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Biology of Australian Flora and Fauna > Lecture 21- Amphibians > Flashcards

Lecture 21- Amphibians Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the proportion of vertebrates are amphibians in Australia?

A

10%

-they are monophyletic, one origin (unlike reptiles= they are polyphyletic)

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2
Q

What are the topics we do?

A
  • Amphibian history and relationships within the vertebrates

* Amphibian groups worldwide vs Oz • Australian frog groups & characteristics • Life cycles • Frog declines

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3
Q

What are the amphibians? (evolution, limbs, where they live, ecto or endothermic)

A

• First vertebrate group to exploit the terrestrial environment
• Limbs (tetrapods) & lungs: terrestrial life
• Still dependent on moist environments - adults have highly permeable skin
- most sp. require water for reproduction (some exceptions) - eggs without shells
• Ectothermic

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4
Q

What are the three orders of Amphibia?

A

1.order Anura - frogs & toads 2.order Caudata- newts & salamanders order 3.Gymnophiona - caecilians (legless)

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5
Q

What is the only group of amphibians in Australia?

A

-Order Anura - only group of amphibians in Australia
• 21 families worldwide
• 5 families native to Australia

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6
Q

What are the four division of frogs?

A
  1. Limnodynastidae=limnodynastid frogs
  2. Myobatrachidae=southern frogs 3.Hylidae=treefrogs 4.Microhylidae=tiny tree frogs/narrow-mouthed frogs
  3. Ranidae=true frogs
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7
Q

Where are there many frogs in Australia?

A

-in the north

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8
Q

How many species are there in Limnodynastidae in Australia?

A

-40 spp.
-8 Genera
-Widespread distribution in Australia
(used to be in Myobatrachidae)

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9
Q

What are the characteristics of Limnodynastidae?

A
  • All 40 species in Australia
  • Extensive adaptive radiation in Australia
  • Wide range of ecological and developmental specialisations
  • Variety of life history patterns
  • Most are burrowing or terrestrial, none are arboreal
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10
Q

What is the Pobblebok (Banjo frog)?

A
  • Very common in south- eastern Australia
  • Range of habitats
  • Burrows
  • Very distinctive “bonk” call – chorus sounds like a banjo
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11
Q

How many species are there in many Myobatrachidae in Australia?

A
  • 88 spp.
  • 13 Genera
  • Widespread distribution in Australia
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12
Q

What are the characteristics of Myobatrachidae?

A

• All 88 species in Australia
• Extensive adaptive radiation
• Wide range of morphological, ecological and developmental specialisations
• Variety of life history patterns – from fully aquatic to fully terrestrial
• Burrowing and terrestrial
-Gondwanan

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13
Q

What is the turtle frog like?

A

-Turtle frog Myobatrachus gouldii
•Strictly terrestrial – no aquatic phase in life cycle
• Often found in termite mounds or in burrows
-belong to Myobatrachidae

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14
Q

How many species are the in the Hylidae?

A
  • 73 spp.
  • 3 Genera
  • Widespread in Australia
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15
Q

What are the characteristics of Hylidae?

A

• Worldwide, but most in Australia and S. America • 73 species (3 genera) in Australia:
Litoria, Cyclorana & Nyctimystes
• Widespread & successful in Australia
• Typical water-dependent reproduction
• Morphological, physiological & behavioural adaptations to extreme environments
– arid zones – rainforests

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16
Q

What is the Magnificent tree frog?

A
  • Magnificent tree frog Litoria splendida

- Discs/pads on ends of toes

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17
Q

What is special about the Hylidae species Cyclorana?

A

-Some hylids evolved into a life far from the forests
Water-holding frog
Cyclorana platycephala

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18
Q

How many species are there of Microhylidae in Australia?

A

-18 spp.
- 2 Genera
Distribution limited

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19
Q

What are the characteristics of Microhylidae?

A
  • 18 species (2 genera): Sphenophryne & Cophixalus

* Tropical northern Australia • Small, from 1 – 3 cm: hard to find unless calling • Direct development

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20
Q

What are the nursery frogs?

A

-Cophixalus species
• Lay clutch in moist soil under rocks, leaf litter • Eggs coated with anti-fungal agent • Male guards eggs • Tadpole develops inside egg, froglet hatches out • Restricted distributions, some species very rare

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21
Q

How many Ranids are there in Australia?

A

1 spp. 1 Genus

22
Q

What are the characteristics of Ranidae?

A
  • Most successful family worldwide

* Only one species/genus in Australia: Rana daemeli (wood or water frog)

23
Q

What is the most damaging introduced frog species?

A

-Cane toad Rhinella (Bufo) marinus
• Family Bufonidae • Introduced to Australia in
1935 to ‘control’ cane beetles
• Highly fecund: up to 25000 eggs/spawn
• Range expansion ~ 50km/yr – arrived in Kakadu NP 2001
• Poisonous glands: major problem for native wildlife

24
Q

How far did the cane toads already get?

