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Zoo DP > Amphibians > Flashcards

Amphibians Flashcards

1
Q

Q: Where are amphibians classified taxonomically?

A

Amphibians are one of the five (actually >5 because multiple fish classes) classes in the Vertebrata subphylum.
Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Subphylum: Vertebrata; Class: Amphibia.

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2
Q

Q: What are the three living orders of Amphibians

A

Frogs and toads, order Anura
Salamanders and Newts, order Caudata
Caecilians, order Gymnophiona (limbless, worm/snake shaped, small/nonexistent eyes)

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3
Q

Q: What was the first Class of vertebrates that stepped out onto land? How long were they the only vertebrates on Earth? (Or maybe only on land? Check on this.)

A

Amphibians
60 M years

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4
Q

Q: Adaptations that allowed amphibians to stay out of the water for longer periods

A

lungs improved
skeletons became heavier and stronger

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5
Q

Q: “Disadvantages” of amphibians that kept them reliant on water

A

Gas-permeable skin, which serves to aid their inefficient lungs, requires moisture.
Jelly like eggs cannot survive out of water.

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6
Q

Q: Vertebrate

A

Animal with an encased nervous system including a well-developed brain and a nerve cord that runs through the (internal) spinal column or backbone.
Have a muscular system and an internal skeleton that supports and protects internal organs, provides mobility.
Highly developed nervous system; vertebrates can react very quickly to changes in their surroundings, giving them a competitive edge
Often larger and have more complex bodies than invertebrates.
The most advanced organisms on Earth.
Subphylum of the Chordata phylum

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7
Q

Q: Endoskeleton

A

an internal skeleton, such as the bony or cartilaginous skeleton of vertebrates.

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8
Q

Q: Advantages of an endoskeleton over exoskeleton

A

Endoskeleton can grow with the organism. No molting.
Provides greater flexibility in movement.
Will support greater weight without becoming too heavy for the organism.

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9
Q

Q: Characteristics of amphibians

A

Vertebrates
Ectothermic
Life cycle tied to water, with eggs and larvae found in freshwater. Require cool, moist environments for their eggs and their skin. Naked skin (it lacks fur, feathers, or scales)
Larvae have gills and adults have lungs
Most adults are insectivorous; juveniles are herbivorous
Mainly temperate and tropical species
Adults have a three-chambered heart. Tadpoles have two-chambered heart.
Note: The word amphibian comes from the Greek amphi and bios, meaning “double life”, that is, they can live or function on land and in freshwater.

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10
Q

Q: Ectothermic

A

any animal whose regulation of body temperature depends on external sources, such as sunlight or a heated rock surface.

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11
Q

Q: Thermoregulation

A

the ability for an organism to maintain its core internal temperature independent of the temperature of the environment.

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12
Q

Q: Four different ways Amphibians breathe

A

Larvae have gills
In adult stage, most (especially frogs) lose gills and develop lungs
Amphibians can breathe through their skin
Throat pulsation (buccopharyngeal respiration)

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13
Q

Q: Buccopharyngeal respiration

A

a type of breathing in amphibians; the throat pulsation of amphibians brings air over the respiratory surface on the lining of their mouth where gas exchange takes place readily.

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14
Q

Q: Two purposes of amphibian lungs

A

breathing and controlling buoyancy

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15
Q

Q: Amphibian skin characteristics and functions

A

Skin is smooth without scales and produces mucous for protection from drying out and optimizing oxygen absorption.
Many can excrete toxins through skin to discourage predation.
Many species absorb oxygen through their skin, absorbing it directly into blood vessels. Carbon dioxide is released out through skin.
Absorb and release water.
Protects against abrasion.
Protects against parasites - has substances that protect from some microbes and viruses, offering possible medical cures for a variety of human diseases, including AIDS.

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16
Q

Q: Why are amphibians considered indicator species?

A

Because of their permeable skin, amphibians are considered an indicator as to the health of the environment
They are vulnerable to environmental disturbances (chemical pollution, thinning ozone layer, and global climate change)

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17
Q

Q: Amphibian senses

A

Good sight to locate prey (underwater and on land)
- movement of prey is necessary to trigger the feeding response
Sense of smell is well developed
- Newts and salamanders use it to smell pheromones during breeding season
- Scent best-developed in burrowing toads, newts, certain salamanders, and caecilians
Frogs and toads have good hearing, used in mating and territorial activities.
- Salamanders, newts, caecilians, and amphibian larvae have no vocal abilities and therefore are assumed not to hear very well

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18
Q

Q: How do amphibian eyes focus and how is it different from other animals?

