1. Examine your frog/toad.

Familiarize yourselves with the different terminologies on

planes and orientation.
A. Are the planes similar to how the human body is oriented?
-yes
B. Describe how the coloration on the dorsal surface and ventral surface of your frog
differ.
-The coloration on the dorsal surface of the frog is muddy-like and it is full of warts
that gives its rough texture. The coloration on the ventral surface is white yellowish and it
has no warts compared to the dorsal surface that gives it a smooth texture.
2. Locate the different parts of the external anatomy of the frog. On the male frog, find
the male pad located on the innermost finger of the forelimb.
A. When compared to the human body, what parts are not seen in your frog/toad?
- Compared to the human body, the parts that are not seen in the frog/toad are hair,
nails
B.Is the skin of your specimen smooth or rough?
- the skin of our specimen is rough on the dorsal surface and smooth on the ventral
surface
C.How many digits are on each of the frogs hands?
- three
D. Upon observing the finger of the forelimb, have you seen the male pad? Is your
frog then a male or a female? Compare a male from a female frog (those that do not have
male pads) available in the class. Note other differences in their external anatomy.
We have both female and male frog. One of our frogs has a male pad indicating that
it is a male while the other has none. The differences on the external differences of the
male and female external is on the next page.
E.How are the feet of the frog adapted for swimming?
- The frog have webbed feet that makes adapt in swimming because the webbed parts
of the feet allows water to be pushed.
3. Examine the frogs head. Notice the size of the frogs eyes and how the eyes protrude.
Find the upper and lower eyelids. Locate the nictitating membrane that is a transparent
covering that sweeps upward over the eyes. Identify the tympanic membrane or the
eardrum located on each side of the head. Observe the frontal organ or brow spot found
between and anterior to the two eyes. The frontal organ is the remaining indication of a
third or middle eye. Note the external nares or nostrils that are the openings on the
anterior and dorsal part of the skull.
A. What is the purpose of the nictitating membrane?
- The nictitating membrane is a protective, semi-transparent third eyelid that serves
as an extra eye protection. In the case of frogs, the protection is needed when the frog is
out of the water that protects that frogs eyes from dust and on the drying effects of air.
B. Where do the nostrils open? to the dorsel or ventral part of the skull?
- the nostrils open to the dorsal of the skull
C. How is the location of the nares an adaptation to living in water?
-External nares are located on the top of a frog's snout, and look like small slits.

These make it possible for the frog to float on the surface of the water, leaving its external
nares above the water level for inhaling oxygen. While the Internal nares are on the roof
of a frog's mouth. Air passes from the external nares into the mouth through these
openings. They can be closed using a sphincter muscle when the frog is submerged under
water to prevent water from entering the mouth and therefore the lungs.
4. Pry open the mouth. Use the scissors to cut the corners of the mouth where the
maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw) join together. Examine the frogs mouth.
Locate the tongue, which is a muscular, sticky flap on a living frog. The frog flicks out
the tongue from the floor of the mouth to catch flying insects. Pull out the tongue. Feel
the maxillary teeth that are found along the rim of the upper jaw or maxilla. Find the
volmerine teeth attached to the skull bones of the roof of the mouth. Notice that only the
upper jaw has small teeth. Locate the internal nares or nostrils found in the roof of the
mouth.Locate the glottis, which is a slit-like opening on the swollen voice box found on
the floor of the mouth. Find the esophagus at the rear of the mouth. Find each eustachian
tube opening found lateral to the esophagus near the hinge of the upper jaw.
A. Notice the opening of the esophagus. Is it wide? Why?
- Yes, because this enables the frog to eat the food that is unwieldy (like earthworms), or
nearly as wide as the frog's head. The frog is adapted for swallowing prey whole without
killing them.
B. The tip of the tongue in a live frog is sticky. What would be the advantage to this?
- The advantage of the sticky tongue is that, it would catch its prey and swallow it since
there are no frog features that kills its prey first before eating it.
C. Where do the eustachian tube openings lead to?
- The eustachian tube lead to the tympanic membrane and it helps with equalizing air
pressure and picking up sound vibrations.

APPLICATION: In the past 10 years there have been many reports of declines in
amphibian populations and discoveries of mutated frogs. Describe
several
possible reasons for these declines. Why are frogs especially vulnerable to environmental
problems?