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5 Awesome Ways Frogs Move

Understanding how frogs move is an area of curiosity for all ages. Whether it be a small child catching frogs with a friend, or a biology student dissecting one to learn about its anatomy, many are driven by the need to understand frogs.

Frogs generally move by jumping, leaping, hopping, swimming, climbing, crawling, or digging. Frogs are saltatory animals that have longer hind legs that can be twice as long as their forelegs.

We are all used to the idea that frogs hop, but they can actually do much more than just that. In this article, weā€™ll discuss how frogs move. This will cover everything from the specific name of its movement to how its bone structure is built to allow them to be so versatile.

Read this if you are looking to move a frog out of your yard

1. Frogs Move by Jumping, Leaping, & Hopping

Frogs generally move on land by jumping, leaping, or hopping. Frogs have elongated bones in their back legs and fused vertebrae that enable them to exert the necessary force required to jump high and far. 

The bone structure of the frog is essential in creating enough force and power to jump as well as they can. To jump, the frog applies pressure to its long tucked hind legs. Due to the elongation of the tarsal bones and their fused vertebrae, the force built up is like a spring. 

The pressure allows the energy to build and the force, when released, is distributed by the urostyle. The frogā€™s hips act as a movable joint which allows the frog to control the direction and force applied in the jump.

Just Cute Toads Hopping

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Toads are not good a jumping and most species can only hop short distances due to their short hind legs. However, thanks to their powerful legs and spaded toes, toads are excellent at digging.

However, most aquatic frogs and tree frogs are excellent jumpers. American Bullfrogs can generally jump from about 1 m (3 ft) to 2 m (6 ft) with ease.

2. Aquatic Frogs Move by Swimming 

Aquatic frogs generally are excellent swimmers. Most aquatic frogs have long hind legs, webbed feet, and live in water including American Bullfrogs, Leopard Frogs, Pig Frogs, Pickerel Frogs, Common Frogs, African Dwarf Frogs, Pool Frogs, and Columbia Spotted Frogs.

Swimming is a less complicated anatomical process than jumping. The frog has rotation around the hip joint and knee, with webbed toes, allowing it to use its legs as powerful oars.

Because the hip structure of the frog is fairly open, frogs tend to have a greater range of motion providing them a strong kick. By drawing their legs directly to the body and thrusting the legs directly behind them, the frog is able to generate far more force to propel itself through the water. 

The webbing between its toes is also very important to this process, allowing the frog to create more velocity by pushing a higher volume of water. Without this, the frog would not be able to as effectively travel in the water.

Frogā€™s skin is hydrophobic meaning that it repels water from its outer layer. Its aerodynamic build also enables less water resistance as it swims.

3. Tree Frogs Move by Climbing

Jumping and swimming are primary modes of travel for many aquatic frog species.

But some frogs are not adapted to swimming or jumping at all. This is the case for many Tree Frogs which, instead, are excellent climbers.

Tree frogs have sticky pads on their toes. These pads act as a mild adhesive or suction cup to whatever surface the frog is attempting to climb like bark or leaves.

If a surface is too wet to properly adhere, Tree Frogs can rely on their long limbs by wrapping them around the tree, branch, or leaf.

Tree Frogs are among the only species that have these pads on their toes. Such frogs include Spring Peeper, Australian Green Tree Frogs, Gray Tree Frogs, Red-Eyed Tree Frogs, Wood Frogs, Glass Frogs, and Poison Dart Frogs.

Some of these frog species may have webbed toes to help them swim for reproduction during the mating season. But tree frogs mainly live on land and among trees during the rest of the year.

4. Toads Move by Digging

Most toad species are terrible swimmers, jumpers, and climbers. However, they are excellent at digging.

Most toad species have digits or spaded toes. Their legs are short and stubby but powerful and strong, made for pushing dirt behind them to dig holes in the ground.

Toads like to dig holes to burrow in them during the day. Mud holes are humid and allow toads to remain hydrated and protected from predators.

Toads are especially active at night when their main predators are inactive, but their food is out and about. 

Learn more about the differences between toads and frogs on our blog

5. Some Frogs Move by Flying

Some frogs move by ā€œflyingā€ and are known as Flying Frogs. They generally jump from trees and float in the air until they reach their destination thanks to the webbing between their toes. 

With over 7,500 known frog species, there are unique adaptations as to how frogs move and get around in the wild.

Flying Frogs do not actually fly like birds but can glide after a powerful jump thanks to their webbed feet. They jump from tree to tree to avoid predators and sometimes have to glide through the air to get there.

Flying Frogs may jump from one tree, spread open their webbed feet, and then glide and direct their movement with their feet, and then use them as a parachute to land safely. Flying is generally a survival tactic developed in harsh conditions to avoid predators on the ground.

Examples of Flying Frogs include Wallaceā€™s Flying Frog, Malabar Gliding Frog, Rhacophorus Reinwardtii, Chinese flying frog, Malayan Flying Frogs, and Rhacophorus Pseudomalabaricus. 

Bone Structure Plays a Key Role in Frog Movement

Frogsā€™ bone structure and skeletal system are designed for function and stability. For example, a frogā€™s head is very light and its hind legs are generally long. This allows for better projection in leaping. 

Unlike the human skeleton, the frog has eight vertebrae (a relatively small number) that are fused together. If the spine were unfused, it would hinder a frogā€™s force and stability requiring them to exert far more energy to jump.

Skeleton and bone structure of a frog

The frogā€™s skeleton is has a urostyle. This is a combination of lower bones that help keep the frog remain more balanced as it leaps from place to place.

Frogs also have added rotation around the hip joint and knee, which creates additional areas of movement. Instead of having two bones in the calf, frogs have one which creates more mobility. 

Frog movement is called ā€œsaltationā€, referring to the frogā€™s bone structure. As defined by Britannica, ā€œAll saltatory animals have hind legs that are approximately twice as long as the anterior-most legs.ā€ Therefore, the skeletal construction of the animal is key to fitting the description of saltation (CTNF).

Learn more about frogs on our blog

Common Questions About Frog Movement

What is frog movement called? Frog movement is called ā€œsaltationā€ which means to dance or to hop in Latin. Saltation is a movement that is a definition reserved for animals with hind legs that are approximately x2 as long as their forelegs.

Can Frogs walk? Generally, frogs jump to move around. Frogs cannot walk or stand on their hind legs like humans because their back is not structured to support walking on hind legs. Frogs may also climb or crawl to move depending on the species.

Sources

Britanica, Saltation

Daniella Master Herpetologist

Daniella is a Master Herpetologist and the founder of toadsnfrogs.com, a website dedicated to educating the general population on frogs by meeting them where they are in their online Google Search. Daniella is passionate about frogs and put her digital marketing skills and teaching experience to good use by creating these helpful resources to encourage better education, understanding, and care for frogs.