#amphibians

Bull Frog or Green Frog Male or Female Differences and Facts Tadpoles?  Frederick Dunn
(female green frog)

Poison dart frog.

Tiny juvenile specimens of Guajira stubfoot toads [Atelopus carrikeri]. This species is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range in northern Colombia. They are critically endangered due to habitat loss and the spread of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Once thought to be extinct, this toad was rediscovered after 14 years by a Project Atelopus team in early 2008. The individuals above were photographed by Jay McGowan.

This dusty little individual is a Mexican spadefoot toad[Spea multiplicata], a species found throughout Mexico and the southwestern United States. These hardy little toads are adapted to life in the desert, and they spend much of their time burrowed in the ground to retain moisture. This toad was spotted by photographer Ricardo Arredondo T.

An incredibly small natterjack toad [Epidalea calamita] scales the palm of photographer Carles Fabregat. This juvenile toad was found in Spain. These toads can be found in 17 countries throughout Europe, and show a high preference for sandy soil. As such, they are often found near coastlines.

A chubby Gulf coast toad[Incilius nebulifer] perched atop a frog statue in Corpus Christi, Texas. While normally hidden beneath logs and inside holes during the day, these toads gather at bodies of water during the summer breeding season. They reach sexual maturity at around two years old, though the majority of their growth occurs during their first year of life. Image by Michael Orgill. 

Quite the perturbed expression on this Japanese common toad [Bufo japonicus]. Endemic to Japan, these striking toads are quite common, and capable of reaching over 7 inches in length. This specimen was found and photographed by 早良想太.

This shady individual is a Mexican spadefoot toad [Spea multiplicata] found after rain in Hueypoxtla, Mexico. These toads tend to be quite dark in coloration, ranging from deep brown to charcoal grey, occasionally with lighter colored spots on their dorsal side. Images by Zahir Santillan.

A study suggests that toads at higher altitudes live longer and grow more slowly than toads at lower altitudes. Separate populations of European common toads[Bufo bufo] living in the Alps were compared to determine the ages of specimens at different elevations. Toads living at heights exceeding 2110 m above sea level were shown to be older, on average, than toads living at lower elevations. These toads were also believed to mature more slowly. Similar observations were made of other amphibian species living in the Alps. Images by Oliver Born.

Cophixalus kulakula, or the Kutini Boulder Frog, is a small and pretty species found only in the Mount Tozer area of Queensland, Australia. These frogs lay their eggs beneath boulders in the summer, which hatch directly into little frogs, completely skipping the tadpole stage. Images by Eric Vanderduys.

A very red, juvenile American toad [Anaxyrus americanus] found in Cedar Lake, Oklahoma. Juveniles of this species tend to start out as one uniform color, gradually gaining spots and markings as they age. Some individuals undergo a complete color change by the time they reach adulthood. Image by Madelyn Kirsch.

Behold the Mexican spadefoot toad [Spea multiplicata], a plum-sized burrower that looks like it never knows what to do with itself above ground. On it’s hind feet you’ll find a dark, firm projection- the titular “spade”. It uses this spade to burrow deep into the desert soil and avoid the heat of the day. Images by Sarah Bullard.

Here we see a male boreal toad [a subspecies of the western toad, Anaxyrus boreas boreas] awaiting the arrival of females to a pond in Thurston County, Washington. This species is native to the west coast of North America. These toads are commonly found in the Southern Rocky Mountains, and are the only alpine toad species native to Colorado. Their population has recently been on the decline due to the spread of chytrid fungus. Images by Gary Nafis.

Here we see a very special green frog [Lithobates clamitans, formerly Rana clamitans] displaying unusual blue coloration instead of the typical green. This mutation is apparently relatively common in the area of Michigan where this specimen was found. Image by James Harding.

Party in the big puddle, everyone! These Mexican spadefoot toads [Spea multiplicata] were awakened from their dormant underground state by the seasonal rains. Like all Speatoads, tadpoles of this species develop extremely quickly, in order to escape their nursery puddle before it dries up completely. These toads were found in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by iNaturalist user Roomthily.

This very nice mountain yellow-legged frog [Rana muscosa] is a breeding specimen belonging to the San Diego Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species. Endemic to California, these frogs are an endangered species that inhabit mountain rivers and lakes. Images by Gary Nafis.

I spent my day working on describing new species of Rhombophryne, the ‘diamond frogs’ of Madagascar. I’ve been working on these frogs since 2013, and have described more than half of the currently known species, but there are still so many species to describe. 

Here, I am working on the second most important part of the description of one new species: the holotype description. This involves very careful examination and description of the features of the one specimen that ‘carries’ the name of the species. As you can see, I talk with myself a lot while I am doing this. I’m noting aloud features that are substantially different from other species, or things that are worth describing. I find this quite the best way to keep the features in my mind while I am looking at a lot of things at once—but of course it only works while I have my office to myself.

The *most* important part of every species description is the diagnosis. This includes the list of features that are the ones that ‘define’ your new species, and in many cases also the way that it can be told apart from all the other relevant species. In the case of the paper I am working on here, that is the last thing I will be doing for each species, as it will depend on having everything described and ready beforehand.

Meet the Gabon forest tree frog (Leptopelis aubryi)! This amphibian is a member of the genus Leptopelis, sometimes referred to as the “big-eyed frogs”—can you see why?

It’s small in size, growing to about 1.7 inches (4.4 centimeters) long. The frog lives in parts of Africa including Gabon, Nigeria, and Cameroon, in a variety of forest habitats.

Photo: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, flickr

#AnimalFacts #frogs #nature #dyk #amphibians #TreeFrogs
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