Frogs can breathe and drink through their thin skin, but how does this unique feature work? Unlike humans, who rely on their lungs to breathe, frogs use their complex skin to exchange oxygen and absorb water.
Frog skin is designed with glands that produce mucus to keep it moist and porous enough to allow air molecules to pass through. This allows a network of small blood vessels underneath the skin to absorb oxygen directly from the air or water. The process, called cutaneous respiration, is almost identical to breathing in a lung system.
While frogs can also breathe through their lungs and the lining of their mouth, cutaneous respiration helps them survive underwater and during long hibernations. However, this feature also makes them vulnerable to pollutants and climate change, which can affect the permeability of their skin.
Some frog species have adapted to conserve water during droughts by storing it internally and using specialized “drinking patches” on their skin to absorb moisture. But as climate change alters habitats and increases droughts, these adaptations may not be enough to protect them.
Frogs play a crucial role in ecosystems, controlling insect populations and serving as prey for other animals. As the environment changes, understanding how frogs breathe and drink is essential to predicting their fate and conserving these vital species.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/animals/frogs/how-do-frogs-breathe-and-drink-through-their-skin