Frogs (lecture 9) Flashcards
heretology
-the study or seeking explanation of reptiles and amphibians or creepy things
three orders of amphibians
anura
urodela
gymnophiona
urodela
-visible tail
-salamanders
-northern hemisphere in origin
Axoloti-only animal you can get in Australia legally
-smooth newt
-European species
-can be bought in pet stores
-member of order in Australia
anura
- no tail
- only order that occur naturally in Australia
- shorter skin, more terrestrial
- no native species of toads in Australia
- only have frogs
- located worldwide
- single specie in Australia (cane toad)
- used to maintain agricultural pest
gymnophiona
- caecilians(legless)
- naked snakes (don’t have scales)
- live underground
- prevalent in South America
- no little about it
- live in tropical areas
frog life cycle
occupy two ecological niches
-land and water
in water
-are eggs for a few days to weeks
- as tadpoles eat phytoplankton and algae
- last 10 days to 2 yrs
on land
- metamorph into little tail frog
- nonfeeding for 3-10 days
- frog
- survival age is much greater(10-85%)
- carnivorous adult
frogs
- can lay up to 40,000 eggs in the summer
- eggs stay in water and start to divide
- only tadpoles are glossy black
only sabdi don’t go through tadpole stage
-exception to traditional frogs
biology and diversity of Australian amphibians
- soft, moist permeable skin
- stay out to long will die
- cannot absorb heat from the sun
- sunshine protects them from fungal infections
- adults are often nocturnally active
- ectotherms-do best in warm environments
diversity of Australian frogs
- hot and humid
- higher diversity in area with high rainfall and humidity
endemism
- region where only certain species occur
- follow richness patterns
- tropics
- tolerate arid conditions through episodic rainfall
order:Anura
- 23 families globally
- 4 native to Australia
- 2 different distributions
- been there for a long time so was able to diversify
- newer arrivals less distributed
- less prevalent in the north but a lot of endemism in the north
4 native Anura families
myobatrachidae
hylidae
microhylidae
ranidae
myobatrachidae
- sourthern frogs
- Gondwanan origin
- quite diverse
- 112 species
- 20 genera
- metatarsal tubercules allows them to borrow
- found only in Australia
- wide range of morphological, ecological, and development, and developmental specialisations
ex.
corroboree frog
-quite endangered
-climate change and fungus tend to pose the problem
barred from
-stream barriers
turtle frog
-bury eggs underground
sunset frog
-endangered
hylidae
- tree frog
- worldwide distribution
- most in Australia and South America
- vary quite considerably
- 73 species
- 3 genera
- located in Northern Australia
- not many in arid region
- wide range of morphological and ecological specialisations
ex.
green tree frog
-found all over the place
brown tree frog
growling grass frog
-under concern
hylidae genius
litoria
cyclorana
microhylidae
coph