World's weirdest frogs

Tis the season for frogs! The warmer, wet weather brings them out in droves to mate and populate streams, rivers, and ponds with little tadpoles. Not all frogs are created equal. With more than 5,000 known species of frogs, there are bound to be some oddballs. In honor of National Frog Month, here are a few of the weirdest frogs in the world.

Darwin's frog, named, of course, for Charles Darwin, is definitely an oddity among amphibians. Though the female lays the eggs, it's the male that guards them until the tadpoles hatch. He then gobbles them up and keeps them in his enlarged vocal sac until they develop into fully-formed froglets. Watch this video of a daddy frog spitting out his children. You'll never be the same.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The glass frog is interesting to look at, literally, because you can see all the way through its belly. There are more than 140 glass frog species, most with translucent green skin on their backs and clear skin on their bellies. The heart, liver and intestines can all be seen from the belly. These are small frogs, 3-7 cm long, and are found mostly in Central and South America though there are species found elsewhere.

Glass frog image courtesy of Mudfooted.com.

Goliath frogs are true to their name. They are large frogs measuring up to 12.5 inches long and weighing more than 7 lbs. Surprisingly, tadpoles of goliath frogs are about the same size as those of other frogs. They are found in the rain forests of western Africa and eat the usual frog fare such as insects, fish, other amphibians and crustaceans. The San Diego Zoo reports that one research found a bat in the stomach of a goliath frog. Males build nests of rocks for the females to lay their eggs in. Once the eggs are laid, both parents leave them to fend for themselves.

 Goliath frog image courtesy of Tumblr. 

Do you know of frogs that are stranger than these? Tell me about them in the comments.

Green frog image courtesy of g_kovac via Flickr.