Hairy Frog - Cameroon

Trichobatrachus robustus - Native to the western area of Central Africa, the hairy frog is an odd amphibian. Breeding males develop dermal papillae along their flanks and thighs. These growths resemble hair, but are folds of skin containing arteries to provide the frog with an additional source of oxygen. When threatened, the hairy frog can defend itself by purposely breaking off a toe, force the bone through the skin and use the exposed claw as a weapon in defending itself. 

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The Fula people are one of the widest distributed ethnic groups of Africa. Despite being scattered throughout more than 20 countries, the Fula retain a common bound through their cultural traditions and language, Fulfulde. The Fula population exceeds 40 million people, with approximately 13 million living a semi-nomadic lifestyle. This makes them the world’s largest nomadic group. It was in the late 18th and early 19th century when the Fula established themselves as the dominate power in Cameroon.

Senegal Land Frog - Gambia

Kassina senegalensis - The Senegal land frog is a common species found throughout the savannah regions of Africa. It is a small frog, 25 to 40 millimeters in size, without noticeable differences between male and female. The Senegal land frog has several sub-species distributed over a wide area. Coloration varies by region, but is normally grey with a black dorsal strip, some spotting, and additional striping along the flanks. The call of the frog rises above other sounds during the African rainy season.

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Slavery had existed throughout the world, but it took on a new dimension with the beginning of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The African slave trade began in the 16th century and continued far into the 19th century. The area along the mouth of the Gambia River was one staging area among several others on the West African coast serving as holding camps and shipping centers. More than 3,000,000 people were shipped out as slaves from this area of Africa; the majority were bound for the Americas.

Mascarene Grass Frog - Guinea-Bissau

Ptychadena mascareniensis - The Mascarene grass frog, also known as the African marsh frog, originated in Madagascar and is now distributed over wide areas of Africa. It is a hardy amphibian able to survive in environments ranging from swamps to high mountain forests. Males are smaller than females and are recognized by the slits on the side of the head. These slits contain the vocal sacs used for attracting females and warning neighboring males of where the territorial boundaries lie.

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The area of present day Guinea-Bissau had been part of the Kaaba Kingdom, a Mandinka state existing from 1537 to 1867. It had also been part of the Manden Kurufaba Kingdom, another Mandinka state existing from 1230 to 1600.  Alvise Cadamosto, an Italian explorer sent out by Portugal’s Prince Henry the Navigator, explored the coastal area and set the stage for Portuguese colonization. The colony derived a substantial profit from the slave trade and was known as the Slave Coast.

African Frogs

A fossilized frog known as Triadobatrachus was discovered in Northern Madagascar during the 1930’s. This “proto-frog” dates back to the early Triassic period, 250 million years ago when the area of present day Madagascar was still attached to the landmass of Africa and the super continent of Gondwana.

Frogs are amphibians and belong to the order Anura, an order containing over 90 percent of all amphibians. There are three orders in the amphibian class: Anura (frogs and toads), Urodela (newts and salamanders), and Apoda (caecilians).

All species in the 31 families of Anura are frogs. The family Ranidae contains true frogs and the family Bufonidae contains true toads. True frogs are known for their bulging eyes, longer and stronger hind legs, moist skin, laying eggs in clusters, leaner bodies, and having a preference for aquatic settings. True toads have stubby bodies, short hind legs, dry or warty skin, deposit eggs in long chains, and are adapted to an aquatic or terrestrial lifestyle. These traits are not a definitive method of discerning frog from toad in the other 29 families of Anura.  

The frogs depicted are the Witu forest tree frog (Leptopelis concolor), the red-legged running frog (Kassina maculata), and the common ornate frog (Hildebrandtia ornatissima).

Painted Frog - Morocco

Morocco is one of three nations in Africa currently retaining a monarchy; the other two are Lesotho and Swaziland. The powers of the Moroccan king consists of a wide range of executive and legislative privileges. The king can issue dahirs; similar to decrees. Dahirs are allowed to become laws without parliamentary debate.

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Discoglossus pictus - The painted frog has three sub-species; the Maltese, Moroccan, and Spanish variety. They can be found along the coastal shores and wetlands of the Western Mediterranean Sea. The Moroccan painted frog prefers a permanent freshwater source, but has been found near brackish and saline water. Oak forests and oleander shrubs are ideal habitats. The frog is most active during the breeding season; February to April. During hot summer days, it will find shelter under rocks or burrow itself into the ground.

South African Frogs

Natal ghost frogs can be found throughout the higher forested regions of Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa. With larval requiring two years to fully develop, the ghost frog breeds only in fast moving perennial streams. The name “ghost” is derived from the animals elusive nocturnal forging habits and because of the abundant numbers found in South Africa’s Skeleton Gorge. 

The plaintive rain frog is also native to Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa. The head, with its short and flat snout, appears disproportionate to the rotund body. The limbs are also short and stout and lack webbing between the toes. It prefers habitats ranging from temperate forests, shrubland, and grasslands to dry savannas.

