BIG ASS AMPHIBIAN LECTURE REVIEW Flashcards
What is the root meaning of herpetology?
herpeton (crawling thing) + logos (knowledge)
How many amphibian species are there on earth?
Around 8900
Organize the three amphibian orders by number of species within
Anura > Caudata > Gymnophiona
What does ectothermic mean?
Amphibians cannot produce their own body heat
When are most amphibians carnivorous?
As adults
What is special about amphibian tongues?
They can be launched as a projectile
What is special about amphibian saliva?
It can change viscosity from thick/sticky to watery
What is amphibian skin like?
Soft, moist, glandular
What weather event dictates amphibian breeding?
Rainfall
What is amplexus?
The position where a male grabs a female for mating
Which order mostly uses external fertilization?
Anurans
Which order mostly uses internal fertilization?
Gymnophiona
Which order uses internal fertilization but does not undergo copulation?
Caudata
Direct life cycle
An amphibian develops immediately into an adult stage from an egg
Indirect life cycle
An amphibian undergoes multiple stages before reaches its adult form
How is it possible for salamanders to undergo internal fertilization without copulating?
Through use of spermatophores
What is maternal dermatophagy?
When a caecilian grows extra tissue for its young to eat
What is a frog’s urostyle?
A pelvic shock absorber
True or false: Salamanders are mute.
True
What environment is absolutely crucial for most amphibian reproduction and development?
Isolated wetlands
Define paedomorph.
An amphibian (namely a caudate) that obtains sexual maturity in its larval stage due to water abundance.
Define eft.
An immature terrestrial adult. This form is achieved when conditions urge a larva to go on land.
True or false: Paedomorphs are incapable of developing further into terrestrial adults.
False
What are the five stages of frog development?
Egg, tadpole with tail, front leg development, tail absorption, adult
What happens to a tadpole’s tail in the frog life cycle?
It is absorbed for nutrients to fuel further development
True or false: Most frogs have indirect life cycles.
True
Which frog on our list is a direct developer?
Greenhouse Frog
True or false: There are no salamanders native to Australia.
True
How many species of frog are in Florida?
around 60
What family has rough warty skin, paratoid glands, and stout bodies?
Bufonidae (Toads)
This amphibian is common in suburbs, has L shaped cranial crests, and is not dangerous to pets
Southern Toad
This amphibian is quite “elfin”, has a line down its back and orange toes, and eats ants
Oak Toad
This family has large toe pads and are all terrestrial except one
Hylidae (treefrogs and allies)
This amphibian has a distinct white line down its sides and is a habitat generalist
Green Treefrog
This amphibian can have a jagged white line down its side, often has a bronze tympanum, and is a habitat generalist
Squirrel Treefrog
This amphibian has yellow spots on its femur and is dependent on wetlands that lack predatory fish
Pinewoods Treefrog
This amphibian has circular markings on its back, varies in color, and was proposed as Florida’s state amphibian
Barking treefrog
This amphibian is found north of Ocala, has a white teardrop under its eye, and loves pine forests and swamps
Cope’s gray treefrog
This amphibian has an X on its back, is found as far south as Orlando, breeds in the winter, and is the most arboreal of his colleagues
Spring peeper
This amphibian has 2 subspecies, has dark spots and a white lip, breeds year round, and thrives in isolated wetlands
Southern chorus frog
This amphibian is the smallest terrestrial vertebrate in north america, has a black mask, and a near inaudible call
Little grass frog
This amphibian has various color morphs, all with a black mask, has had significant declines in the last ten years, and is found as south as Ocala
Ornate chorus frog
This amphibian is aquatic, highly variable in marking, and has a triangle on his back that forms a Y shape
Southern Cricket Frog
This family does not have true toads, consisting of amphibians with pointed snouts, folds of skin on the face, and ant specialists
Microhylidae
This amphibian has a furrowed brow, tiny face, and is found state wide
Eastern narrow mouthed toad
This family has inconspicuous paratoid glands and special spades on their hind feet
Scaphiopodidae
This amphibian has spades on his back feet, is a habitat generalist, and an explosive breeder in heavy rains
Eastern spadefoot
This family consists of florida’s largest frogs, are primarily aquatic, and have lots of webbing
Ranidae
This amphibian has a dorsolateral fold, green and brown blotches on its back, full state range, and is a winter breeder
Southern Leopard Frog
This amphibian has a dorsolateral fold the same color as his body, is only found in North Florida, and sounds like a banjo
Bronze frog
This endemic amphibian has a yellow-green back, thrives in seepage bogs and stream edges, and is only found in one county
Florida bog frog
This amphibian specializes in gopher tortoise burrows, has dorsolateral folds, and a massive head
Gopher frog
This amphibian has “grill marks” on its legs, has webbing extending all the way up its longest toes on its rear feet, and makes a sound like its namesake
Pig frog
This homophobic amphibian is the largest native frog, has a sexually dimorphic tympanum, and incomplete toe webbing
American bullfrog
This amphibian is large, has white spots on its underside, and no dorsolateral folds
River frog
This amphibian makes a sound like a hammer, barely occurs in Florida, and has no dorsolateral folds
Carpenter frog
This family is stout bodied, has prominent costal grooves, breeds in isolated wetlands and are fossorial
Ambystomatidae
This amphibian is black with reticulated light gray marks, is unusually slender for its family, has distinctive striped larvae, lays eggs at wetland edges in the winter, and is reliant on prescribed fire to survive
Frosted flatwoods salamander
This amphibian is found as far south as Ocala, is dark colored and can have inconspicuous specks, has a distinct line on its larva, and commonly undergoes paedomorphosis
Mole salamander
This amphibian has a northern range, a larva with an extremely large head, and is popular in the pet trade
Tiger salamander
This family has nasolabial grooves, prominent costal grooves, and is the largest salamander family globally
Plethodontidae
What are ciri?
