Herpetology Flashcards
What does amniota include
birds, mammals and reptiles these are a sister taxa of the amphibians
What are Anura
frogs and toads
What are Caudata
newts and salamanders
What are Gymnophiona
caecilians
Caecilians
They produce milks due to lipids on its body
Occur everywhere except Oceania and Madagascar
a few are aquatic
Internal fertilization
Viviparous and Oviparous
Caudata
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
Anura
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
What is the k-pg boundary
The boundary shown of the mass extinction of the dinosaurs
What are bufonidae
toads
What are dendrobatidae
Dart frogs- these are poisonous (so only harmful when eaten)
What are Lepidosauria
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
What are Centrolenidae
Glass frogs
Describe Anura - Hemiphractidae
Spiky frogs excellent camouflage
Maternal care - they carry their tadpoles on their back
Reptiles
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
Turtles
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
Turtle – Chelidae
Terrestrial, strange body shapes
Turtles – Dermochelyidae
Sea turtles with modified limbs to swim better
Turtles – Chelydridae
Large turtles voracious and present in swamps in america
Facts about crocodiles
Internal fertilization
Sex determination by incubation temperature
Oviparous
Crocodiles – Gavialidae
Small and very pointy nose
Crocodiles – Alligatoridae
North and south america big in size
Crocodiles – Crocodylidae
Biggest in size, aquatic and can travel through sea
What are Squamata
Lizards and snakes (some lizards are more related to snakes than other lizards)
Facts about squamata
‘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!
Dibamidae
2 Genera: Dibamus and Anelytropsis
Limbless (except males that have flaps for mating)
Vestigial eyes and no external ear openings
Cranial consolidation
Gekkota (Geckos)
Mostly nocturnal
Absence of eye-lids (re-developed in Eublepharidae)
Some are limbless and burrowing (pygopods)
Scincoidea
they have blue tongues
Look like typical lizards
Some limbless forms
Lacertoidea
Most look like typical lizards
Some burrowing lineages
some have eyes covered in keratin so dirt doesnt go in
Toxicofera
60% of Squamates
Includes all venomous and some non-venomous
Anguimorpha
Some venomous
has large predatory lizards
Snakes – Pythons and Boas
Non-venomous, constrictors
Infra-red “vision”
Snakes – Vipers
Venomous
Infra-red “vision” in pit-vipers
Pygopods are
legless lizards
Snakes – Colubridae
good vision triangle head pointy
Snakes – Elapidae name a few
cobras, mambas, adders
