When confronted, the Budgett's frog puffs up with air, arches its back, opens its huge mouth, and screams like a cat in pain. It may even jump at an intruder. If picked up, the frog will bite and can draw blood with its two large toothlike projections.

 © Joe McDonald, Clyde Peeling's Reptiland

Budgett's Frog

Lepidobatrachus laevis
(Not currently in exhibition.)

Class: Amphibia
Family: Leptodactylidae
Size: Up to 5 ½ inches
Food: Fish, insects, snails, other frogs
Range: Paraguay, northern Argentina, and southeastern Bolivia
Habitat: On the ground near permanent or seasonal bodies of water
Life Cycle: Up to 1,200 eggs hatch within two days of being laid. The tadpoles feed on each other, swallowing their siblings whole.