Big Bark, Big Bite

Part of the Frogs: A Chorus of Colors exhibition.

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.

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.