Facial extensions with chemoreceptors that protrude during breeding season
This amphibian has a northern range, loves acidic mucky areas, and has large rear legs
Southern dusky salamander
This amphibian has 3 stripes, a northern range, and lives near streams and ponds
Three lined salamander
This amphibian has four toes on its rear feet, is found statewide, and never strays far from water
Dwarf salamander
This amphibian has a northern range, gets more red the further north in its range you go, and loves moss and muck
Mud salamander
This amphibian is heavily terrestrial, is black with white/silver spots, has a northern range, and can emit a sticky secretion
Southeastern slimy salamander
This amphibian is stygobitic (an aquifer dweller) and is an obligate paedomorph
Georgia blind salamander
This family is totally aquatic, has four limbs with four toes each, and has bushy gills
Proteidae
This amphibian has brown spots, external gills, and is confined to the panhandle west of Tallahassee
Gulf Coast Waterdog
This family has the most terrestrial of Florida’s salamanders and lacks costal grooves
Salamandridae
This amphibian is spotted, found throughout the state, and turns red in its eft stage
Eastern newt
This amphibian has dorsolateral stripes and relies on pine savannahs, flatwoods, sandhills and scrub
Striped newt
This family has no external gills, no defined costal grooves, and four vestigial legs
Amphiumidae
This large amphibian lays eggs in strings, is a generalist carnivore, and has a painful bite
Two-toed amphiuma
This family has external gills, front limbs only, and prominent costal grooves
Sirenidae
This amphibian is solid colored, can have small gold flecks, and aestivates
Greater siren
This endemic amphibian has stripes, is not found in north florida, has three toes on its front limbs, and loves water hyacinth roots as habitat
Southern dwarf siren
This invasive amphibian seems to have been eliminated from Florida, is a direct developer, and is a major issue in Hawaii (it was introduced from Florida to there)
Puerto Rican Coqui
This invasive amphibian has 3 rear claws, is fully aquatic, and has unknown impacts so far
Tropical clawed frog
This invasive frog is a direct developer, has a triangle on its head, and was the first introduced herp in Florida
Greenhouse frog
This highly invasive amphibian is rarely seen in natural areas, can get up to nine inches, and is a huge problem in Australia
Cane toad
This invasive amphibian has skin fused to its skull, blue bones and red eyes as a juvenile, exhibits sexual size dimorphism, and is a habitat and diet generalist
Cuban Treefrog
This invasive amphibian is the only fully aquatic member of its family, made its way to Florida via pet trade, and is (hopefully) localized to one canal in Miami
Rio Cauca Caecilian
Gymnophiona means…
Naked snake
What do Caecilians eat?
Live invertebrates and vertebrate carrion
What do caecilians have to sense prey?
Retractable tentacles on the face
Caecilians can be trapped in Miami using…
Minnow traps with vienna sausages
Why is the caecilian able to survive in Florida?
The conditions of the tamiami canal match those of its home
Where is the Rio Cauca Caecilian native to?
Colombia and Venezuela
What irritant can a caecilian produce if stressed?
Peptide secretions similar to that of freshwater Hagfish
Caecilian diversity is highest in…
South America
Why are caecilians so mysterious?
Most are fossorial and extremely hard to observe
What is an Ice Age?
A rare cold period of around 10 million years in the Earth’s otherwise warm history
How does plate tectonics impact an ice age?
If warm tropical currents are blocked, land becomes colder than water and ice accumulates on continents
What is a glacial cycle?
A climate cycle of 100,000 years within glacial ages. There have already been 20 in the pleistocene
The three main causes of glacial and interglacial periods
Eccentricity, precession, and tilt (Milankovitch cycles)
What did Florida look like during the last ice age?
The platform was twice as big because sea level was 300 feet lower
What were conditions like during the last ice age?
Colder and drier climate, more uplands, fewer wetlands.
True or false: almost all fauna alive today was alive during the pleistocene.
True
This extinct megafauna had teeth with “teat-shaped cusps” and loved eating cypress
American Mastodon
This extinct megafauna was the largest land mammal ever, as well as the largest with a proboscis
Columbian mammoth
This group of extinct megafauna included armadillos and sloths
Xenarthans
Where did horses first evolve and how did they return?
Horses first evolved in North America, travelled over landbridges to Eurasia while the original population died, and was then brought back by Europeans during colonization
This extinct megafauna merely evolved into its modern form and did not disappear
Bison antiquus
This extinct megafauna could have six inch canines and was capable of opening its mouth 180 degrees
Sabertoothed cats (Smilodon)
This extinct megafauna was one of the largest cats to ever exist, and its skull was found in the Itchetucknee
American Lion
This extinct megafauna was a supermassive bird that ate carrion of other giant animals
Teratorn
How does Bergmann’s rule relate to Pleistocene gigantism?
As climate cools, body size gets bigger. Ice age facilitated this further
How did humans impact megafauna?
They coexisted and preyed upon them, but it is unknown if they are responsible for their extinction
True or false: The pleistocene ice age is over
No (technically)
