Quick Take
- Bigger frogs jump farther in absolute terms, but size actually works against them in one critical way that changes how you rank the world's best jumpers. See the top jumpers →
- A frog's habitat type turns out to be one of the strongest predictors of its jumping power, though the weakest jumpers aren't who you'd guess. Explore habitat findings →
- At the moment a frog launches, its muscles have already stopped working. So what's actually powering the leap? See how tendons power leaps →
- Two frogs of identical weight can produce noticeably different jumps based on a single biological variable most people never consider. See what the research found →
One of the most commonplace questions regarding frogs is how high they can jump. However, most frogs jump forward for distance, not vertically. Plus, any answer regarding a frog’s jumping skills depends on factors such as its species, overall body size, leg size, and why the frog is jumping to begin with. Read on to learn about the world’s best-jumping frogs, and discover some of the most incredible frog jumps on record.
The Best-Jumping Frogs
Frogs are known for their jumping abilities, with the average distance estimated to be between 10 and 20 times a frog’s body length. Most frogs can typically jump 1-2 feet. However, there are some specialized jumpers that can exceed that distance. Here are the four best-jumping frogs, listed in order of absolute distance. The South African sharp-nosed frog is not only first in absolute distance, but also in distance relative to body length.
| Species | Best Recorded Jump (by Absolute Distance) |
|---|---|
| South African Sharp-Nosed Frog (Ptychadena oxyrhynchus) | 17.6 feet; roughly 95 times its body length |
| Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) | 8 feet; over 60 times its body length |
| Striped Rocket Frog (Litoria nasuta) | 7.4 feet; over 50 times its body length |
| American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) | 7.2 feet; over 10 times its body length |
What the Research Tells Us
The research tells us that generally, larger frogs can jump farther than smaller frogs. However, smaller frogs are actually stronger jumpers, meaning they can jump farther relative to their body length. Juvenile frogs, being smaller, jump proportionally farther than adult frogs. There are also differences in ability by gender. Adult male frogs also tend to jump farther than adult females of similar weights. Differences in relative limb lengths are also associated with variations in jumping ability.
Researchers have also found that terrestrial frogs are the weakest jumpers, while arboreal frogs are the strongest. More specifically, terrestrial, semi-aquatic frogs that are semi-fossorial (adapted for digging burrows and living partly underground) are the weakest jumpers, but semi-aquatic, non-fossorial species are the strongest jumpers. In arboreal species, those that inhabit areas closer to the ground are stronger jumpers than those that live high in the trees. For example, the best-jumping frog, the South African sharp-nosed frog, is primarily terrestrial and semi-aquatic, but it is a ground-dwelling species that inhabits dry and moist savannas, grasslands, and agricultural areas.
The Mechanics of Jumping
A frog’s jumping ability derives primarily from its tendons. As a frog prepares to jump, its calf muscles shorten, then stop moving to load the energy into the stretched tendons, which recoil like springs. When the frog jumps, the tendons release their energy, causing a quick extension of the ankle joint that pushes the frog forward.
Some multifunctional frogs, specifically the red-legged running frog (Kassina maculata), can also walk, run, climb, and swim. These frogs can jump at a wide range of angles, including nearly vertical and nearly horizontal, but their jumping performance is similar to that of specialized jumpers. Researchers discovered that the vertical lift comes from these frogs’ ankle joints, the forward thrust comes from its ankles and hip joints, and the knees determines the angle of takeoff.
