TOMATO FROG

Classification

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Amphibia

Order : Anura

Family : Microhylidae

Genus : Dyscophus

Species : D. Antongilii

Description :

Tomato frogs live up to their name by possessing a vibrant, orange-red colour. Females are

much larger than males and have brighter tones of red or orange on their back, with a pale

undersurface. Some individuals also have black spots on the throat. It is thought that the

brilliant colours of the tomato frog act as a warning to potential predators that these frogs are

toxic; a white substance secreted from the skin acts as a glue to deter predators (such as

colubrid snakes) and can produce an allergic reaction in humans.

Feeding :

Ambushing potential prey, adult tomato frogs feed on small invertebrates,  such

as beetles, mosquitoes, and flies. When threatened, these frogs can inflate themselves, giving

the appearance of greater size.

Reproduction :

The tomato frog breeds in shallow pools, swamps and areas of slow-moving water. These

frogs are found from sea level to elevations of around 200 metres. Its natural habitats are

subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent

freshwater marches, arable land, plantations, rural gardens, urban areas, heavily degraded

former forest, ponds, and canalsand ditches.

Tomato frogs breed in February to March following heavy rainfall; the sounds of males

calling to attract females can be heard around small water bodies in the dark Malagasy night.

Following copulation, females will lay a clutch of 1,000 to 15,000 eggs on the surface of the

water. Tadpoles hatch from these small black and white eggs about 36 hours later;  they are

only around six millimetres long and feed by filter-feeding. Tadpoles undergo metamorphosis

into yellow juveniles and this stage is completed around 45 days after the eggs were laid.

Distribution and Habitat :

Endemic to Madagascar, tomato frogs are found in the northeast of the island around

Antongil Bay (from which they gain their specific name, antongilii), and south to

Andevoranto. The exact distribution of this species is unclear however, due to confusion with

the closely related D. guineti.

The areas in which tomato frogs occur are almost uniformly warm throughout the year, with

temperatures between 76°and 90° F (25°-30° C). It rains frequently as well, and there is

really no dry season to speak of. The forest in this part of Madagascar is made up mainly of

Pandanus palms, but tomato frogs do not live in primary forest, and are often found in ditches

and ponds near farms and towns.

GREEN TREE FROG

Classification

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Amphibia

Order : Anura

Family : Hylidae

Genus : Litoria

Species : L. caerula

Description :

The Green Tree Frog can grow up to 10 centimetres (4 inches) in length. Its color depends on

the temperature and colour of the environment, ranging from brown to green; the ventral

surface is white.  The frog occasionally has small, white, irregularly shaped spots on its back.

At the end of its toes, it has large discs,  which provide grip while climbing. The eyes are

golden and have horizontalirises, typical of the Litoria genus.  The fingers are about one-third

webbed, and the toes nearly three-quarters webbed.  The tympanum (a skin membrane similar

to an eardrum) is visible.

The Green Tree Frog appears similar to the Magnificent Tree Frog (Litoria splendida), which

inhabits only north-western Australia and can be distinguished by the presence of

large parotoids and rostral glands on the head. The Giant Tree Frog (Litoria infrafrenata) is

also sometimes confused with the Green Tree Frog. The main difference is a distinct white

stripe along the edge of the lower jaw of the Giant Tree Frog, which is not present in the

Green Tree Frog.

Tadpole

The tadpole's appearance changes throughout its development. The length of the species'

tadpoles ranges from 8.1 millimeters (once hatched) to 44 millimetres. They are initially

mottled with brown, which increases in pigmentation (to green or brown) during

development. The underside begins dark and then lightens, eventually to white in adults. The

eggs are brown, in a clear jelly and are 1.1–1.4 millimetres in diameter.

Although frogs have lungs, they absorb oxygen through their skin, and for this to occur

efficiently, the skin must be moist. A disadvantage of moist skin is that pathogens can thrive

on it, increasing the chance of infection. To counteract this, frogs secrete peptides that

destroy these pathogens. The skin secretion from the Green Tree Frog contains caerins, a

group of peptides with antibacterial and antiviral properties. It also contains caerulins, which

have the same physiological effects as CCK-8, a digestive hormone and hunger

suppressant. Several peptides from the skin secretions of the Green Tree Frog have been

found to destroy HIV without harming healthy T-cells.

