Brevicipitidae

What Are Rain Frogs?

Rain frogs are a special group of frogs that live in Africa. They are sometimes called Brevicipitidae. These frogs are a little different from the frogs you might see in a pond. They used to be part of another frog family called Microhylidae, but scientists learned they are more like Hemisotidae frogs. Now, they have their own family!

Where Do They Live?

You can find rain frogs in the eastern and southern parts of Africa. They like to stay hidden in the soil or under leaf litter. Because they stay in dark, cozy places, they are hard to spot. Sometimes, they might even climb a tree, but this doesn't happen very often.

Interesting Facts

Rain frogs have some cool habits. The females are often much bigger than the males. Some rain frogs have a special way of having babies. Instead of laying eggs that turn into swimming tadpoles, their babies grow right from the eggs into tiny frogs. This is called direct development. The males can make a glue-like substance to help them stay close during mating. Scientists are still discovering more about how these frogs take care of their eggs.

The Different Kinds of Rain Frogs

There are five groups of rain frogs, and each group has its own name. Here they are:

• Balebreviceps
• Breviceps
• Callulina
• Probreviceps
• Spelaeophryne