Frog And The Chipmunk

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura (meaning "tail-less", from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin salere (salio), "to jump"). Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many the anatomical characteristics frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance. Due to their permeable skin, frogs are ten semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds or lakes, and their larvae, called tadpoles, have gills and develop in water. Adult frogs follow a carnivorous diet, mostly arthropods, annelids and gastropods. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.
The distribution frogs ranges from tropic to subarctic regions, but most species are found in tropical rainforests. Consisting more than 5,000 species described, they are among the most diverse groups vertebrates. However, populations certain frog species are declining significantly.
A distinction is ten made between frogs and toads on the basis their appearance, caused by the convergent adaptation among so-called toads to dry environments; however, this distinction has no taxonomic basis. The only family exclusively given the common name "toad" is Bufonidae, but many species from other families are also called "toads," and the species within the toad genus Atelopus are referred to as "harlequin frogs".