Feeding :

Green Tree Frogs sometimes sit beneath outside lights at night to catch insects that are

attracted to the light, but they are also capable of taking larger prey on the ground, including

mice. They have also been recorded catching bats around cave entrances. Many frogs propel

their sticky tongues at prey. The prey sticks, and is consumed. A Green Tree Frog will use

this technique for smaller prey; however for larger prey, it pounces, then forces the prey into

its mouth with its hands.

Reproduction :

The species' call is a low, slow Brawk-Brawk-Brawk, repeated many times.  For most of the

year, they call from high positions, such as trees and gutters. During mating season the frogs

descend, although remaining slightly elevated, and call close to still-water sources, whether

temporary or permanent. Like many frogs, Green Tree Frogs call not only to attract a mate.

They have been observed calling to advertise their location outside the mating season, usually

after rain, for reasons that are uncertain to researchers. They will emit a stress call whenever

they are in danger, such as when predators are close or when a person steps on a log in which

a frog resides.

Distribution and Habitat :

The Green Tree Frog is native to northern and eastern regions of Australia and to southern

New Guinea. Distribution is limited mostly to areas with a warm, wet tropical climate. In

New Guinea, the Green Tree Frog is restricted to the drier, southern region. Its range spans

from Irian Jaya to Port Moresby, and is most abundant on Daru Island. There have been

isolated records in northern New Guinea, however this is thought to have been through

introduction by humans. The International Conservation Union (IUCN) suggests "scattered

locations" in both New Guinea and Indonesia.

The species has been introduced to both the United States and New Zealand. In the United

States, it is restricted to two regions withinFlorida, where it was possibly introduced through

the pet trade. Only small populations have been found in Florida, and it is unknown whether

they have caused any ecological damage as an invasive species.  In New Zealand, a

population was once present; however, there have been no sightings since the 1950s.

Green Tree Frogs are very docile. They are nocturnal  and come out in early evenings to call

(in spring and summer) and hunt for food. During the day they find cool, dark, and moist

areas to sleep such as tree holes or rock crevices. In the winter, Green Tree Frogs do not call

and are not usually seen.

Depending on their location, Green Tree Frogs occupy various habitats. Typically, they are

found in the canopy of trees near a still-water source. However, they can survive in swamps

(among the reeds) or in grasslands in cooler climates. Green Tree Frogs are well known for

inhabiting water sources inside houses, such as sinks or toilets.  They can also be found on

windows eating insects. They will occupy tanks (cisterns),  downpipes (downspouts), and

gutters, as these have a high humidity and are usually cooler than the external environment.

The frogs are drawn to downpipes and tanks during mating season, as the fixtures amplify

their call.

COMMON TREE FROG

Classification :

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Amphibia

Order : Anura

Family : Rhacophoridae

Genus : Polypedates

Species : Polypedates leucomystax

Description :

A nocturnal arborical species with a size of 3.7 – 7.5 cm. it’s colour varies from green-grey to

a less common ruddy-brown the four dark brown lines on its back may be absent in some

populations. The undersize is either white or light grey. Both its coloration and markings can

change to blend in with its surroundings. The same frog can appear pale beige without any

markings in the daytime and turn a dark brown with blackish stripes at night.

Polypedates leucomystax, commonly called the bamboo tree frog, common tree frog, or the

fourlined tree frog, is a slender rhacophorid tree frog with a pointed snout and prominent

eyes

Feeding :

Common Tree Frogs are insectivores, and their diet should consist mainly of live crickets.

Adult frogs should be fed two to three times a week, and juveniles should be fed every other

day or more. Adults will need their crickets dusted with vitamin and mineral supplement once

every two to four feedings, while juveniles will need supplementation every feeding. Both

adults and juveniles should be fed at night.

The number of crickets you should feed at once depends on the size of the cricket and the size

of the Common Tree Frog that you are feeding. A general meal size is three to eight crickets,

depending on the above factors. If you are unsure exactly how many crickets to feed your

frog, consult your veterinarian.

Approximately once a week, substitute a different insect such as mealworms, waxworms,

silkworms, moths, or flies.

