Frogs 'n Toads

Ok, so, I didn't go to last Thursday's prac, because, well, I overslept.. ahem..

Anyway, today in Nature Studies we went through Chapter 11: Amphibians. You can imagine my excitement (me being partial to frogs and all).

We went through some interesting things about life cycles, habitats, reproduction, etc. etc., but I found a couple of things that really boggled my mind:

There are a few species of large frogs and toads: the giant toad, the Goliath frog/toad and the giant bullfrog. The giant bullfrog, a species from Western Africa, can be up to one metre in length - from the tip of the snout to the tip of the toe (outstretched) --->

I also found out about the South African platanna. In the early 1900s, the frog was used to test for pregnancy. A sample of urine would be taken from the suspected woman and this would be injected under the frog's skin. If the platanna then began to develop eggs, this meant that the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, which in turn would indicate the woman's pregnancy. This method of testing for pregnancy is still used, and is regarded as one of the most reliable pregnancy tests.

I'll post a link to the Two Oceans Aquarium's site, where you'll be able to read up on the platanna. Google the others - there are some awesome pictures :)

Peace,

Andy