ADAMSON UNIVERSITY

College of Science
Biology Department
General Zoology LAB
NAME: DATE:
SCHEDULE: PROFESSOR: MS. AFLATT

EXPERIMENT 10. External Anatomy of the Frog

Introduction
The first organ that greets the student is the animal’s skin or integument. By the
character of the skin one can deduce the animal’s habitat, that is, whether it is aquatic,
terrestrial, or semi-terrestrial. The body of an anuran has the shape and proportions that
we recognize as most advantageous for an animal that dwells in both land and water. The
aim of the following exercise is to describe the external features of a frog or toad, two
animals that are different in some characters but nevertheless exhibit the essential parts
of a typical tetrapod body.

Objectives
1. Identify and name the anatomic parts.
2. Relate the structures to their functions.

Procedure

1. Study the parts of the frog using the following description guide.
a. Body and skin. The body is divided into head and trunk; there is no neck
no tail, unlike other tetrapod. The flattened, obtusely tipped head offers less
resistance when the animal swims in water. The body clothed in skin that
is thin, smooth, and slimy in the frog, rough, and “warty” in the toad. The
skin is commonly greenish, grayish, or brownish in color, depending on the
species. It may contain color patterns (colorations) that may consist of broad
or narrow stripes, small or large spots, and mottlings – features of
importance in the identification of species.
b. Head. The cephalic end narrows into a snout; the snout bears a pair of small
openings, the external nares (sing. naris), or nostrils. The nostrils
communicate with nasal cavity, which contains the olfactory organ. The
lateral side of the head bears the mouth opening. The mouth has a wide
gape that extends beyond the level of the eardrum; it is bordered above by
the upper jaw and by the lower jaw below. The eyes are large, each
provided with an almost immovable, thick upper eyelid and a movable,
translucent lower eyelid, known as the nictitating membrane. Behind the
eye is a circular patch, the eardrum, tympanic membrane, or tympanum,
which represents the middle ear.
c. Trunk. The anuran trunk is short and thick at the foremost end, bulging at
the sides, and narrow at the hips. In the toad, there is present a pair of
swellings at the shoulders. These are glandular masses known as parotid
glands; their secretions are poisonous to people and other animals. The
dorsum bears a prominence at the middle, the hump. (The hump is formed
 ADAMSON UNIVERSITY
College of Science
Biology Department
General Zoology LAB
by the extensions of the sacral vertebra). Two regions may be distinguished
on the lower side or venter: the large, soft-walled abdomen or belly, and
the smaller, robust breast or chest. At the posterior end, between the
hindlimbs, is an aperture, the cloacal opening or vent.
d. Limbs. The limbs of each pair are similarly constructed, but they differ from
each other in the proportion of the parts, among other things. Each consists
of three successive segments. In the forelimb or arm, the segment nearest
the midline is known as the brachium or upper arm, the next segment, the
antebrachium or forearm and the last segment, the manus or hand. In the
hand may be distinguished a carpus or wrist, a metacarpus or palm, and
digits or fingers, of which there are four. In the hindlimb or leg, the first
segment is known as the femur or thigh, the second as the crus or shank,
and the third as the pes or foot. The foot contains three regions
corresponding to those the hand, namely, the tarsus or ankle, the
metatarsus or instep, and the digits or toes. The underside of the foot is
called the plantar surface, that of the hand, the palmar surface.

A. Label the parts of the frog.

1. Label the external parts of the frog.
 ADAMSON UNIVERSITY
College of Science
Biology Department
General Zoology LAB
2. Measure the length of the frog from nose to tail (exclude legs). ___________

3.
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College of Science
Biology Department
General Zoology LAB
4. Labe
 ADAMSON UNIVERSITY
College of Science
Biology Department
General Zoology LAB

B. Answer the following.

1. In frogs, what is the function of the following:

a. Tympanic membrane

b. Nictitating membrane

c. Web

d. Dark pigmentation of the dorsal side

e. Mucus

2. Show the homology of frog parts by filling the blanks given the following.
Forelimbs Hindlimbs
Toes
Wrist
Palm
Lower arm
Thigh
Upper arm
Foot

3. How would you differentiate a female frog from a male frog based on external
parts?

4. Describe how frogs swim

 ADAMSON UNIVERSITY
College of Science
Biology Department
General Zoology LAB
References
Dela Paz, R.M., Amparado, E.A., and Ramos, G.B. (2011). Laboratory guide on
General Zoology. ACLC trading Enterprises.
Evangelista, E.V., Evangelista, L.T., and Evangelista, L.A. (2013). Worktext in General
Zoology (Frog and Human Bodies compared). C & E Publishing, Inc.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15YuNH9bHEEaC62c-
00RO4eqjK0Udx0t5QJaJvzCOQno/edit#slide=id.gc9f091607f_0_23
https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/m
edia/media_files/4e69f8d5-0bfd-4222-86e4-6e5fdbe48acf/069c1e4d-dc86-4877-
a537-4d8aa270bc17.pptx