#amphibians

Abandoned building sludge frog

I am thrilled to introduce Madagascar’s newest frog species, Rhombophryne ellae! This new diamond frog is presumed to be endemic to Montagne d’Ambre National Park in the far north of Madagascar. Its uniquely orange legs and large black hip markings set it apart from all other Rhombophryne species so far. I have the great pleasure of dedicating the new species to my partner, Dr Ella Z. Lattenkamp, in appreciation of her support of my work, and celebration of her recent PhD defence! You can read about the new species and get a link to the #OA paper published in Zoosystematics and Evolution on my blog at http://www.markscherz.com/archives/4598 (link in bio)
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#frogs #Madagascar #newspecies #diamondfrog #Rhombophryne #science #taxonomy #systematics #research #herpetology #wildlife #animals #zoology #Microhylidae #rainforest #frog #diversity #vertebrate #Malagasy #amphibian #beautiful #cute #animal #amphibians #naturalworld #herping #fieldwork #wildlifephotography #species
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California giant salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus)

San Mateo county CA, Aug. 2015 / ZS40 /

Rejoice, for you have been noticed by an American toad [Anaxyrus americanus], a species with a wide range throughout the eastern United States. Males of this species, like the individual pictured, have dark throats, which mark the location of their croak sacs. Image by iNaturalist user Davehh.

There are times in which a frog simply must soak. Here we see a Sahara frog[Pelophylax saharicus] doing just that. These frogs are native to Northern Africa and are commonly sighted near water sources. They’re rather large, with some females exceeding over 4 inches in length. This individual was found in Morocco by David Nixon.

This flawless specimen is a sheep frog[Hypopachus variolosus], a small and often overlooked species that feeds on termites. They can be found in Mexico, Central America, and the very southern end of Texas (albeit rarely). This frog was found and photographed by Manuel Nevarez.

This little beauty is a Main’s frog[Ranoidea maini], a burrowing desert dweller native to Australia. Rain is an infrequent event in their environments. These frogs wait out dry spells by burrowing into the dirt, concealing themselves in a water-tight cocoon and falling into a dormant state. They break free of their cocoons and return to the surface following seasonal rains. Image by Adam Brice.

Please enjoy these cute baby pictures of gliding tree frogs [Agalychnis spurrelli], both of which were raised in captivity. In the wild, tadpoles of this species face threats of predation from fish, insect larvae, aquatic beetles, and even birds. This species spends the rest of it’s life in the tree canopy following their successful metamorphosis. Images by Dr. Peter Weish andDr. Peter Janzen.

TheChilean four eyed frog [Pleurodema thaul] is a primarily forest-dwelling species native to Chile and Argentina. Their name comes from the two large eye-shaped spots on their lower back, which are likely intended to confuse predators. Images by Bert Willaert.

Here we see a captive-raised green frog[Lithobates clamitans; formerly Rana clamitans] displaying partial leucism. Often mistaken for albinism, leucistic frogs are only lacking pigment in certain areas, and still retain pigment in their eyes. This individual was found as a tadpole in a pond in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Images by Daniel F. Hughes.