Webbing is not just for flying, it's also great for swimming in strong currents. Many frogs adapted for life in fast-flowing streams and waterfalls use their webbing like flippers, helping them fight strong currents and not get washed downstream.

Other frogs prefer to stay out of the trees and spend their time in quieter waters or on the ground. Most of these less-adventurous frogs have slender fingers and toes without toe-pads or webbing.

Looking at the hands can also tell you whether a frog is a male or female. Many males have hard pads, bumps, or even spikes on their thumbs, and sometimes these extend onto the fingers. These ‘nuptial pads’ are only present in the breeding season and only in males, and are thought to help the males grab onto females.

The images on this page are a just a glimpse of the incredible variety of appendages among frog species.

You can read more from me on Frog feet in this month’s issue of Australian Geographic

Dr Jodi Rowley

Australian Museum Research Institute