#ground frog

Hoppy New Year: The ground frogs are sometimes known as leaf frogs (because they look like leaves), eyelash frogs (because they have little crests over their eyes), or triangle frogs (because some have a big wedge for a head).

photograph by Untamed Wildlife Photography 

Here we see the eggs and newly-hatched offspring of the Fiji ground frog [Cornufer vitianus], a species endemic to Fiji. As the name suggests, these frogs are entirely ground dwelling and largely nocturnal, living in forest environments as well as rural gardens, plantations, and on river banks. They lay their eggs on the forest floor, and after about a month the eggs hatch into fully developed young froglets, skipping the tadpole stage entirely. Images by Edward J. Narayan.

Southern Corroboree Frog Pseudophryne corroboree

Hoppy New Year: The most well-known Australian ground frogs are the pobblebonks, named after the "bonk" sound they make. Despite their common name, some species are found in New Guinea.

What a smile! This specimen is a Fiji ground frog [Cornufer vitianus], a species endemic to Fiji. Although mainly adapted to life in the leaf litter, these frogs have frequently been observed perched on low-level branches and atop other tall objects, presumably waiting to ambush invertebrate prey. Images by Dr. Paddy Ryan.