From the archives: Frogs and toads

The frog that breaks its own bones to use as claws; the frogs that raised tadpoles in their stomachs; the musical frog that works in real estate advertising; and the flattest toad in the world.

Horror frog
J. Green, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Central African hairy frog – also known as the horror frog – can break its own bones and stick them through its skin, to use as impromptu claws.


Gastric-brooding frog
Benjamin Healley [CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The now-extinct platypus frogs of eastern Australia gestate tadpoles inside their own stomachs.


Nippon510, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Emei music frog of China uses sound to advertise the size and scope of its burrow.


The common Surinam toad is the flattest amphibian in the world.

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