Leptodactylid Frogs: Leptodactylidae

Most of the species in this family get their food by finding a promising spot and waiting there for a meal to come to them. This kind of sit-and-wait method is called ambush hunting. Many of the species in this family have colors and patterns that make them almost disappear from view if they remain very still. Many leptodactylid frogs eat arthropods (AR-thro-pawds), which are spiders, insects, and other invertebrates with jointed legs. An invertebrate (in-VER-teh-breht) is an animal without a backbone. Some of the larger species, like the Surinam horned frog and South American bullfrog, will eat almost anything that they can capture and swallow, including other frogs, snakes, and even small birds and mammals.