A

Amphibians focus their eyes by a change of position of the lens, rather than by a change in the shape of the lens in reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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19
Q

Q: Nictitating membrane

A

A transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals (including amphibians) that can be drawn across the eye for protection and to moisten it while maintaining visibility.

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20
Q

Q: Pheromones

A

a chemical substance released by an animal that serves to influence the physiology or behavior of other members of the same species.

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21
Q

Q: Pheromone uses in amphibians

A

Courtship, finding and recognizing mates, egg-clutch recognition, detection of territorial boundaries.

22
Q

Q: First animals to develop true vocal chords

A

Toads and frogs

23
Q

Q: Amphibian vocal communication

A

Toads and frogs
-Signals are used to establish territories and in attracting mates
-Males have a distinct mating call to attract females.
-Calls or croaks are species specific and usually only the males call to attract mates.
-Very loud - Sometimes must carry over a large distance
-well developed ears
Salamanders, newts, caecilians, and amphibian larvae have no vocal abilities and therefore are assumed not to hear very well.

24
Q

Q: Amphibian feeding strategies

A

-Frogs are active feeders, using a “see-it-and-seize-it” approach; go after fast-moving insects, like flies, crickets, and grasshoppers.
-Toads creep towards their prey, then pick it up with a rapid (sticky) tongue-flick; eat slow insects, like wriggling mealworms or earthworms.
-Newts, salamanders, caecilians tend to eat slow-moving, soft food like earthworms. Approach prey slowly, make a quick grab, shaking their head from side-to-side. Grip with teeth.
-Cool Fact: Have you ever noticed that amphibians blink when they swallow food? The blinking of the eye pushes the eyeball down into the skull, and helps the amphibian swallow its meal!

25
Q

Q: What do amphibians eat (generally)

A

Almost any live food that they can manage to swallow.
All amphibians will gorge themselves if food is plentiful to enable them to survive when food is scarce.
Insects, spiders, snails, slugs, and earthworms.
Larger species, like the smoky jungle frog, will take larger prey, e.g., a mouse.

26
Q

Q: Amphibian defense mechanisms

A

Camouflage
-mossy frog
Brightly colored skin as warning or mimicry
-non-poisonous, yellow-eyed salamander is a mimic of the highly poisonous California newt
Excrete toxins through skin
-from Parotoid gland found on some frogs, toads, salamanders; e.g., marine toad
-poison dart frogs eat insects who ate toxic plants)
Combination: Colorful fire-bellied toad usually relies on excellent camouflage to stay hidden. If cornered, goes into a defensive posture - arching its back and showing the bright warning colors of its underside.

27
Q

Q: Amphibian eggs

A

gelatinous egg
similar to fish egg
no shell, deposited in water or other damp location (damp soil, on a certain plant, on mom’s back) to prevent from drying out
series of jellylike layers that protect the developing embryo from desiccation, pathogens and, to a limited extent, predators
Oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse passively through outer membrane

28
Q

Q: Amphibian parental care

A

-Ranges from choosing a sheltered egg-laying site to enclosing the eggs in protective foam, to actually guarding the eggs.
-Some carry their eggs or tadpoles on their backs in thin pockets (i.e Surinam toad)
-Others take their eggs inside the body, into a vocal sac or even into the stomach
-Two species of caecilians give birth to live young.
-Amount of parental care related to number and size of eggs produced; fewer, larger eggs receive more care; many small eggs receive less care
-Parental care is variable within species

29
Q

Q: Amphibian fertilization

A

-Frogs and toads: external. Male usually grasps onto back of female to fertilize eggs as they are deposited (amplexus)
-Salamanders and newts: internal. Males deposit a sperm packet, which is taken up by female for internal fertilization.
-Caecilians: internal.

30
Q

Q: Amplexus

A

the mating embrace of a frog or toad during which eggs are shed into the water and there fertilized.

31
Q

Q: Metamorphosis in amphibians

A

All amphibians exhibit complete metamorphosis: egg, aquatic larval form w/gills, adult w/lungs.
Amphibians are the only four-limbed or land vertebrate that go through a complete metamorphosis.
Full metamorphosis averages 12-16 weeks, time span greatly affected by water temperature and food supply.
Recall a benefit of metamorphosis: adults and young fill different niches and don’t compete.

32
Q

Q: Salamanders and newts, general characteristics

A

All have a tail into adulthood.
Newts are mostly aquatic; salamanders are mostly terrestrial.
Some aquatic species retain gills into adulthood. (only order where this is the case)
Mainly northern hemisphere.
All are insectivorous.
Salamanders have largely cartilaginous skeleton.
(also see card on differences b/t salamanders and newts)

33
Q

Q: Differences between salamanders and newts

A

Newts are mostly aquatic; salamanders are mostly terrestrial.
Salamanders typically have longer and more rounded tails with well-developed toes for digging in soil.
Most newts have webbed feet and a paddle-like tail, which make it easier to live in the water.
Note: Newts are in the family Salamandridae, and some sources use the term salamander for all organisms in the order, of which newts are a subset.

