Class Amphibia

Herpetology The study of Reptiles and Frogs

Class Amphibia There are 7,000+ species of Amphibians 1/3 of those species are endangered or threaten Main Threats to Amphibians includes 1)Habitat Destruction or Loss, 2)Diseases- example amphibians are being exposed, mostly through human contact, fungal and bacteria disease. Example of a Human Induced Disease- Chytrid- a fungus that attacks the keratin on amphibian's skin, the keratin helps keep the amphibian trap moisture, so it can breath through it skin. So, an amphibian exposed to Chytrid usually dies of suffocation or dehydration.

Why Should We Care about Amphibians? 1. Society- some are used for medicines, ex. Golden Poison Dart Frog, the poison that he secrets is being study to be used as a nonaddictive pain killer (unlike morphine which can be highly addictive) 2. Play a major role in regulating ecosystems, ex. Amphibians main diet is invertebrates for example insects, they help keep the insect and other invertebrate populations in check. 3. THEY ARE AWESOME- Ex. An African Claw frog has internal claws made of bone that are retractable. When threaten he can extend his claws through his skin to protect himself, and when out of danger he can retract them back and repair his skin through regeneration.

Differences between Amphibians and Reptiles Amphibians No scales No Claws No hard, shelled eggs (similar to fish) Metamorphosis- changing shape Reptiles Scales (made of keratin to retain water) True Claws (also made of keratin) Eggs in-cased in a cal calcareous shell

Classification of Amphibians Order Aura (which means no tail)- Toads and Frogs Order Caudata- Newts and Salamanders Caecelians (no Order was given during presentation)

Toads vs Frogs Toads: Family Bufonidae Bumpy Skin Dryer Skin Shorter Legs Frogs Smoother Skin Moister Skin Longer Legs Ex: Tree Frogs: which are in Family Hylidae are good climbers using toe pads and their bellies to stick to what they are climbing.

Southern Toad Have Cranial Crests Paratoid Glands- Cluster of poison glands used to excrete a white secretion that makes them taste bad and may cause their predator to be sick

Cane Toad Native to South America was introduced to Australia to control the Cane Beetle population; however, introducing this species caused danger to native Australian animals. Organisms that would eat or come in contact with the toad either became sick or died to the poison it secreted in its paratoid glands.

Barking Tree Frog Can Musk- secret a foul order Puffing- expands its lungs to make themselves bigger and harder to eat Both techniques are used to deter predators

Tympanum and Vocal Sacs Tympanum- organ used for hearing Vocal Sacs- used to amplify sound to attract a mate.

When bringing an organism into captivity they stay in captivity. Why? 1. Human exposure to animal can cause it have on it bacteria and fungus that when released can harm non-captive animals 2. Most animals are territorial, so when you introduce a captive animal to an area the non- captive animals can bully them for space.

Salamanders Long Tail 4 legs

MS Slimy Salamander Family Plethodontidae Black with Yellow Dots Tongue can come out to 2/3 of their body length Secret a sticky smelly mucus There was a solid black one of this species. This lack of dots is a mutation, but scientist do not know the harm or benefit to the mutation if there is one.

MS Slimy Salamander They are lung-less, so they have to stay smooth and wet Terrestrial- live in leaf litter They do not have to lag eggs in water Offspring hatch from eggs fully formed (miniature adults) they do not hatch as a larva state. Instead, all of the larval changes occur in the eggs. Most salamander offspring have larval tails and Aquatic lungs, but the MS Slimy Salamander skips this step; it happens in the egg Also, the mother salamander will guard their eggs from predators, and will rub protective chemicals on the eggs that will prevent fungal growth on them

Frogs vs. Salamanders Most frogs have external fertilization The female frog releases her eggs and the male releases sperm over the eggs. The eggs are fertilized outside the body Salamanders have internal fertilization The male releases a sac of sperm, and the female pulls it into her body. The eggs are fertilized inside the female's body and released.

Two-toed Amphium Salamander There are 3 known species of Amphiums and they have different numbers of toes on each leg Have four little legs (little is know about the purpose for the legs because they are so some, but they may be used for luring a mate) Live in water or thick soupy mud They can get up to a meter in length Native Americans in Louisiana use to eat them They breath mostly through their lungs

Two-toed Amphiuma They have reset eyes that are beneath a layer of skin- they live in murky conditions so sight is not a necessity. Instead they use a lateral line system This system are tiny pores running along the body of the salamander. The pores can detect change in water pressure and direction of water movement.

Two-toed Amphium When their habitat (ex. A pond) dries up they can survive through Aestivation They burrow into the mud coil up into a ball, secret chemicals that causes them to shed their skin, creating a skin, mucus cocoon used to conserve moisture to deal with changes in water leaves. This can help the survive for at LEAST 3 months maybe longer.

Migrate Amphibians do migrate up to hundreds of meter to areas (ex. Ponds) to breed.