Frog-Goliath is an amphibian, which is a representative. Amphibian is listed in the International Red Book.
Appearance
The body has an oval shape, its length varies from 30 to 32 cm. Moreover, huge paws of frogs are not taken into account. Mass weight 3-3.5 kg. The largest frog-Goliath weighs 6 kg.
This amphibian has smooth skin. The color of the frog is greenish with an olive tint. There are interspersed brown and black on the skin. The chin and abdomen are painted in dirty white or beige, yellow with brown tint. The back of the frog is covered with wrinkles, on this part of the body there are a lot of tubercles.
The eyes of this amphibian are large, a golden iris. The hind legs of the frogs are very large, their length can be 60 cm. Fingers on the limbs are also massive, they have an oblong shape, they are interconnected by a membrane.
In these hazy sexual dimorphism, it is expressed in the fact that males are less than females, the length of their bodies is much less.
Where it lives
This amphibian is very vigilant in choosing a habitat. Frogs prefer ponds with crystal clean water rich in oxygen. These freezers love waterfalls and rivers with a fairly strong current. The temperature of the ideal environment for frogs should vary from + 17 to + 23 ° C. These amphibians love ponds with high humidity, because it has a very favorable effect on them. Almost all day the Goliaths are sitting on the stones or protrusions of the rocks, where spray is constantly falling.
Goliaf frogs can be found in Africa, in almost all countries. So, these amphibians inhabit Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon.
What eats
The appetite of this frog is heroic, because the individual itself is also large. They hunt hairless night. They are looking for a victim both on land and in water. The diet of frogs includes invertebrates and insect larvae. The frogs of the Goliaths eat spiders, representatives of crustaceans, locusts and even cockroaches.
In addition, Goliath frogs often catch fish and small rodents, lizards and even birds. These amphibians can enjoy snakes.
Rules of hunting
These frogs, barely seeing the prey, turn a long jump and immediately stun it. After that, amphibians grab the victim and squeeze it a little with their jaws, then swallow their dinner.
Insect larvae, small spiders of the Goliaths capture their tongue and immediately swallow. This happens so quickly that the prey does not have time to understand anything. This happens because the frogs have excellent vision and they can notice the enemy or prey at a distance of 40 meters. A great disguise that has the same color as the rocky protrusions also solve a lot.
Lifestyle and characteristic
These amphibians always show caution, because they are used to the fact that many animals hunt for them. For example, crocodiles. If the enemy overtakes, the frog instantly dives into the water and remains there for another 10-15 minutes. When the danger has passed, Goliath sticks out his keen eyes and face from the water, and then the whole body.
In general, nothing is known about the “routine” of these frogs, they are very quiet both in the direct and figurative sense. These freehaired ones simply do not have voice resonators.
Social structure and propagation
Scientists believe that these amphibians live on one site all their lives. That is, about 20 m2 a kind of house of a frog.
The propagation period begins in the dry season. Nothing is known about the marriage games of amphibians. Experts are only sure that mating occurs in water. In one season, the female produces about 20 thousand eggs, the diameter of one egg is about 5 mm. Caviar over time reaches the bottom of a stream or reservoir, after 70 days tadpoles begin to appear from it. Future frogs with the help of suction cups on their mouths are attached to the pitfalls and are almost constantly in this position. They are able to stay on stones and thanks to strong tails. The diet of babies consists of algae and plankton.
The transformation process starts only when the length of the body is a tadpole of more than 5 cm. After the frog loses its tail. Without it, the length of their body is only 3.5 cm. Puberty occurs when they grow up to 18 cm.
Goliath frog under the threat of extinction
Every year the habitat of frogs decreases by about 80 thousand. ha.
For 10 years, frogs are tormented for 10 years: they are taken away from Africa to the United States, where they are forced to perform at jumping competitions, and they are bred in bad conditions in captivity. The habitats of amphibians mercilessly destroy.
Poachers in order to get more fish, poison reservoirs by agrochemicals. For frogs this is a real disaster, because caviar just dies. Finally, frogs are caught and sold in numerous markets.
Measures of extinction
The World Wildlife Fund, together with Cres, has created 3 reserves in Litrel and are now preparing a project to control the pools of some rivers of Africa.
Interesting Facts
- European zoology opened the-Goliath, this happened in 1906. The amphibian was named after the biblical hero, whose height was 2.7 m, because the length of the body with paws about 90 cm.
- The life span of the frog varies from 15 to 21 years.
