Painted Frog (genus Discoglossus)

AmphibianFrogMediterranean

Overview

Painted frogs (genus Discoglossus) are smooth-skinned frogs of the Mediterranean region, named for the handsome “painted” look of their mottled coats, which can be plain, blotched, or boldly striped in browns, greys, reds, and greens. The Mediterranean painted frog (Discoglossus pictus), shown here, is a typical example, found around the western Mediterranean.

Behind their ordinary frog appearance, painted frogs belong to a very old lineage of amphibians and share a curious feature with their relatives the fire-bellied toads and midwife toads: a rounded, disc-like tongue fixed to the floor of the mouth that they cannot flick out the way most frogs do.

Note: “painted frog” covers several Discoglossus species; details here use the Mediterranean painted frog as a reference. Treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Painted frogs live around the Mediterranean — the Mediterranean painted frog occurs in parts of North Africa and the Iberian region (and has been introduced elsewhere), while other species live on Mediterranean islands and nearby mainlands. They favour damp places near still or slow fresh water, such as ponds, ditches, streams, and pools, including temporary waters, and often live in disturbed and human-altered habitats.

Diet

Painted frogs are carnivores, eating insects, worms, and other small invertebrates. Since they cannot shoot out their tongue to catch prey at a distance, they rely on lunging at and grabbing food with their mouths, often near the water's edge where they hunt the small animals that share their damp habitat.

Behavior

Painted frogs are largely tied to water and active in the cooler, wetter parts of the day and at night. The genus name Discoglossus means “disc-tongue,” referring to the rounded tongue attached across the floor of the mouth — unlike typical frogs, painted frogs cannot flick this tongue out to snatch prey, an ancient trait shared with their close relatives. They breed in water, where males call to attract females and eggs are laid that hatch into aquatic tadpoles. Members of this old lineage retain several primitive features, making them of particular interest to biologists studying amphibian evolution.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Painted frogs are harmless and adaptable, and several species cope reasonably well in human-altered habitats; the Mediterranean painted frog has even established introduced populations outside its native range. Like all amphibians they depend on clean breeding waters and can be affected by habitat loss, pollution, and disease, and some restricted-range island species are of greater conservation concern. Consult AmphibiaWeb and the IUCN Red List for species-specific status.

More photos of the painted frog