Frogs — a quick guide for 10-year-olds

1. What is a frog?

Frogs are amphibians — animals that usually spend part of their life in water and part on land. They have smooth, moist skin, long back legs for jumping, and most start life as tadpoles (which look a bit like little fish) before turning into adult frogs.

2. What do frogs eat?

• Tadpoles: Many tadpoles eat algae and tiny bits of plants, though some eat small animals or other tadpoles.
• Adult frogs: Most adult frogs are meat-eaters (carnivores). They eat insects like flies, mosquitoes, beetles, plus worms, spiders, snails, and other small animals. Big frogs can eat mice, small birds, or even other frogs.
• How they catch food: Frogs often use a long, sticky tongue that shoots out to grab prey and pull it back into their mouth.

3. How many kinds are there?

There are about 7,000–8,000 different species of frogs in the world. Scientists group them by how they live: tree frogs, pond frogs, burrowing frogs, poison dart frogs, glass frogs, and many more.

4. Where do they live?

Frogs live almost everywhere on Earth except Antarctica. You can find them in ponds, lakes, rivers, rainforests, grasslands, deserts (many burrow to stay cool), and mountains. Some live mostly in water, some on land, and some live in trees (those are called arboreal or tree frogs).

5. What temperature do frogs like?

Frogs are cold-blooded (ectothermic), which means their body temperature matches the environment. They usually like warm, moist places because they need moisture to keep their skin healthy. Tropical frogs do best around 20–30°C (68–86°F). Frogs in cooler places can tolerate lower temperatures and may hibernate or slow down in winter. In many cases, how wet it is matters more than the exact temperature.

6. Fun fact

The wood frog can actually freeze almost solid in winter and then thaw in spring and hop away! Their bodies make natural chemicals that act like "antifreeze" to protect their cells while frozen.

Quick tip: If you see a frog, it's fun to watch, but try not to touch it. Oils, lotions, or soap on our hands can hurt frogs.