Unlike most frogs with their prominent bulging eyes, the spotted shovel-nose frog has small eyes mounted on a small head. The pointy snout is flat and hardened with a cushion of bony material. The upturned nose is used as a shovel for digging into the ground. The heels also feature a keratinized ridge to assist in burrowing; the frog lives most of its life underground. Burrowing frogs typically dig into the ground rear first, the spotted shovel-nose frog goes in head first. 

The frogs depicted are the Natal ghost frog, Hadromophryne natalensis, the plaintive rain frog, Breviceps verrucosus, and the spotted shovel-nose frog, Hemisus guttatus.

Harlequin Poison Arrow Frog - Colombia

The Chibcha people of the Central Colombian Andeans built their civilization in the high valleys of Bolivia and Colombia. Their culture, in terms of achievements, stood equal with the Aztec, Inca, and Maya. The Chibcha coronation ceremony on Lake Siecha was performed with enough splendor to create the legend of El Dorado.

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Oophaga histrionica - The harlequin poison arrow frog is a small animal measuring 2.5 to 3.8 centimeters in length. It is primarily found along the leaf litter of the tropical rainforests of Western Ecuador and Southern Colombia. The colors tones vary slightly, with each valley having its own specific design, but the colors yellow, orange, red, white, and blue are seen most often. These colors, usually bright, are used as a signal to ward off any potential predators. The skin glands of the poison arrow frog produces a highly toxic substance.

Red-eyed Tree Frog - Panama

The proposal to construct a Pan-American highway was first made in 1889, but has not been officially completed. Panama’s Darién Gap, a mere 100 kilometers of dense rainforest, separates Panama and Columbia. Destruction of the pristine area has stopped any further efforts to pave over this missing connection.

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Agalychnis callidryas - The red-eyed tree frog is a colorful frog. It has black vertical pupils set into bright red corneas. The upper body is a vivid green, the sides consist of blue and yellow vertical stripes, the toes are bright orange or red, and the underside is white. Despite these bright colors, the red-eyed tree frog relies on camouflage to evade predators; it is not a poisonous frog. During daylight, they tuck themselves into a small lump and with eyes closed, remain motionless to blend in with the green canopy of the trees.

Northern Leopard Frog - Vermont

Vermont was an independent country prior to becoming a state. The Republic of Vermont was proclaimed in July, 1777 and ceased to exist when it joined the United States in 1791. Vermont is one of four states having had a brief history of being an independent country; California, Hawaii, and Texas are the other three.

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Lithobates pipiens - Northern leopard frogs are found throughout Canada and the United States. A green or light brown spotted coloration is the most common pattern associating the leopard frog to the spotted leopards of Africa and Asia. The spots are missing from individuals of a third color scheme known as brunsi. Leopard frogs prefer habitats around slow moving waters with decent aquatic vegetation; ponds, swamps, and marshy areas are ideal. They are tolerate to cold climates and can survive in elevations up to 3,300 meters.

Common Midwife Toad - Saarland

With the conclusion of World War I, the Saar area was occupied by British and French forces. In 1935, a plebiscite was held offering the citizens three choices; reunification with Germany, a permanent merger with France or remaining under French occupation. By an overwhelming majority, the voters opted for returning to Germany.

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Alytes obstetricans - In the case of the common midwife toad, it is entirely the male’s duty to overseer the task of delivering the young. For protection, the eggs are secured to his limbs or carried on his back until they are ready to hatch; three to eight weeks. The male’s back has parotoid glands, an external skin gland able to release a pungent smell or a bufotoxin to warn off potential predators. These parotoid glands are often mistaken for warts. Midwife toads can also make themselves appear larger by inflating their bodies with air.

Greek Frog - Greece

Greece ranks as the 97th largest country in the world, but despite its small size, it has the 11th longest coastline in the world. Three seas have shaped Greece’s extensive coastline: the Aegean, the Ionian, and the Mediterranean Sea. There are more than 2,000 Greek islands; Crete, at 8,303 square kilometers, is the largest.

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Rana graeca - The Greek frog is found throughout Greece and the Balkan area. It has a high tolerance for colder climates and can survive in the higher mountain valleys, but rarely ventures far from a steady water source. The color is often grey or brown with dark patches. Male coloration becomes darker during the mating season when they gather in the water or on the banks of slow moving streams to call out to receptive females. An egg mass can contain 200 to 2,000 eggs, the number being dependent on the female’s age and health.

Giant Solomon Island Treefrog - Solomon Islands

Platymantis guppyi - The giant Solomon Island treefrog is distributed over a wide area of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. It is a small frog inhabiting the closed canopy of old growth rainforests. Most tree frogs descend to ground level for mating and spawning, but the Solomon Island treefrog is an exception; never leaving the tree as an adult, it will attach a foam nest to the tree branches. Logging has disrupted the treefrog’s environment, but it has quickly adapted to new growth forests.

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The Solomon Islands were settled over 30,000 years ago by Papua speaking people. Other migrations from Austronesian and Lapita people began arriving in the archipelago several thousand years later. The first Europeans to make contact with the native people were the Spanish, arriving in 1566. By 1893, the British had created a protectorate over the islands and aside from a brief period of Japanese occupation during World War II, it remained under British control until gaining independence in 1978.