


Can Frogs Live in Saltwater?

By Naomi Millburn

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Saltwater is water that's found either in an ocean or sea. While the many oceans and seas of the world are indeed home to a mind-boggling diverse selection of animals, you can count frogs out from that category. Their youngsters, which are known as tadpoles, also don't inhabit oceans.

Saltwater and Frogs

Frogs generally cannot handle living in saltwater environments. The salinity in frogs' blood and cells isn't as densely packed as it is in saltwater. If a frog lived in saltwater, the water would quickly spread over them. This, in turn, would bring upon their dehydration. The danger of dehydration would also combine with another serious problem -- salt distributing all throughout the frog's insides to a poisonous degree. Because of these factors, saltwater is a big no-no for the vast majority of frogs in existence.

Saltwater Deviations

Crab-eating frogs (Fejervarya cancrivora) are one of the sole anomalies to the problem of frogs living in saltwater. The wee southeastern Asian amphibians reside in water that indeed has some salt in it. Crab-eating frogs differ from the bulk of frogs in that their bodies don't expel ammonia. Their bodies store the chemical compound urea, which raises their density of ions. This storage then minimizes how much H20 exits their skin. This stops crab-eating frogs from experiencing dehydration in saltwater. A couple other types of frogs can also occasionally manage in brackish settings, including both African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) and southern leopard frogs (Lithobates sphenocephalus).

Froggy Homes

Apart from the aforementioned few deviations, frogs in general cannot survive life in saltwater -- or even close to it. Most frogs have to stay in freshwater. If they for any reason are put into saltwater, they usually die within a couple hours or so. This also applies to salamanders, their fellow amphibians.

Where Frogs Live

If you see a frog living in an aquatic environment, there's a good chance it's freshwater. The critters are extremely common in many different habitats. Many of them inhabit areas by streams, creeks and lakes, for example. Aquatic locales ensure that their skin remains damp, which is vital for their well-being. Frogs are also widespread in wetland environments. They're often spotted roaming around on dry land, too. Frogs are diverse and can be found in most types of settings. Some of them are even seen in deserts.

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