Herpetology

Question 1

What does amniota include

Answer 1

birds, mammals and reptiles these are a sister taxa of the amphibians

Question 2

What are Anura

Answer 2

frogs and toads

Question 3

What are Caudata

Answer 3

newts and salamanders

Question 4

What are Gymnophiona

Answer 4

caecilians

Question 5

Caecilians

Answer 5

They produce milks due to lipids on its body
Occur everywhere except Oceania and Madagascar
a few are aquatic
Internal fertilization
Viviparous and Oviparous

Question 6

Caudata

Answer 6

Laurasia origin (northern hemisphere)
most confined to North America and Eurasia
Plethodontidae are 43% of the species known
Some have internal fertilization, but they don’t have copulatory organs
40% declining or at risk of extinction

Question 7

Anura

Answer 7

Frogs and toads occur worldwide on all continents except Antarctica.
About half known species are in the Neotropics
Most species have external fertilization
Indirect development (tadpoles) are common, however direct development is widespread (Eleutherodactylus).
Most radical metamorphosis
30% threatened by extinction

Question 8

What is the k-pg boundary

Answer 8

The boundary shown of the mass extinction of the dinosaurs

Question 9

What are bufonidae

Answer 9

toads

Question 10

What are dendrobatidae

Answer 10

Dart frogs- these are poisonous (so only harmful when eaten)

Question 11

What are Lepidosauria

Answer 11

Sister to Squamata
3rd eye – has a retina , lens, and nerve endings, but is not used for seeing but used for circadian rhythms
It has two parallel rows of teeth in its upper jaw, and the gap between these rows are where the teeth from the lower jaw fit
Only one surviving species – Sphenodon punctactus (Tuatara)
Restricted to New Zealand
Resistant to cold temperatures and long lived

Question 12

What are Centrolenidae
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Answer 12

Glass frogs

Question 13

Describe Anura - Hemiphractidae ​
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Answer 13

Spiky frogs excellent camouflage
Maternal care - they carry their tadpoles on their back

Question 14

Reptiles

Answer 14

11690 species of which (Reptile Database November 2021)​
Crocodiles – 27 species​
Turtles – 360 species​
Tuatara – 1 species​
Squamates – 11,302 species (vs 11,1157 bird species) ​
‘Lizards’ – 7,346 species​
Snakes – 3,956 species​

Question 15

Turtles

Answer 15

Marine species can dive up to 500 m, some upland species can live with less than 10 cm of rainfall a year. ​
Life history: slow growth, late maturity, repeated reproduction and late life. ​
All turtles are oviparous, fertilization is internal. ​
69% of species threatened with extinction or extinct ​

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Question 16

Turtle – Chelidae​

Answer 16

Terrestrial, strange body shapes

Question 17

Turtles – Dermochelyidae ​
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Answer 17

Sea turtles with modified limbs to swim better

Question 18

Turtles – Chelydridae ​
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Answer 18

Large turtles voracious and present in swamps in america

Question 19

Facts about crocodiles

Answer 19

Internal fertilization​
Sex determination by incubation temperature​
Oviparous​

Question 20

Crocodiles – Gavialidae​

Answer 20

Small and very pointy nose

Question 21

Crocodiles – Alligatoridae​

Answer 21

North and south america big in size

Question 22

Crocodiles – Crocodylidae​

Answer 22

Biggest in size, aquatic and can travel through sea

Question 23

What are Squamata​

Answer 23

Lizards and snakes (some lizards are more related to snakes than other lizards)

Question 24

Facts about squamata

Answer 24

‘Lizards’ and Snakes​
11,302 species (biggest lineage of land vertebrate)​
‘Lizards’ don’t share a common ancestor​
Not every squamate that is elongated and legless is a snake!​

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Question 25

Dibamidae​

Answer 25

2 Genera: Dibamus and Anelytropsis​
Limbless (except males that have flaps for mating)​
Vestigial eyes and no external ear openings​
Cranial consolidation​

Question 26

Gekkota (Geckos)​

Answer 26

Mostly nocturnal​
Absence of eye-lids (re-developed in Eublepharidae)​
Some are limbless and burrowing (pygopods)​

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Question 27

Scincoidea​

Answer 27

they have blue tongues
Look like typical lizards​
Some limbless forms​

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Question 28

Lacertoidea​

Answer 28

Most look like typical lizards​
Some burrowing lineages​
some have eyes covered in keratin so dirt doesnt go in

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Question 29

Toxicofera​

Answer 29

60% of Squamates​
Includes all venomous and some non-venomous ​

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Question 30

Anguimorpha​

Answer 30

Some venomous ​
has large predatory lizards
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Question 31

Snakes – Pythons and Boas​

Answer 31

Non-venomous, constrictors​
Infra-red “vision”​

Question 32

Snakes – Vipers​

Answer 32

Venomous​
Infra-red “vision” in pit-vipers​

Question 33

Pygopods are

Answer 33

legless lizards

Question 34

Snakes – Colubridae​

Answer 34

good vision triangle head pointy

Question 35

Snakes – Elapidae​ name a few

Answer 35

cobras, mambas, adders