25 Goliath Frog Facts: The World's Biggest Frog

The goliath frog is the largest frog in the world.

Its scientific name is Conraua goliath.

Its body can grow up to about 32 centimetres long, and with its legs stretched out it can measure around 80 centimetres.

A goliath frog can weigh up to about 3.3 kilograms, as much as a newborn baby or a house cat.

Goliath frogs live only in a small area of West-Central Africa, in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

They live in and around fast-flowing rivers with waterfalls and rapids, surrounded by dense rainforest.

Their greenish-brown backs help them blend in with wet rocks, while their bellies are yellow or orange.

Goliath frogs have large, webbed back feet and are powerful swimmers.

Despite their huge size, goliath frogs can leap around 3 metres in a single jump.

Goliath frogs move heavy rocks to build nests

In 2019, scientists discovered that goliath frogs build their own nests along riverbanks. They dig out pools in gravel and even push aside rocks weighing up to about 2 kilograms, around half of their own weight, to make safe, calm ponds for their eggs. These nests protect the eggs and tadpoles from the strong river currents and from predators like fish and shrimp. This hard work may be one reason why goliath frogs grew so big.

Goliath frogs hunt mostly at night, sitting still on rocks and ambushing their prey.

They eat insects, crabs, worms, fish and even other frogs.

Goliath frogs don't have a vocal sac, so they don't croak like most frogs. Instead, they make a quiet whistling sound.

Females can lay hundreds of eggs at a time.

Even though the adults are giants, goliath frog tadpoles are about the same size as those of ordinary frogs.

Goliath frog tadpoles are very picky eaters and feed on a particular water plant that grows only near waterfalls and rapids.

It takes several months for a goliath tadpole to turn into a froglet.

Like other frogs, goliath frogs absorb water through their skin rather than drinking it.

In the wild, goliath frogs can live for around 15 years.

India's bullfrog turns bright yellow in the monsoon

India's largest frog is the Indian bullfrog, which can grow up to about 17 centimetres long. For most of the year, it's a dull olive-green or brown colour. But when the monsoon rains arrive, male Indian bullfrogs transform, turning a brilliant lemon-yellow. They then puff out bright blue vocal sacs on their throats as they call loudly to attract females. Videos of these bright yellow frogs gathering in rain puddles in India have amazed people around the world.

India is home to more than 400 species of frogs and other amphibians, many of them found only in the Western Ghats.

India's purple frog of the Western Ghats spends most of its life underground and comes to the surface for only a few weeks each year to breed.

Goliath frogs are endangered, and their numbers have fallen sharply in recent decades.

They are hunted for meat in parts of Cameroon, where they are considered a delicacy, and their forests are being cut down.

Many goliath frogs have also been taken from the wild for the pet trade, but they rarely breed in captivity.