34
Q

Q: Name an animal in order Caudata that retains its gills as an adult

A

Mudpuppy

35
Q

Q: Newt metamorphosis

A

Three distinct developmental life stages: aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile (called an eft), and adult.
At eft stage, the North American newts leave water and live a terrestrial life. Then at adult stage, returns to live in water.

36
Q

Q: Salamander defenses

A

Bright colors to warn of toxic secretions
Some species can shed tails if attacked. Later, tail can grow back.

37
Q

Q: Salamander/newt mating

A

Courtship and mating usually involves a behavior display by the male for the female (sometimes using bright colored skin)
Male guides female over a small sperm packet (spermatophore), which he deposits on the ground or in a pond.
Female picks up the sperm packet with her cloaca.
Fertilization is internal.
Must return to the water each year to breed.
In primitive salamanders, like the hellbender (largest aquatic salamander), female lays her eggs first and then male deposits his sperm over them.

38
Q

Q: Caecilian characteristics, general

A

No limbs
Long-bodied
Almost all fossorial (adapted to digging and living underground)
Some species are entirely aquatic and have a fin on the tail
Resemble segmented worms
Head is pointed for shoveling through soil
Eyes reduced with a small sensory tentacle below the eye on each side
Found in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia

39
Q

Q: What filled niches currently occupied by snakes before there were snakes?

A

Slithering amphibians, the caecilians.
When amphibians were the first creatures on land, there were no snakes.
Some amphibians evolved to slither along the ground, get into tight spaces, and eat insects and worms.

40
Q

Q: Spell and pronounce the name of the order for slithering, limbless amphibians

A

Caecilians
Two pronunciations found, something like si-sill-yen OR see-sill-yen

41
Q

Q: Caecilian fertilization

A

Internal
Male inserts the end of his cloaca into the female’s cloaca.

42
Q

Q: Frogs and toads, general characteristics

A

Largest of the three amphibian Orders
Adult forms have no tail; tadpoles have tail
Hind legs typically longer than front, particularly in leaping species
Most live next to freshwater, but many tropical species are arboreal (e.g., tadpoles swimming in plants that hold water such as the bromeliads)

43
Q

Q: Name of frog/toad order, and meaning

A

Anura, means without a tail

44
Q

Q: Frogs vs. toads

A

Frogs more active, found in or near water, have smooth moist skin, long hind legs, fully webbed feet.
Toads less active, prefer to live on land, have dry, warty skin, short legs, and little or no webbing on their feet.

45
Q

Q: Frog/toad defenses

A

Many are highly toxic.
Parotid glands behind eyes in many temperate species such as bullfrogs and marine toads secrete powerful poisons when bothered.
Tropical species such as poison dart frogs exude toxins from skin and have bright warning coloration.
Camouflage, look like leaves or are even transparent.

46
Q

Q: Where to poison dart frogs get their poison?

A

Obtain toxins from insects they eat, who got the toxins from plants they ate.

47
Q

Q: Rate of discovery of amphibians

A

15-25 new species a year

48
Q

Q: What percentage of amphibians are considered threatened?

A

1/3

49
Q

Q: One way amphibians are important to ecosystems

A

Crucial role in food web, especially as predators and as prey for other animals.
Loss of amphibians would result in disastrous ecosystem-wide effects in terrestrial and aquatic environments.

50
Q

Q: Threats to amphibians

A

Pesticide runoff from farms, pharmaceuticals flushed down the toilet have contributed to defects and mutations such as multiple or deformed legs.
Chytridiomycosis (or chytrid fungus)- fatal disease affecting amphibian populations worldwide; has caused decline or extinction of many species.
Invasive, introduced species out-compete native species to the point of extinction. Marine toad introduced to Australia from Hawaii; prolific breeder; steadily increased its range.

51
Q

Q: How is SF Zoo helping some native amphibian species?

A

-Partnering with other organizations to save native amphibian species including the mountain yellow-legged frog, California red-legged frog, and the Yosemite Toad.
-Mountain yellow-legged frogs had been expunged from Tahoe lakes by introduced non-native fish, which eat their eggs. SF Zoo partnered with the US Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, wildlife researchers, and others to to breed inoculated frogs. These frogs were successfully reintroduction in 2014.
-Zoo worked with National Park Service at Yosemite to reintroduce California red-legged frogs, Yosemite toads, western pond turtles (not actually amphibian) to Yosemite Valley

Zoo DP (14 decks)

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