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Species
Arboreal frog species, which spend most of their time in the trees, have evolved with adhesive pads on their toes. Most arboreal frogs are called tree frogs, including the monkey tree frog, grey tree frog and the White's tree frog. Other frogs that live in treetops and also have adhesive pads on their toes include the white-lipped frog and the red-eyed frog.
Function
The purpose of frogs' adhesive pads is to allow them to climb trees and other surfaces easily. These frogs are able to escape predators by climbing up trees as well as jump from tree branch to tree branch quickly while maintaining a firm grip with their adhesive toe pads.
Methods
While frogs' adhesive toe pads resemble suction cups, they do not attach to trees using suction. The toe pads are actually made up of tiny cells that are packed close together, and these cells have small spaces in between them. These spaces grip onto tiny imperfections and cracks in various surfaces, even glass. Tree frogs also secrete a mucous to increase the stickiness of their feet. Gecko feet use a similar technique, except that instead of tiny cells, the gecko's toes are covered in tiny hairs.
Fun Fact
Frogs with adhesive toe pads can stick to nearly anything, but their feet do not pick up dirt or other debris despite being sticky. Researchers discovered that this is because the frogs' adhesive toe pads are self-cleaning, and that tree frogs can clean their feet every time they take a step.