It's not easy being green. We know. What some of us didn't know was this: Not all frogs are green. And some frogs, in fact, are toads.

IDENTIFYING FROGS

Frogs, toads and salamanders found in Ohio and Kentucky — and among the collection in FROGS:    • Hellbender, Ohio's biggest amphibian, sometimes grows to 1 foot long. Endangered because of water pollution.    • American bullfrog, large, but not as large as the Hellbender, eats turtles, mice and other frogs.    • Gray tree frog, with bright yellow back legs, changes color from green to gray, for camouflage from predators.    • Red-spotted Newt/Red Eft, after three to seven years on land, returns to the water and becomes an aquatic adult.    • Spotted salamander spends most of the year underground, emerging only to breed.    • Long-tailed salamander breathes through its skin because it has no lungs.    • Slimy salamander secrets a white glue-like substance to deter predators.    • Fowler's toad, with a gray or reddish-brown background, is identified by three or more warts in large dark spots on its back. Unspotted or virtually unspotted belly. Tends to be restricted to southern Ohio and the sandy soils near the Lake Erie shore.    • Eastern American toad has fewer warts and a spotted belly. The American toad is common in northeastern Ohio.

IF YOU GO

Ready. Set. Leap to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden after May 24 for a look at the largest collection ever of living frog species.     The display, which eats up more than 5,500 square feet of space at the Safari Gallery, near the Amphitheater, includes representatives of more than 30 frog families worldwide.     What: FROGS, a traveling exhibit.     Where: Safari Gallery (former Zoo Gallery), between Amphitheater and Manatee Springs, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Avondale     When: May 25 through Sept. 2.     Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.     Admission: $11.50; $6 for children 2-12; $9 for seniors 62 and older     Parking: $6.50.

        Tristaters are in for a treat this year when FROGS, a traveling exhibit of frogs and salamanders from New Orleans's Audubon Aquarium of the Americas makes its debut at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

        “It's a fascinating and fun exhibit,” says Gregg Hudson, president and CEO at the zoo. “It offers educational interpretives and fun things for kids . . . and it highlights the amphibian work we're doing with CREW (Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife).

        Mr. Hudson says he was enthusiastic about the exhibitbecause he had seen a similar, smaller exhibit in Texas, where he lived at the time.

        “It was a popular thing and broke all kinds of attendance records,” he said.

        When he became aware of the New Orleans exhibit, “We went down and visited and cut a . . . deal” for its first exposure away from its home base.

        “It's booked solid for the next couple of years,” he said. “We feel fortunate to have been able to jump to the head of the line.”

        The exhibit will visit Cincinnati, the first city on the tour, May 25 through Sept. 2.

        In this special edition of Ask a Stupid Question, here are some little-known facts about frogs and their amphibian relatives.

        What's a toad?

        A toad is a special kind of frog that spends most of his time on land. His body is chunky, covered with dry, warty skin.

        How do mother toads care for their young?

        Well, Suriname baby toads — as many as 100 of them — live in pits in their mother's backs, then emerge as exact duplicates of their parents.

        Do toads really cause warts?

        Toads do not cause warts on humans who touch them. Human warts are caused by a virus that is in no way related to the skin of toads.

        How far can a frog jump?

        Some frogs can leap more than 20 times their body lengths. For average human adults, that would be like jumping 100 feet.

        What do frogs eat?

        Ornate horned frogs from Argentina can eat a whole mouse in one gulp.

        Do frogs have eyelids?

        Some frogs have translucent eyelids (nictitating membranes) that let them see movement and light with their eyes closed.

        Do frogs lay just one egg at a time?

        Nope. Some female frogs lay as many as 100,000 eggs at a time.

        Do frogs make good parents?

        Not all of them. South American bullfrogs and ornate horned frogs sometimes eat their young.

        Do frogs breathe?

        When frogs move their throats, they are re-breathing. They take a breath, close their nostrils and force the oxygen into their lungs repeatedly until they use up the fresh air.

        Are all frogs safe?

        No. For example, a “terrible dart” frog can carry enough toxins on his back to kill 50,000 people.

        If frogs carry poisons, can they be poisoned?

        Some frogs can throw up their stomachs and, with a leg, wipe them clean to remove ingested toxins.

        How big can a frog get?

        The “Goliath” frog, from Cameroon, Africa, is the world's largest, at 7 pounds and 1 foot in length.

        How little can frogs be?

        The “little grass” frog, at slightly more than a half-inch long, is the smallest frog in North America.

        Why do frogs croak?

        Generally, only male frogs croak . . . to attract female frogs, of course.

        How big do tadpoles get?

        Tadpoles of the “paradoxical” frog of South America can be as long as 10 inches — more than three times the size of their parents. They shrink as they mature.

        Do tadpoles hear?

        Young tadpoles, with no eardrums, pick up noise vibrations with their lungs.

        If you have a stupid question, send it to Ask a Stupid Question, Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati OH 45202; fax: 768-8330; e-mail mpulfer@enquirer.com.

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