Reproduction :

Breeding is year-round in some parts of the range such as north Borneo and the wetter parts

of Bali. However, in drier areas such as north Bali, breeding is restricted to the start of the

wet season. Males congregate at still or slow-moving water, or puddles, and call from the

edges or elevated positions on vegetation. The call has been described as a "widely spaced

nasal quack, and occasionally a low throaty chuckle" . Polypedates leucomystax females

deposit from 100-400 eggs in oval-shaped foam nests The foam nests measure about 10 cm in

length and are constructed on vegetation above ephemeral pools, or attached to a surface by

the water's edge. Hatching takes place after three to four days, occurring at the external gill

stage. At this point the larvae wriggle free of the foam nest and drop into the water below.

The larvae are opportunistic predators, attacking and consuming nearly anything they can,

including both live and dead conspecific tadpoles and decaying vegetation . From hatching to

metamorphosis takes approximately seven weeks .

Distribution and Habitat :

Polypedates leucomystax is a widely distributed species, occurring in northeast India,

Bangladesh, Nepal, western Yunnan (China) and most of mainland southeast Asia. The

species is also found throughout much of Indonesia and the Philippines. It has been

introduced to Japan and Papua New Guinea. It can be found from sea level up to 1, 500 m

asl.

Polypedates leucomystax is very adaptable and occurs in a wide variety of habitats,

including beach vegetation, various human habitats, natural edge habitats, and closed

subtropical or tropical forest

XENOPHUS LAEVIS

Classification :

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Pipidae

Genus: Xenopus

Species: X. laevis

Description :

These frogs are plentiful in ponds and rivers within the south-eastern portion of Sub-Saharan

Africa. They are aquatic and are often greenish-grey in color. Albino varieties are commonly

sold as pets. “Wild-type” African Clawed Frogs are also frequently sold as pets, and often

incorrectly labeled as a Congo Frog or African Dwarf Frog because of similar colorings.

They are easily distinguished from African Dwarf Frogs because African Clawed Frogs have

webbing only on their hind feet while African Dwarf Frogs have webbing on all four feet.

They reproduce by laying eggs (see frog reproduction). Also, the clawed frogs are the only

amphibians to have actual (though small) claws.

The average life-span of these frogs ranges from 5 to 15 years with some individuals

recorded to have lived for 20–25 years. They shed their skin every season, and eat their own

shedded skin.

Although lacking a vocal sac, the males make a mating call of alternating long and short

trills, by contracting the intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Females also answer vocally, signaling

either acceptance (a rapping sound) or rejection (slow ticking) of the male. This frog has

smooth slippery skin which is multicolored on its back with blotches of olive gray or brown.

The underside is creamy white with a yellow tinge.

Male and female frogs can be easily distinguished through the following differences. Male

frogs are usually about 20% smaller than females, with slim bodies and legs. Males make

mating calls to attract females, sounding very much like a cricket calling underwater.

Females are larger than the males, appearing far more plump with hip-like bulges above their

rear legs (where their eggs are internally located). While they do not sing or call out like

males do, they do answer back (an extremely rare phenomenon in the animal world).

Both males and females have a cloaca, which is a chamber through which digestive and

urinary wastes pass and through which the reproductive systems also empty. The cloaca

empties by way of the vent which in reptiles and amphibians is a single opening for all three

systems.

Feeding :

The African clawed frog will accept an astonishing variety of foods. They are voracious

eaters that will eat almost anything that either smells appetizing, or moves like prey. For this

reason, African clawed frogs should NEVER be kept with fish, African dwarf frogs, or other

clawed frogs that will fit into their mouths! Even keepers attempting to house them with large

goldfish report seeing the frogs latched onto the fish’s tail.

Appropriate foods include:

Bloodworms (frozen and freeze-dried)

Tubifex worms

Mosquito larvae

Earthworms

Shrimp pellets (for bottom feeding fish)

Cooked pieces of shrimp (unseasoned/unsalted)

Beefheart Brine shrimp

Tetra Reptomin Floating Food Sticks (for turtles)

Live ghost shrimp

Live guppies/livebearer fry

Feed 2-3 days a week in adult frogs, more frequently in froglets or growing animals. You will

see your frog “scoop” food towards its mouth with its front feet, because these frogs actually

lack tongues with which to grab food. Important: Never feed rosy red minnows or feeder

goldfish. The majority of African clawed frogs are unable to process an enzyme they contain,

and can become sick.

Reproduction :

These frogs breed readily under good conditions. The male sings to female, and clasps her

around the stomach, fertilizing the eggs as she lays them. Eggs and adult frogs should be

separated immediately, as parents will eat the eggs/tadpoles. Tadpoles are filter feeders and

should be fed finely powdered foods.

