Frog Teeth: Everything You Need to Know

Many amphibians may appear to have no teeth at all, but the truth is they do, just differently from the ones we humans and other animals typically have. Instead, they have vomeroid teeth, which are only found in the upper jaw and frontal region of the mouth in amphibians, and due to their small size, they are not always visible to the naked eye.

Protruding-eyed, smooth-skinned amphibians, frogs are known for their leaping abilities and croaking sounds. They can be found all over the world and are among the most diverse animals on Earth, with more than 7,000 different species.

Frog teeth have always been weird, and if you think about it, frogs don't actually use their teeth to chew their food. They grab their prey with their elongated tongues, apply pressure to their mouths by sinking their eyeballs into their skulls, and push the prey whole down into their mouths until they sink deep into their throats. Let's dive into some interesting facts about frog teeth that you should know.

Do frogs have teeth?

Not all frogs have teeth. But like most amphibians, most frog species have two types of teeth in their lower jaws: small teeth called maxillary teeth, and teeth called vomer teeth located in the upper jaw. A frog's teeth are not used for chewing food, but for grabbing prey with its tongue. These teeth work together to help the frog hold its prey in place.

Most of the time, frogs are mistaken for toothless, but that's probably because we never have a reason to look closely at a frog's mouth. However, if you look closely, you may see tiny teeth growing on their upper and lower jaws, sort of like fangs.

How small are frog teeth?

Frog teeth are notoriously small, which is probably why they went unnoticed for so long. Most frog teeth are less than a millimeter long, usually no more than half a millimeter. However, if you zoom in on them using CT scan analysis like the one at the Florida Museum of Natural History, you can see that the teeth of frogs and other amphibians are very complex.

The shape of frog teeth is quite different from that of mammals. Frog teeth are small and conical, while mammal teeth come in many shapes and sizes because of their special function, while frog teeth are only used to block food.

Do frogs chew food?

Instead of chewing or tearing up their prey, frogs hold food in their mouths with their teeth and then eat it whole by pushing it down their throats with their bulging eyeballs. Suffocating prey in the stomach and mouth is a common feeding method for frogs.

Types of Frog Teeth

Frogs have two types of teeth: vomer and maxilla, each with its own differences.

Frogs, like humans, have upper teeth, located in the roof region of the lower jaw, but these teeth are completely invisible from the outside. If you somehow had a chance to look at their upper teeth, you'd find cone-like structures lining the edge of their mouths. Each maxillary tooth is very similar in profile and size, as is the shape of the tooth. The maxillary teeth, like the vomer teeth, are responsible for holding down prey until the frog is ready to eat and eat, which usually happens quickly in most cases.

Vomer teeth, on the other hand, are much smaller in size and therefore less visible to the naked eye. They are located in the maxilla, are particularly pointed, and occur in pairs in the vomer bones at the top of the frog's mouth. The vomer teeth are partially covered by mucous membrane, so they are not easy to be found. Prey-oriented, the function of the vomeroid teeth is to grab food with the help of the frog's tongue. These tongue and vomer teeth work together to keep prey from escaping.

Do frogs bite?

Most frogs do not bite, but there are some exceptions.

For the most part, frogs don't generally use their teeth to protect themselves or find prey, so biting isn't much of a problem. However, some frogs may use their teeth for self-defense. Larger aggressive frogs, on the other hand, may bite so hard that they bleed. But the good news is that most frogs won't bite in self-defense unless they're large and aggressive, like the massive Pac-Man frogs and African bullfrogs in South America. These larger frogs eat larger prey such as small reptiles, bats, fish, turtles, salamanders, mice, and small birds. Their teeth are more pronounced and sharper, and they may bite if they get scared or think your fingers are food.

Frogs also have a tendency to bite once they believe they have found food. So if you move or wave your finger too close to the frog, it may see your finger as food and bite it.

Do frogs lose their teeth?

Frogs often lose teeth, but they regrow quickly. When frogs become loose or no longer sharp enough for their purpose, they shed their teeth, just as they molt. Humans only replace their teeth once during childhood, but frogs periodically lose their teeth and replace them with new ones. This shedding will continue as long as they are alive.

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