Category: Amphibians
The Pixie Frog, also known as the African Bullfrog, is the largest species of frog in South Africa. These giants will inhale any prey they can fit in their mouth (even small mammals such as mice). They have very strong hind legs that they use to burrow into the ground, where they can go into a kind of hibernation (called aestivation) during dry summer months. In this state, the Pixie Frog is able to survive by making itself a watertight cocoon that prevents evaporation of body fluids.
Pixie Frog / African Bullfrog Related Links:
Make sure you retract your eyes 30 times before swallowing!
It has long been known that Frogs retract their eyes and close them while eating, leading scientists to suspect that frogs use their eyes to help them swallow. This suspicion was finally confirmed in 2004, when the northern leopard frog was observed by scientists retracting its eyes while swallowing crickets, actually using them to help push the food toward its esophagus!
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