Distribution and Habitat :

The species is found throughout most of Africa, and in isolated, introduced populations in

North America, South America, and Europe. All species of the Pipidae family are tongueless,

toothless and completely aquatic. They use their hands to shove food in their mouths and

down their throats and a hyobranchial pump to draw or suck food in their mouth. Pipidae

have powerful legs for swimming and lunging after food. They also use the claws on their

feet to tear pieces of large food. They lack true ears but have lateral lines running down the

length of the body and underside, which is how they can sense movements and vibrations in

the water. They use their sensitive fingers, sense of smell, and lateral line system to find

food. Pipidae are scavengers and will eat almost anything living, dying or dead and any type

of organic waste.

LARVA AXOLOTOLE

Classification :

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Caudata

Family: Ambystomatidae

Genus: Ambystoma

Species: A. mexicanum

Description :

A sexually mature adult axolotl, at age 18–24 months, ranges in length from 15–45 cm (6–18

in), although a size close to 23 cm (9 in) is most common and greater than 30 cm (12 in) is

rare. Axolotls possess features typical of salamander larvae, including external gills and a

caudal fin extending from behind the head to the vent. Their heads are wide, and their eyes

are lidless. Their limbs are underdeveloped and possess long, thin digits. Males are identified

by their swollencloacae lined with papillae, while females are noticeable for their wider

bodies full of eggs. Three pairs of external gill stalks (rami) originate behind their heads and

are used to move oxygenated water. The external gill rami are lined with filaments (fimbriae)

to increase surface area for gas exchange. Four gill slits lined with gill rakers are hidden

underneath the external gills. Axolotls have barely visible vestigial teeth, which would have

developed during metamorphosis. The primary method of feeding is by suction, during which

their rakers interlock to close the gill slits. External gills are used for respiration,

although buccal pumping (gulping air from the surface) may also be used in order to provide

oxygen to their lungs. Axolotls have four different colours, two naturally occurring colors

and two mutants. The two naturally occurring colors are "wildtype" (varying shades of brown

usually with spots) and melanoid (black). The two mutant colors are leucistic (pale pink with

black eyes) and albino (golden, tan or pale pink with pink eyes).

Feeding :

The axolotl is carnivorous, consuming small prey such as worms, insects, and small fish in

the wild. Axolotls locate food by smell, and will "snap" at any potential meal, sucking the

food into their stomachs with vacuum force.

Reproduction :

When an axolotl reproduces, the sperm from the male (which contains 14 chromosomes) and

the egg from the female (which also contains 14 chromosomes) fuse to form the zygote, the

first cell of the new axolotl. So each new cell of this new animal has 28 chromosomes.

However, in the production of gametes (the sperm and egg cells) via the process known as

meiosis, small exchanges of parts of the chromosomes take place (known as "crossing-

over"), as well as a random allotment of chromosomes from the mother or father's own

parents to each gamete (which means a gamete could have 2 maternal chromosomes and 12

paternal, or any other combination).

So when axolotls reproduce, each new larva is a genetically distinct individual, different

from its siblings and its parents. This is the essence of genetic variation. An animal's

genotype is what its genes "say" it is, and its phenotype is the result of the gene, its

expression. Mutant animals are those with genes differing from what is accepted as normal.

Distribution and Habitat :

The axolotl is only native to Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in central Mexico. Unfortunately for the axolotl, Lake Chalco no longer exists, as it was drained by humans to avoid periodic flooding, and Lake Xochimilco remains a diminished glimpse of its former self, existing mainly as canals. The water temperature in Xochimilco rarely rises above 20°C (68°F), though it may fall to 6 or 7°C (43°F) in the winter, and perhaps lower. The wild population has been put under heavy pressure by the growth of Mexico City. Axolotls are also sold as food in Mexican markets, and were a staple in the Aztec diet. They are currently listed by CITES as an endangered species, and by IUCN as critically endangered in the wild, with a decreasing population.

Their habitat is like that of most neotenic species—a high altitude body of water surrounded by a risky terrestrial environment. These conditions are thought to favor neoteny. However, a terrestrial population of Mexican tiger salamanders occupies and breeds in the Axolotl's habitat.

