Frogs: A Chorus of Colors

May 18, 2013 — January 5, 2014

A poison dart frog with a black body with bright yellow markings, perched on a green leaf.
Bumble bee poison frog

Brilliant orange, bright blue, dazzling red—frogs come in an astonishing array of colors. This vivid assortment of hues hints at the remarkable diversity that exists among the frog species inhabiting the globe. From lush rainforests to parched deserts, frogs are found in nearly every environment on Earth, and their survival strategies range from surprising to bizarre.

A pioneer in modern frog research, the American Museum of Natural History has one of the largest frog collections in the world. Museum expeditions to remote mountaintops, as well as surveys of local wetlands, continue to uncover new populations and species—but also reveal environmental changes that threaten frogs' existence. Many efforts are underway to reverse this downward trend globally and in our own backyards.

A small frog with a dark-colored body with two bright green lines that extend from its mouth, over each eye, and running the length of each dorsolateral ridge to the top of the thighs.
Kokoe poison frog
A small brown frog inflating its pale-colored vocal sac, and perched on brown soil.
Green tree frog
A Black Legged poison dart frog perched on a green leaf. The bright yellow-colored animal has darker limbs of a greenish hue.
Black legged poison frog
Three brown frogs in wet brown soil.
Tomato frog
A small green frog with a yellow belly and long toes with yellow toe pads, perched on a brown tree branch.
Giant waxy monkey frog
An Amazon milk frog perched on a wet green leaf. The animal has light and dark markings, and long thick fingers with rounded tips.
Amazon milk frog
A small brown frog perched in brown forest detritus.
Eyelash leaf frog
A frog with dark skin and a large area of bright orange color along its back.
Splash backed poison frog
A poison dart frog with a black body with bright yellow markings, perched on a green leaf.
Yellow banded poison frog
A yellow frog with large dark eyes, perched on a green leaf.
Golden poison frog
A frog with green and black markings on its trunk, head, and limbs, perched on a green leaf.
Green and black poison frog
Two blue poison dart frogs on a green leaf. The animals have bright blue skin with black spots on their body trunks and heads, and dark blue limbs.
Blue dart poison frog
A frog with a dark belly and legs and a bright yellow back with dark spots, perched in forest detritus.
Dyeing poison frog
A yellow frog with large dark eyes, perched on a green leaf.
Golden poison frog
A side view of a small brown frog, perched on a green leaf, with pale-colored stripes running the length of its body from the mouth over each eye to the tops of the thighs and along the side of the belly.
Phantasmal poison frog
Close-up of the heads of two green frogs with large eyes and white throats.
American Bullfrog
A dark-colored frog with bright yellow spots, perched on a green leaf.
Brazil nut poison frog
A poison dart frog with a black body with bright yellow markings, perched on a green leaf.
Bumble bee poison frog
A pale green frog mottled with dark markings on its head and along the side of its body, perched in wet brown soil with green grass in the background.
Smokey jungle frog
Two green frogs on a brown branch.
Waxy monkey frog
A small green frog with a pale-colored throat and belly, perched on a branch.
Mexican dumpy frog
A frog with white and black markings on its head and back, and red and black markings on its throat and belly.
Fire bellied toad
A small red frog with large dark eyes.
Gold mantella frog
A green frog with a wide body and yellow belly partly submerged in water and camouflaging itself beneath bits of floating green debris.
Ornate horned frog
A frog with a flat brown body perched in wet brown soil.
Budgett frog
Budgett frog
Photo of an African clawed frog shows the animal swimming above pebbles. It has long fingers, powerful hind legs and small front legs.
African clawed frog
A green frog with a yellow throat and belly, perched on a branch.
Chinese gliding frog
A brownish-green frog mottled with darker markings perched in green vegetation.
Smooth sided toad
Photo of an animal, an African bull frog, shows a wide body, dark green skin, dark raised markings on its back, and light-tan underbelly.
African bull frog
A Vietnamese mossy frog, with its nubby green and brown skin, camouflages itself on a mound of green moss.
Vietnamese mossy frog
Frog Sounds The Amazing Adaptable Frog Featured Frog Species Poison Dart Frog Vivarium Reproduction A Frog's Life Frogs and the Ecosystem Frog Research at the Museum Meet the Curator Frog Fun Facts Resources For Educators: Frogs: A chorus of Colors

Frogs: A Chorus of Colors is presented with appreciation to Clyde Peeling's Reptiland.