Portal:Amphibians/DYK

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Did you know...

¹

... that the eggs of the horned marsupial frog are the largest to be laid by any known amphibian?
... that A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians by Robert C. Stebbins has widely been considered "the bible of the field" for American herpetologists?
... that Atretochoana eiselti, the largest tetrapod to lack lungs, was until late 2011 known only from two museum specimens whose origin was unknown?
... that Ghost Frogs roam the streams of South Africa?
... that a Corroboree frog described in a monograph by John Alexander Moore was featured on an Australian postage stamp?

²

...that the extinct crocodile-like Prionosuchus (scale image pictured) is the largest amphibian known to have existed?
... that the Iberian frog includes beetles, caddisflies and spiders in its diet?
...that the California slender salamander (pictured) has a physique to invade narrow tunnels of earthworms for predation and cover?
... that Wilmer W. Tanner wrote his Ph.D. thesis on the comparative anatomy of salamanders from Mexico and Central America?
... that the new genus of frog Mercurana was named after the late British rock singer Freddie Mercury?

³

Illustration of a Ceylon caecilian

... that the larvae of the terrestrial Ceylon caecilian have gills and a tail fin and develop in water?
... that the Georgia blind salamander and the Dougherty Plain cave crayfish both live underground and one may prey on the other?
... that populations of the endangered Albanian water frog (pictured) are declining due to over-collection for the food industry and pet trade?
... that the Sacramento Mountain Salamander is preyed on by the western terrestrial garter snake?
... that the female common rocket frog (pictured carrying tadpoles) and the male rainforest frog Colostethus stepheni are both involved in the parental care of their young?

⁴

... that the larvae of the Middle-Eastern salamander Arouss Al Ayn (pictured) are often cannibalistic?
... that although the Corsican Brook Salamander is quite common, the Sardinian Brook Salamander is considered to be an endangered species?
... that the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog secretes an anti-fungal protein from its skin to prevent infections by various fungi such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis?
... that fossils of the temnospondyl amphibian Kourerpeton were notoriously discovered in the window of a barber's shop in Arizona?
... that the golden thorius, with a total length of 57 millimetres (2.2 in), is one of the largest species of Mexican pigmy salamanders?

⁵

... that although it was first classified as a reptile, the extinct genus Batropetes (restoration pictured) is now known to be a microsaur amphibian?
... that golden frogs are often mistaken for bronzed frogs?
... that the largest amphibian in the world is the Chinese giant salamander (pictured)?
...that the Eastern Newt changes its skin colour from bright red to olive green when it becomes an adult, and is known as the red eft before adulthood?
... that the East Bay Vivarium is the oldest and largest retail vivarium in the United States?

⁶

... that the Bocaina tree frog (pictured) has green bones and muscles?
... that Colombia has the greatest variety of amphibian species of any country in the world?
...that prehistoric frog Beelzebufo may have grown to over 40 cm (16 in)^* (restoration pictured), larger than any living frogs, and is called "the Frog from Hell" by the media?
... that the female Black Mountain Salamander broods her eggs?
... that the Carpathian newt sometimes hybridises with the smooth newt?

⁷

... that the Mexican burrowing caecilian (pictured) is viviparous, with the young feeding on glandular secretions in the oviduct?
... that the red-cheeked salamander, which is distasteful to predators, is mimicked by the harmless imitator salamander?
... that the Black Salamander may defend itself by biting a western garter snake attacking it?
... that the Ouachita Dusky Salamander, the Fourche Mountain Salamander (pictured), and the Rich Mountain Salamander are all endemic to the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and Oklahoma?
...that the American toad is a common species of toad found throughout the eastern United States and Canada?

⁸

...that the Cheat Mountain salamander of West Virginia is the only vertebrate known to be unique to that state?
... that the Permian amphibian Trimerorhachis either brooded young in its mouth or ate them?
... that the Cumberland Dusky Salamander is believed to hybridize with the Ocoee Salamander?
... that female European cave salamanders do not normally eat while they guard their eggs for six months or more?
... that in hot weather, the eastern spadefoot toad (pictured) may aestivate in the deep burrow it has dug?

⁹

... that the giant spiny frog is the largest frog in Hong Kong?
... that where their ranges overlap, the Italian cave salamander sometimes hybridises with Ambrosi's cave salamander?
... that Pelobates cultripes, the "Western Spadefoot Toad", produce spawn up to one metre long which can consist of 7000 eggs?
... that the shovelnose salamander and the blackbelly salamander both live in the Appalachian Mountains, but the former feeds exclusively in water while the latter mainly forages on land?
... that the large prehistoric amphibian Cyclotosaurus had a skull up to 70 cm long?

