Wonderfully Weird Frogs That We Need To Protect

<p> Jay Iwasaki / <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/iwasaki/6907092985/" target="_blank">Flickr</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 2.0</a>) </p>
<p> Jay Iwasaki / <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/iwasaki/6907092985/" target="_blank">Flickr</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 2.0</a>) </p>

Frogs are incredible, but also strange in all the best ways. We got together with our frog expert from our conservation project in Tortuguero National Park, Dave Halewood, to count down our favorite croaking weirdos found in Central America.

Savage's thin-toed frog

Photo: Qazxcc / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Not only is this guy the largest amphibian found in Costa Rica, but he also likes to spend his time making loud cat-like sounds to keep potential predators away. Mew gotta be kidding me!

Reticulated sheep frog

reticulated-sheep-frog
Photo: Dave Halewood

The size of a Euro coin makes this frog one of the hardest critters to spot in Costa Rica's national park. However, that is not its only party trick. During mating season, the males let out a sheep-like bleating to attract a saucy female singleton. Tres romantique!

Glass frog

glass-frog
Photo: bgv23 / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

This little guy is definitely one of the most incredible, yet very odd creatures in all existence. Found in the humid forests of Central and South America, this frog is the owner of fully translucent skin on the underside of their bodies! This means you can see everything from internal organs to even a beating heart! Ergo, the perfect Halloween companion.

Strawberry poison dart frog

Photo: Brian Gratwicke / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Apart from being one of the prettiest frogs we have come across, this unique creature is the Hulk Hogan of the frog world. Men males are provoked into a territorial battle, both frogs will stand on their hind legs and try to push one another to the ground with their front legs until the loser is pinned. The perfect position to shoot for a double leg takedown!

Mexican tree frog

Photo: Greg Schechter / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

This last species rounds up our weird countdown with a series of croaks that sound like deep honks. These honks have the incredible power to reduce a grown man to tears due its ability to sound like a clown car and bring back traumatic childhood memories.

Want to see these frogs in the wild instead of just reading about them?
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Co-authored by Lauren Melnick and Dave Halewood.