Barking Frog

Fascinating facts about the Barking Frog

• When a sudden summer rain hits the desert, a tiny bark, just like a small dog, echoes from the rocks, because the frog’s call literally sounds like a bark and only a few nights after rain will you hear it. This unusual alarm lets researchers locate a species that’s otherwise invisible.
• A single adult can range from 47 mm to 94 mm long, and its back features a distinct skin fold plus bumpy foot pads.
• Unlike most amphibians, its eggs develop right inside the hidden crevices where they’re laid, skipping the free-living tadpole stage and hatching straight into tiny froglets. This shortcut means the young are ready to survive the harsh desert floor almost immediately.
• In the wild, individuals can live up to seven years, and in captivity they have been recorded reaching 11 years.
• Although it’s abundant across Mexico’s shrublands and deserts, sightings in the United States are scarce because the frogs stay hidden under rocks and in caves.

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