Kingdom Animalia
¾ Phylum Chordata
Class Amphibia
¾
¾
¾ Subphylum Vertebrata
¾ Class Amphibia
¾
1.
2.
3.
4.
Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
Amphi = both
Bios = lives
Examples:
Examples:
salamanders (including newts & efts)
efts)
caecilians
frogs
toads
Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
Jeffersonian salamander
Tiger salamander
Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
Eastern Hellbender
Marbled Salamander
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Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
RedRed-spotted salamander
Northern Red salamander
Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
Salamanders
(including newts & efts)
efts)
Axolotl
Red eft
Caecilians
Frogs
2
Frogs
Poison Dart Frog
Leopard frog
Poison Dart Frog
Poison Dart Frog
Poison Dart Frog
Poison Dart Frog
3
African clawed frog
Gastric Brooding Frog
Goliath frog
Tomato frog
Flying frog
Toads
Boreal toad
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Boreal toad
Cane toad
Surinam Toad (frog?)
American toad
General Information
¾ 3,400 species
¾ Habitat:
Habitat:
z
z
Adults: terrestrial
Sub – adults (larvae):
aquatic (freshwater)
Skeleton – Bony
¾ Limbs
- Tetrapods (“4 feet”
feet”)
z
Some legless (Caecilians)
z
Feet often webbed (for swimming)
z
Forelimbs usually with 4 digits
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Skin
¾ Smooth & moist
¾ No scales
¾ Lungs (most adults)
Skin glands
Name of gland
Function
Mucus
Prevent dehydration
Wax
Prevent dehydration
Poison
Defense
Pigment
(chromatophores)
chromatophores)
Defense / Camouflage
¾ Gills ( tadpoles)
Respiration
• options - one or more of the
following:
¾
Skin (must be kept moist to breathe)
¾
Lungs (most adults)
¾
Gills (tadpoles, some adult
salamanders)
Heart & temperature regulation
• 3 chambered heart
• (tadpoles = 2 chambered heart)
¾ Ectothermal –
use environment to regulate
body temperature
Reproduction
Reproduction
¾ Dioecious
¾ Viviparous
– eggs must be kept moist
¾ Internal fertilization –
¾ Metamorphosis
– (usually present)
salamanders & caecilians
eggs → larvae (sub(sub-adults) → adults
¾ External fertilization –
frogs & toads
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Reproduction
Metamorphosis
A. Australian Marsupial frog
(use pouch on dorsum)
B. Surinam Frog
(babies in skin on
dorsum)
C. Poison dart frog
(carries tadpoles from
rain forest floor to
canopy)
D. Darwin’
Darwin’s frog
(babies mature in vocal
pouch)
**Remember
**Remember gastric
brooding frog keeps
young in stomach!
Order Gymnophiona
(caecilians)caecilians)-
Three Orders
1.
Order Gymnophiona “naked snake”
snake” –
caecilians (a.k.a. Apoda)
Apoda)
¾ Rare
¾ Limbless
2. Order Caudata “ having a tail”
tail” –
salamanders, newts, efts
3. Order Anura “ without tail”
tail” –
frogs & toads
¾ Habitat:
Habitat:
Burrow in earth, tropical habitats
¾ Feeding:
Feeding: worms & small invertebrates
Order Caudata
(salamanders, etc.)
Order Anura
(frogs & toads)
¾ Habitat:
Habitat: all moist Northern temperate
¾
habitats
¾ Feeding:
Feeding: adults & larvae carnivorous
(moving prey, small invertebrates)
¾ Internal fertilization
¾
¾
¾
¾
Habitat:
Habitat:
1. adults:
adults: terrestrial, moist soil
2. larvae:
larvae: fresh water
Feeding:
Feeding: carnivorous
External fertilization (amplexus)
amplexus)
Endangered worldworld-wide
Sentinel species:
species:
very sensitive to environmental changes
( E.g. uv exposure, water pollution )
due to dependence on moist/ aquatic envmnt.
envmnt.
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