Editing True frog (section)

{{Short description|Family of frogs}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = True frogs
| image = Cyprus water frog (Pelophylax cypriensis).jpg
| image_caption = [[Cyprus water frog]] (''Pelophylax cypriensis'')
| display_parents = 2
| taxon = Ranidae
| authority = [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1814
| synonyms = See [[#Systematics|text]]
}}

'''True frogs''' is the [[common name]] for the [[frog]] [[family (biology)|family]] '''Ranidae'''. They have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on all [[continent]]s except Antarctica. The true frogs are present in North America, northern South America, Europe, Africa (including [[Madagascar]]), and Asia. The Asian range extends across the [[East Indies]] to [[New Guinea]] and a single species, the [[Australian wood frog]] (''Hylarana daemelii''), has spread into the far north of Australia.

Typically, true frogs are smooth and moist-skinned, with large, powerful legs and extensively webbed feet. The true frogs vary greatly in size, ranging from small&mdash;such as the [[wood frog]] (''Lithobates sylvatica'')&mdash;to large.

Many of the true frogs are aquatic or live close to water. Most species lay their eggs in the water and go through a tadpole stage. However, as in most families of frogs, there is large variation of [[habitat]] within the family. There are also arboreal species of true frogs, and the family includes some of the very few [[amphibian]]s that can live in [[brackish water]].<ref name=gordon1961/><!-- this ref is only for brackish water species -->