As the name implies, these frogs are typically found in very tall trees or other high-growing vegetation. They do not normally descend to the ground, except to mate and spawn — some build foam nests on leaves and during their adult lives rarely leave the trees at all.

The back color of tree frogs is typically a vivid green, uniformly so in many species, subtly patterned in others, altogether giving an excellent camouflage depending on the particular kind of vegetation they inhabit and the predators they hide from. Many tree frogs can change their color to a remarkable extent; when resting on bark they are usually bright brownish gray.



Tree frogs are usually tiny, as their weight has to be carried by the branches and twigs of their habitat. While some reach 10 cm (4 in) or more, they are hardly in the same size class as "grass frogs" (which ironically contain some species belonging to the "true" tree frogs, Hylidae). Typical for "tree frogs" are the well-developed discs at the finger and toe tips; the fingers and toes themselves as well as the limbs tend to be rather long, resulting in a superior grasping ability. The genus Chiromantis of the Rhacophoridae is most extreme in this respect: it can oppose two fingers to the other two, resulting in a vise-like grip.

WARNING: This list contains disturbing images - including spiders.

Spiders



It had to be the first entry on the list. The thought of eating spiders probably makes most of us queasy, to say the least. But, in various parts of the world, spiders are a delicacy. You can buy them at road-side stalls in Cambodia, where people developed a taste for them when they were being starved to death by Pol Pot.

Turtles
Turtle was a popular delicacy in Victorian times, but, due to dwindling numbers and the increase in environmental protesting, they have become protected most of the world around. Some species of freshwater turtle are plentiful in the US and they are not protected, so eating is allowed, but in parts of Asia, the endangered sea turtle is routinely caught illegally and eaten. Given the slow growth rate of sea turtles, this is a tragedy in the making.

Dogs
It is not a popular thing for us in the West to imagine people eating dog, but it is actually extremely common in Asia and in the South Pacific. Dogs are a good source of nourishment and they are far larger than rats – thus feeding more people. We all feel awful about the thought of people eating dog, but the animals are killed in the kindest possible manner, and it really is no worse (sentimentality aside) than someone eating beef (cows).

Horse
Horsemeat is not just for dogs. And you may be surprised to know that it is very, very popular in many western countries. France, for example, have special butchers who sell nothing but horse meat. A horse meat butcher is called a boucherie chevaline. In the top 8 horse eating nations in the world, over 4 million horses are eaten each year. The picture above shows a horse meat roasting joint on the right.

This is possibly not such a surprise, as rat is well known as a staple food in countries with scare supplies of protein. In some countries, rat is commonly eaten as a result of starvation (as is the case in North Korea). The ancient Romans used to eat dormice (and some European countries still do), and it was considered a delicacy.

This has already appeared on a list here but, honestly – who can imagine eating a deadly poisonous fish? It beggars belief that someone once actually tasted each part of the animal to determine what was poisonous or not.

Ants
Ants are a popular addition to confection in some nations, and in others (where the ants are huge), they are eaten fried or baked. Frankly, the idea seems repellent to me, but to each his own. If you want to enjoy ants in France you can buy them in chocolate bars.

Silk worms make up the main ingredient in a very popular dish in Korea. It was originally made with rotten baby worms, but evolved to use freshly dead male worms. The worms are battered, crumbed, and fried in oil. In some places they are merely skewered and fried (as is seen in the picture above).

Gorillas are endangered, but the native populations of the various African nations in which they are eaten, don’t care. The eating of gorillas (and chimpanzees) is a very old tradition in Africa – a tradition that continues to this day.

The most endangered type of elephant – the forest elephant is not just hunted for its ivory – it is also hunted for its meat. One animal can provide over 1,000 pounds of flesh, resulting in the poacher making a fortune from one kill. This, combined with the popularity of eating its flesh, makes it a difficult animal to protect.