¹⁰

... that the caecilians Chthonerpeton indistinctum and Typhlonectes compressicauda (pictured) both give birth to live young?
...that the Desert Tree Frog is one of Australia's most widely distributed frogs?
... that eggs of the greenhouse frog are laid on land and have been found under a flower pot?
... that the black jumping salamander, the dwarf false brook salamander, the admirable false brook salamander, the Smith's false brook salamander and Thorius pennatulus are all endemic to Mexico, and critically endangered?
... that the male polkadot poison frog guards the eggs laid by the female and carries the newly hatched tadpoles to water?

¹¹

...that the Iberian Ribbed Newt's ability to keep live sperm in its cloaca for up to 5 months was a reason it was chosen to be flown into space?
... that the San Carlos tree frog is an "explosive breeder" and is stimulated to breed by the arrival of heavy rain?
... that A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians by Robert C. Stebbins has widely been considered "the bible of the field" for American herpetologists?
... that unlike other stereospondyl amphibians, the Triassic Lydekkerina (restoration pictured) lived entirely on land?
... that the female Mozambique rain frog lays her eggs in an underground chamber and often stays nearby while they develop?

¹²

... that Lehmann's poison frog is not toxic in captivity because its poison derives from food it eats only in the wild?
... that the Brazil-nut poison frog (pictured) sometimes places its tadpoles in water-filled capsules that have fallen from the Brazil nut tree?
... that female gregarious slender salamanders often lay their eggs in communal nests?
... that toads found in Egypt around 1909 and identified as Degen's toad are now considered a separate species, the Nile Delta toad?
... that the recently named trematopid temnospondyl Fedexia was named after the shipping service FedEx, which owned the land where the holotype specimen was found?

¹³

... that Salientia (Triadobatrachus pictured) is a stem group of amphibians that includes the frogs and toads and various extinct proto-frogs?
... that the demonic poison frog is critically endangered because its total range is less than 10 square kilometres (4 sq mi) and its habitat is threatened by gold mining?
... that larvae of the toadfly make their way through the nostrils of the common toad (affected toad pictured) and eat its flesh?
... that the tadpoles of the frog Indirana semipalmata are the first ever known to hatch, feed, and metamorphose on tree barks?
... that female Stefania evansi frogs can carry up to 30 eggs or froglets on their back?

¹⁴

Restoration of Rhynchonkos

... that the Early Permian microsaur Rhynchonkos (pictured) shares many similarities with Eocaecilia, and may be an ancestor of caecilians?
...that the Australian Giant burrowing frog does not croak, but rather hoots like an owl?
... that Woodhouse's toad (pictured) seems to be displacing the Arizona toad in central Arizona?
... that the call of the Sonoran green toad is said to resemble "the buzzer on an electric alarm clock"?

¹⁵

... that the Pyrenean brook salamander sometimes lives entirely underground in caves?
... that Rhachitomi, a group of temnospondyl amphibians, was established as a clade in 2013?
... that the specific name of Tambachia trogallas, the type species of the trematopid temnospondyl Tambachia, refers to the Thuringian bratwurst that was frequently eaten by the describers of the species?
... that the female tree frog Aplastodiscus leucopygius inspects the underground nesting chamber prepared by the male before accepting his advances?
... that the Italian pool frog (pictured) has been introduced into the United Kingdom?

¹⁶

...that leopard frogs are an environmental indicator species?
... that Sri Lanka is home to three endemic frog genera: Adenomus, Nannophrys, and Lankanectes?
...that both species of Corroboree frog are critically endangered?

¹⁷

... that the clouded salamander stayed at home in Oregon while the wandering salamander travelled by bark from California to Vancouver Island?
... that dancing frogs, found in the Western Ghats in India, wave their hindlegs while calling to attract mates?
... that the frog Paedophryne swiftorum (pictured) was discovered by a student on a 2008 Cornell University expedition to Papua New Guinea?
...that the Wrinkled Toadlet (pictured) is also commonly known as the Chubby Gungan?

¹⁸

... that Gerobatrachus is considered to be a missing link that supports the hypothesis offered by cladistics, that frogs and salamanders had a common ancestor?
... that the call made by Limnodynastes dorsalis, a frog species in Western Australia, is similar to the sound of a plucked banjo string?
... that the Blanchard's cricket frog (pictured) is considered threatened or endangered in three states, but is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act?
... that the male frog Allobates femoralis (pictured) carries his tadpoles to pools of water?