BULL FROG

Classification :

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Ranidae

Genus: Rana

Species: R. catesbeiana

Description :

They grow on average to be about 3.6 to 6 in (9.1 to 15 cm) in body length (although there are records of some up to 8.0 in (20 cm)), legs add another 7 to 10 in (18 to 25 cm) to length. The adult bullfrog skeleton is representative of tetrapod vertebrates, comprising an axial skeleton (skull and vertebrae) and an appendicular skeleton (pectoral girdle and forelimbs, pelvic girdle and hindlimbs). Ranids, however, lack ribs. The pronounced pair of dorsal humps in the back of ranid frogs are the ends of the pelvic ilia, homologues of the human hips.

The bullfrog skull is highly fenestrated. The orbits open ventrally through the roof of the mouth to accommodate eye retraction during locomotion and swallowing. The skull bears a continuous row of tiny teeth on the maxilla and premaxilla and a pair of small vomerine teethon the palate. The mandible is toothless.

The bullfrog nervous system consists of a brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, including cranial, spinal, and sympathetic nerves serving organs, such as the heart, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and gonads.

Females have eardrums (tympana) the same size as their eyes. Males' eardrums are larger.

Feeding :

Stomach content studies going back to 1913 suggest the bullfrog preys on any animal it can overpower and stuff down its throat. Bullfrog stomachs have been found to contain rodents, small turtles, snakes, frogs (including bullfrogs), birds, and a bat, as well as the many invertebrates, such as insects, which are the usual food of ranid frogs. These studies furthermore reveal the bullfrog's diet to be unique among North American Rana in the inclusion of large percentages of aquatic animals, e.g., fish, tadpoles, planorbid snails, and dytiscid beetles. The specialized ability of bullfrogs to capture submerged and large, strong prey comprises a pronounced biting motor pattern that follows up on the initial and typical ranid tongue strike. Adaptation to target image displacement due to light refraction at the water-air interface consists of the bullfrog's application of tongue surface comparatively posterior to the perceived location of the prey target. The comparative ability of bullfrogs to capture submerged prey, compared to that of the green frog, leopard frog, and wood frog (R. clamitans,R. pipiens, R. sylvatica, respectively) was also demonstrated in laboratory experiments.

Prey motion elicits feeding behavior. First, if necessary, the frog performs a single, orienting bodily rotation ending with the frog aimed towards the prey, followed by approaching leaps, if necessary. Once within striking distance, the bullfrog emits its feeding strike, which consists of a ballistic lunge (eyes closed as during all leaps) that ends with the mouth opening, extension of the fleshy and mucous-coated tongue upon the prey, often engulfing it, while the jaws continue their forward travel to close (bite) in close proximity to the prey's original location, just as the tongue is retracted back into the mouth, prey attached. Large prey that do not travel entirely into the mouth are literally stuffed in with the forearms. In laboratory observations, bullfrogs taking mice usually dove underwater with prey in mouth, apparently with the advantageous result of altering the mouse's defense from counterattack to

struggling for air. The tiny teeth of bullfrogs are useful only in grasping. Asphyxiation is the most likely cause of death of endothermic (warm-blooded) bullfrog prey.

Reproduction :

Fertilization is external in ranid frogs. In the mating grasp, or amplexus, the male rides on top of the female, grasping her with his forelimbs posterior to her forelimbs. The female bullfrog deposits her eggs in the water and the male simultaneously releases sperm.

Breeding begins in late spring or early summer. Males defend and call from territories, attracting females into a territory to mate. The call is reminiscent of the roar of a bull, hence the frog's common name. A female may produce up to 20,000 eggs in one clutch.[8]

Distribution and Habitat :

This type of frog is found mostly in open grasslands and at low elevations in the sub-Saharan

African countries of Malawi, Zambia, Nigeria, Somalia, Mozambique, Angola, South Africa

(except for the southwestern Cape Province), Kenya, Rhodesia, Tanzania and the Sudan.

It is quite aggressive, and has been known to jump at things that it views to be a threat.

Because of its sharp teeth, its bite can be quite serious. The male bullfrog will also

aggressively defend his eggs if an animal or a human should approach. The males make calls

only during the rainy season, which is when they come out of estivation to breed in pools of

water. They tend to congregate around watering holes, including ones occupied by large

animals like elephants. The call of Pyxicephalus adspersus is composed of loud, throaty

bellows and deep grunts. These frogs can get rather territorial during mating and begin their

mating calls only when they have established their territory.