Cool Facts About The Banded Rubber Frog

• Banded Rubber Frogs are predominantly black with two large orange bands running down the length of the body.
  
• Interestingly, the tadpoles are notable for the placement of their eyes, which are found on the sides of the head rather than on the top
• Banded Rubber Frogs protect themselves from predators by secreting an oozy substance from their skin.  If held by humans, this secretion can be irritating to the skin but quite poisonous if it comes into contact with exposed cuts.

A Couple of Unique Adaptations

Banded Rubber Frogs have a rather interesting tongue that can be launched in a 200 degree arc.  This means they are able to catch meals that are not only directly to the side of their head but also slightly behind it without actually moving their head at all. They, primarily consume insects, and due to their terrestrial habitat, they most commonly feed on ants and termites, while the tadpoles feed on small water organisms. Interestingly enough, rather than hopping as many other frogs do, the Banded Rubber Frog gets around by walking, which they can afford to move so slowly due to their aforementioned toxicity. I guess being incredibly poisonous and having an awesome tongue would provide you with a laid back life.

The High-Pitched Mate

During the rainy season males will arrive at pools of water that are typically temporary.  Once there, they project high pitched, repetitive mating calls that can be heard over a kilometre away.  After finding a receptive female, the frogs mate, and the female can lay up to 1,500 eggs.  These eggs are laid into a pool of water, where they will sink down and stick to plants.  Despite the large number of eggs, the total mass itself is relatively small, measuring around 750mm in diameter.

Neither parent cares for or guards the eggs.  Tadpoles hatch after about 4 days and go through metamorphosis after a month.  A nocturnal species, Banded Rubber Frogs spend the daytime underground.  Their life expectancy in the wild is not known, but they live around 6 years in captivity.