All About Dwarf African Frogs & their Habitat

1. All About Dwarf African Frogs & their Habitat

2. Today we are going to learn about: The Dwarf African Frog, their characteristics, and their habitat.

3. True or False • Dwarf African Frogs live in freshwater, such as ponds. • The Dwarf African Frog always grow more than two inches in length. • The Dwarf African Frog rarely grows more than two inches in length. • Dwarf African Frogs are arthropods. • The Dwarf African Frog is almost completely land animals.

4. Think and Visualize... • Think and visualize... Have you ever thought how a Dwarf African Frog might feel? • What are some important parts of the Dwarf African Frog? • Does a Dwarf African Frog live on land? live in water? or both?

5. We Do NOT Taste

6. Observations • Use all of your senses when observing the Dwarf African Frog and its habitat.(except taste) • Be sure to record your observations on your Dwarf African Frog-Recording Sheet.

7. Turn & Talk • Turn and talk with your partner about the observations you made about the Dwarf African Frog. • Write in your science notebook about the observations you made. • Share your observations with the class. • Use the 4-dot glue method to glue your Recording Sheet into your Science Notebook.

8. Vocabulary • Hibernate- In extreme cold, they become inactive or dormant on land or in mud at the bottom of lakes and ponds. • Estivate- In extreme heat frogs estivate, they slow down their body process in cool mud. • Chromatophores- are responsible for shade changes. In the cool temperatures the chromatophores spread out, and the amphibian becomes darker. In warm temperatures, chromatophores contract and the amphibians become lighter. Some will change from one color to another. • Ectotherms- is an organism in which internal physiological sources of heat are of relatively small or quite negligible importance in controlling body temperature. Such organisms (for example frogs) rely on environmental heat sources, which permits them to operate at very economical metabolic rates. • Burbling- the expiration and inspiration of air at the water’s surface. • Tympanic Membrane- is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear in humans and other tetrapods. Its function is to transmit sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear. The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles. • Vocal Sac- is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way of externally determining the sex of a frog in many species.

9. Where are Dwarf African Frogs Found: • Dwarf African Frogs live in freshwater, such as ponds. • The Dwarf African Frog is almost completely aquatic, only coming to the surface to breathe. They're freshwater bottom dwellers by nature and can be found in rivers, streams, ponds and brooks. • The Dwarf African Frogs spend a majority of their time at the bottom of low-current waterways and often wedge themselves in between smooth rocks. They're an active species, but when they're not roaming about, they will hover motionlessly in the water to rest. • Dwarf African Frogs hibernate in cold weather and estivate, which slows down their body process in extreme heat by getting in cool mud.

10. Characteristics: • Dwarf African Frogs belong to a group called Pipids. • Dwarf African Frogs have chromatophores, which are responsible for shade changes. In the cool temperature the chromatophores spread out, and the amphibian becomes darker. In warm temperatures, chromatophores contract and the amphibians become lighter. Some will change from one color to another. • Dwarf African Frogs are amphibians. • Dwarf African Frogs burb. They expirate and inspirate air at the water’s surface. • The Dwarf African Frog rarely grows more than two inches in length.

12. Lifestyle • The Dwarf African Frog, as its name suggests, is found throughout tropical and subtropical sub-Saharan Africa. The Congo basin contains a majority of the frog population, though they're also found in Cameroon and other river-dense areas. • The Dwarf African Frog shares its natural habitat with hundreds of species of fish, but stays near the bottom to keep from becoming a meal. It feeds off of mosquito larvae, tiny fish or small snails that are native to its natural environment.

13. http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/habitats/freshwaterhabitats/http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/habitats/freshwaterhabitats/

14. Facts about Video • Write down at least two facts from the video in your Science Notebooks.

15. True or False • Dwarf African Frogs live in freshwater, such as ponds. • The Dwarf African Frog always grow more than two inches in length. • The Dwarf African Frog rarely grows more than two inches in length. • Dwarf African Frogs are arthropods. • The Dwarf African Frog is almost completely land animals.