¹⁹

... that the extinct amphibian Cryobatrachus (restoration pictured) was discovered in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica?
... that the largest living frog species is the African Goliath frog?
... that Malcolm's Ethiopian toad has what is believed to be a unique breeding strategy with many females laying their eggs at a single site on land?
... that Eichwald's toad was first described in 2008, having previously been considered to be a subspecies of the Caucasian toad?

²⁰

...that the Northern Barred Frog of Australia (pictured) has a tadpole which reaches 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) in length?
... that the New England tree frog and the Davies' tree frog (pictured) are threatened by the introduction of exotic fish such as trout into the streams in which they breed?
...that although the tiny Hochstetters frog of New Zealand has no tail, it has atavistic tail-wagging muscles?

²¹

... that Kelaart's toad is considered "endangered" because its range totals less than 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi)?
... that during dry weather, the Texas toad remains dormant?
... that, after the female Jog night frog has laid a clutch of eggs, both parents are involved in guarding them?

²²

... that the Central American frog Duellmanohyla soralia is critically endangered and its population decline is due, at least in part, to the fungal disease chytridiomycosis?
... that the desert rain frog leaves distinctive footprints on the dunes and a little pile of sand showing the location of its burrow?
... that Pseudophilautus hypomelas, a small shrub frog not seen for more than 130 years and believed to be extinct, was rediscovered in the Peak Wilderness of Sri Lanka?

²³

... that female specimens of the Hyperolius ocellatus are larger than the males?
... that the new species of frog Pristimantis jamescameroni (pictured) from Venezuela was named after the film-maker James Cameron?
... that tadpoles of the green burrowing frog need to grow rapidly because the temporary pools in which they develop soon dry up?

²⁴

...that tree frogs have been used as barometers because they respond to approaching rain by croaking?
... that a recently discovered frog looks a lot like The Muppets character Kermit the Frog?
... that the frogs Rheobates palmatus (pictured) and Colostethus agilis are endemic to Colombia?

²⁵

... that the endangered Mazumbai warty frog and the more common Krefft's warty frog are both found in the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania?

... that the newly described Microhyla borneensis is the smallest species of frog in the Old World?
... that reproduction in the East African toads Nectophrynoides viviparus and Nectophrynoides laevis involves females giving birth to live young?

²⁶

... that the African giant toad (pictured) resembles a dead leaf?
... that the tadpole of the Vampire flying frog Rhacophorus vampyrus has two fang-like hooks in its mouth?
... that Telmatobius ventriflavum (pictured) was not discovered until 2012, despite being located near a major highway?

²⁷

... that the tadpoles of the Sri Lanka rock frog and the Kirtisinghe's rock frog are often found on wet rocks near mountain streams?
...that the Northern Red-legged Frog is a near-threatened species, whose male defends breeding pond territory with nocturnal displays?
... that the tadpoles of the critically endangered Rabbs' fringe-limbed treefrog (pictured) literally eat the skin off their fathers' backs?

²⁸

... that the Bombay night frog has been found living in a cave piled high with fruit bat droppings?
... that the Japanese common toad (pictured) eats certain ants and beetles that are unpalatable to other predators?
... that the Cape mountain toad is believed to be the only South African amphibian to lack a voice?

²⁹

...that the Carrikeri Harlequin Frog, a critically endangered toad endemic to northern Colombia, was recently rediscovered after an absence of 14 years?
... that the male common midwife toad (pictured), like other members of the genus Alytes, carries his eggs around with him until they hatch?
... that the small frog Kurixalus idiootocus lays its eggs on the ground and they do not hatch until rain falls?

³⁰

... that the bird-voiced treefrog and the pine woods treefrog can be recognised by their distinctive calls?
... that the Pyrenean frog breeds in mountain streams after the snow has melted?
... that the call of the male river frog (pictured) can be described as a "deep, low-pitched, rolling snore"?

³¹

... that the humming frog aestivates in an underground burrow during the hottest part of the summer?
... that breeding in the southern toad (pictured) can be triggered by heavy rain?
... that some male Italian tree frogs (pictured) are parasitic on dominant males, intercepting females attracted by their calls?

³²

... that the female Tornier's forest toad is viviparous and has been known to carry 35 young at one time?
... that the Pilbara Toadlet has recently been identified as a new species using DNA analysis?
... that the distribution of Beck's tree frog is limited to altitudes of over 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in Papua New Guinea?

³³

... that female Kaie rock frogs can feed their tadpoles with trophic eggs?