form of urine. It also gives itself a rubdown with a waxy
secretion to limit water loss through the skin.

Dart Poison Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius, D. t. azureus, D. auratus, D. leucomelas) Dart Poison frogs from the rainforests of the Americas come in a dizzying
array of colors and patterns. A few species have been used by native tribes to poison the tips of blowdarts for hunting. Complex compounds in the skin secretions of dart frogs are now being studied by scientists for potential medical use. These hopping pharmacies have already provided a substitute for morphine which is non addictive and 100 times more potent.

Smokey Jungle Frog (Leptodactylus pentadactylus) These tropical-American frogs have impressive size and bulk. The meat from their powerful hind legs is prized throughout their range as a delicacy known locally as ‘mountain chicken’. When disturbed, they open their mouths and produce a loud “squawk”.

The Frog Frame – Check out the skeleton of the world’s largest frog, the African goliath frog. Learn how the frog’s skeleton allows it to out jump Olympic athletes.

Metamorphosis – Examine the stages of metamorphosis with preserved specimens.

Find a Frog – Some frogs are incredibly good at blending into their environments. Can you find the hidden frogs in these photos?

Frog or Toad? – Try to guess the differences between frogs and toads – it’s not as easy as it sounds.

On the Move – Push buttons to activate video clips of frogs jumping, swimming, walking, climbing, and gliding.

Leap Frog – Spin an old-fashioned zoetrope to see how a frog jumps.

Catching Food – Push buttons to activate video clips of frogs eating.

Create a Chorus – Push buttons to activate recorded frog calls. Overlap them to make a nighttime chorus.

Fun Frog Facts – Test your frog IQ on subjects from basic to bizarre.

Nests and Nurseries – Frogs are the most reproductively diverse vertebrate animals. Learn how various frogs protect their eggs and tadpoles.

Froguts – Perform a virtual frog dissection without hurting any frogs.