A

-Have now crossed the NT/WA border

25
Q

What are the characteristics of cane toads?

A
  • the big glands behind a cane toad’s eyes release a poisonous milky liquid when the toad feels threatened
  • cane toad skin is dry and warty, rather than moist and slippery like many native frogs and usually in dull brownish colours
  • cane toad feet don’t gave suckers on the end of the toes
  • cane toads have very distinctive bony rodges over their eyes. These ridges meet in the middle
  • the call of a male toad is like a high-pitched purr, a bit like a telephone dial tone
  • adult cane toads are heavily built and average from 100mm to 150mm
26
Q

What Australian frog families are Gondwanan?

A

1: Limnodynatidae 2:Myobatrachidae
3: Hylidae

27
Q

What Australian frog families are from Asia?

A

Microhylidae and Ranidae

28
Q

What Australian frog family is introduced?

A

Bufonidae

29
Q

What gender does the calling in frogs?

A

• Only males call: for mate attraction & announcement of territory
• Frogs have selective hearing!
-important in reproduction

30
Q

What is the frog life generally dependent on?

A
  • water

- usually egg to tadpole and undergo metamorphosis= frog

31
Q

What is the life cycle like in Hylidae?

A
  • typical frog pattern; lay eggs in water and tadpoles develop in water, non- foamy egg mass
32
Q

What is the life cycle like in Myobatrachidae?

A
  • wide variety of reproductive patterns: from water-dependent to water-independent
33
Q

How many reproductive modes are there in frogs?

A

Ten reproductive modes:

tendency towards independence from free water for larval development

34
Q

What are the reproductive strategies of Myobatrachidae?

A
  • eggs or eggs in water+ foam or eggs on land, and on land+foam= all of these have tadpoles in water
  • can also have direct development (no feeding stage) where eggs are on land, on land and buried, brood pouches or in stomach
35
Q

What are the reproductive strategies in Hylidae?

A

-can have eggs in water or on land with tadpoles in water

36
Q

What is the reproductive strategy of the Ranidae?

A

-eggs in water and tadpoles in water

37
Q

What is the reproductive strategy in Microhylidae?

A

-direct development, no feeding stage with eggs on land

38
Q

What families have mode I: eggs in water, non-foamy egg mass, tadpoles in water?

A

-Hylidae, Myobatrachidae, Ranidae

39
Q

What families have mode II: eggs in water, foamy egg mass, tadpoles in water?

A

Myobatrachidae

40
Q

What families have mode III: eggs on land, in burrow or vegetation with tadpoles in water?

A

Hylidae and Myobatrachidae

41
Q

What families have mode IV: eggs in a foamy mass in burrow with tadpoles in water?

A

Myobatrachidae

42
Q

What families have modes V, VI and VII: direct development without a feeding stage, hatches from capsule/ foamy and /or nest?

A

Myobatrachidae, Microhylidae

43
Q

What families have mode VIII: direct development without a feeding stage, eggs deep under soil (up to 1.2m) intra-capsular development?

A

Myobatrachidae

44
Q

What families have mode IX: direct development without a feeding stage, male carries larvae in brood pouches?

A

Myobatrachidae

45
Q

What families have mode X: direct development without a feeding stage, female carries larvae in stomach?

A

Myobatrachidae

46
Q

What are the extremes of water independence and parental care in frogs?

A

Myobatrachid frogs:
• Assa darlingtoni “marupsial frog”; males carry developing tadpoles in brood pouches. Very small distribution: NSW-Qld. border
• Reobatrachus spp. – gastric-brooding frogs from Queensland rainforests

47
Q

How does Assa darlingtoni develop?

A
  • adult and eggs
  • 11.5 days: male + embryos
  • embryo enter pouch
  • 62 days= emerging froglets
48
Q

What is the northern gastric brooding frog?

A

(Rheobatrachus vitellinus): last seen in the wild 1985

49
Q

What is the conservation status of frogs?

A
  • Sudden, dramatic decline in frog numbers in many countries – commenced late 1970s
  • Frog declines noted throughout Australia, mostly QLD, NSW, VIC.
  • Australia: 27 species endangered, rare or presumed extinct
  • Are declines caused by humans or a natural phenomenon?
50
Q

Why have frog populations been declining?

A

• Climate change? - elevated temperatures: water loss
• Habitat loss and fragmentation? - e.g. effects of timber harvesting on spotted
tree frog in Vic.
• Disease? - chytrid fungus

51
Q

Summary:

A

• Only one order: Anura
(Frogs) in Australia
• Wide diversity within that order – 3 families Gondwanan origins – 2 families Asian origins – 1 family introduced by Europeans
• Diversity in reproductive patterns • Global declines of frogs

Biology of Australian Flora and Fauna (36 decks)

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