Editing Frog (section)

=== Burrowing ===
Some frogs have become adapted for burrowing and a life underground. They tend to have rounded bodies, short limbs, small heads with bulging eyes, and hind feet adapted for excavation. An extreme example of this is the [[purple frog]] (''Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis'') from southern India which feeds on [[termite]]s and spends almost its whole life underground. It emerges briefly during the [[monsoon]] to mate and breed in temporary pools. It has a tiny head with a pointed snout and a plump, rounded body. Because of this [[fossorial]] existence, it was [[Species description|first described]] in 2003, being new to the scientific community at that time, although previously known to local people.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Radhakrishnan, C. |author2=Gopi, K. C. |year=2007 |title=Extension of range of distribution of ''Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis'' Biju & Bossuyt ( Amphibia : Anura : Nasikabatrachidae ) along Western Ghats, with some insights into its bionomics |journal=Current Science |volume=92 |issue=2 |pages=213–216 |issn=0011-3891 |url=http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/jan252007/213.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/jan252007/213.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Purple frog|[[Purple frog]] (''Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis'')]]

The spadefoot toads of North America are also adapted to underground life. The [[Plains spadefoot toad]] (''Spea bombifrons'') is typical and has a flap of keratinised bone attached to one of the [[Metatarsus|metatarsals]] of the hind feet which it uses to dig itself backwards into the ground. As it digs, the toad wriggles its hips from side to side to sink into the loose soil. It has a shallow burrow in the summer from which it emerges at night to forage. In winter, it digs much deeper and has been recorded at a depth of {{convert|4.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Farrar>{{cite web |url=http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?where-genus=Spea&where-species=bombifrons |title=''Spea bombifrons''  |author1=Farrar, Eugenia |author2=Hey, Jane |work=AmphibiaWeb |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |access-date=June 16, 2012}}</ref>  The tunnel is filled with soil and the toad hibernates in a small chamber at the end. During this time, urea accumulates in its tissues and water is drawn in from the surrounding damp soil by [[osmosis]] to supply the toad's needs.<ref name=Farrar/> Spadefoot toads are explosive breeders, all emerging from their burrows at the same time and converging on temporary pools, attracted to one of these by the calling of the first male to find a suitable breeding location.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://amphibiaweb.org/lists/Scaphiopodidae.shtml |title=Scaphiopodidae |work=AmphibiaWeb |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |access-date=June 16, 2012}}</ref>

The burrowing frogs of Australia have a different lifestyle. The [[western spotted frog]] (''Heleioporus albopunctatus'') digs a burrow beside a river or in the bed of an ephemeral stream and regularly emerges to forage. Mating takes place and eggs are laid in a foam nest inside the burrow. The eggs partially develop there but do not hatch until they are submerged following heavy rainfall. The tadpoles then swim out into the open water and rapidly complete their development.<ref>{{cite iucn |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9763/13014492 |title=''Heleioporus albopunctatus'' |author1=Roberts, Dale |author2=Hero, Jean-Marc |year=2011 |access-date=June 16, 2012}}</ref> Madagascan burrowing frogs are less fossorial and mostly bury themselves in leaf litter. One of these, the [[Scaphiophryne marmorata|green burrowing frog]] (''Scaphiophryne marmorata''), has a flattened head with a short snout and well-developed metatarsal tubercles on its hind feet to help with excavation. It also has greatly enlarged terminal discs on its fore feet that help it to clamber around in bushes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amphibian.co.uk/scaphiophryne.html |title=Madagascan Burrowing Frogs: Genus: ''Scaphiophryne'' (Boulenger, 1882) |author=Staniszewski, Marc |date=September 30, 1998 |access-date=June 16, 2012}}</ref>  It breeds in temporary pools that form after rains.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Venesci, M |author2=Raxworthy, C. J. |author3=Nussbaum, R. A. |author4=Glaw, F. |year=2003 |title=A revision of the ''Scaphiophryne marmorata'' complex of marbled toads from Madagascar, including the description of a new species |journal=Herpetological Journal |volume=13 |pages=69–79 |url=http://www.mvences.de/p/p1/Vences_A51.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.mvences.de/p/p1/Vences_A51.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>