Interesting facts about amphibians. Amazing amphibians

Amphibians are animals that live both in water and on land. These include frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. Amphibians lay their eggs in water, such as a pond or stream. They cannot live in salt water, so they are not found in the seas. Newts and salamanders are amphibians. Unlike frogs and toads, they do not lose their tail when they grow up. Newts are more attached to water than other amphibians. They are almost entirely aquatic animals.

Not quite lizards

Newts and salamanders are similar to lizards, but they are not reptiles, but amphibians. Their life begins and usually spends almost all of it in water. Newts live in temperate climate, in winter they crawl under logs and rocks and hibernate. Salamanders live in warmer climates hibernation they don't need it.

The largest salamander

The giant salamander is the largest amphibian animal, its length is up to 1.8 m.

Newts are beautiful

In many newts, the males are very beautiful. They become especially bright and beautiful during the mating season, when they need to attract the attention of females. The crested newt has a bright orange or yellow, and along the entire back there is a large uneven ridge. Three species of newts live in Russia - common, crested and Asia Minor.

Caring for offspring

The female newt protects the eggs from predators by hiding them or wrapping them in the leaves of aquatic plants.

Fire salamander.

Fire salamanders get their name because they usually hide under logs, and they have to quickly jump out of the fire if they accidentally get there along with firewood.

Frogs and toads

Poison dart frogs live in the Amazon forests. Their skin secretes poison that is deadly to animals and humans. The bright color of the frog warns that it is poisonous. The Indians used frogs to make poisoned arrows.

Tree frogs tropical forests They live far from bodies of water, but they still prefer wet places.

Breathing through the skin. Most frogs breathe not only through their lungs, but also through their skin, so their skin must be kept moist at all times. Frogs are excellent swimmers and usually live near water, except for tree frogs.

Jumping frogs

The frog's powerful hind legs help it jump far and high. Toads usually do not jump, but walk. Adult frogs and toads do not have tails.

The largest and smallest frog.

The most big frog- this is a frog - a goliath from West Africa. It weighs up to 3 kg, and the length of the extended frog is almost 80 cm. The smallest frog lives in Brazil. Its length is only 8.5 mm.

Flying frogs

Some tree frogs can glide in the air. They have suction cups on their toes, and membranes between their toes that act like spread wings.

Toads

Toads generally have drier skin than frogs. The skin of toads is covered with warts and can be poisonous. The hind legs of toads are shorter than those of a frog, and the toad usually walks rather than jumps. Toads are generally less mobile than frogs.

In dad's mouth. A male Darwin's frog from Chile carries the female's eggs in his mouth until the tadpoles hatch.

Amphibians

Amphibians, or amphibians, usually spend part of their lives in water and part on land. The very name “amphibian” means “living a double life.” Amphibians were the first vertebrates to move from water to land almost 400 million years ago. More than 4,500 species of amphibians are now known. Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. Most often, baby amphibians hatch from eggs in water. At first they look like fish fry, but soon they grow legs and develop lungs for breathing air. A little more - and the animals are ready to go to land, where they usually spend almost their entire adult life. But amphibians do not go far from the water and always return to the water to lay eggs (spawn).

The sounds made by a barking tree frog, as its name suggests, are the barking of a dog, with various variations consisting of about a dozen sounds. Both males and females of this species bark. The frog's "bark" is born in the throat sacs. Usually invisible, when “singing” these bags swell almost to the size of the frog itself.

Frog - bull

The bullfrog lives in North America, reaches a length of twenty centimeters and weighs about seven hundred grams. These frogs are true predators: they feed on invertebrates, small fish and frogs, and sometimes even waterfowl chicks. Males, especially in mating season, emit loud sounds similar to a bull's moo that can be heard around for a mile or more. Gourmets appreciate the tender meat of the hind legs of the bullfrog, a pair of which weighs almost four hundred grams. In the USA, these large amphibians are bred on several farms.

Studying amphibians, scientists discovered that they have remarkable navigational abilities, the ability to navigate by the sun, moon and stars. In North America there lives a noisy frog (an adult reaches a length of seven centimeters), which, if it finds itself in an unfamiliar place, orients itself on the terrain and chooses short term in the right direction, hits the road and unmistakably finds his habitat.

As you know, the body of tailless amphibians is covered with bare, unprotected skin. However, in 1900 in Gabon ( Central Africa) hairy frogs were discovered. As a result of their study, it became clear that the “fur” of frogs is just additional outgrowths of the skin that produce mucus, which helps maintain body moisture, especially necessary for amphibian species living in hot climates.

Female frogs make sounds if they are injured, but the loud croaking heard at night is the song of exclusively males. Main goal their concerts are to attract the attention of females during the mating season. But even after this period they perform their guttural songs.

The red-eyed tree frog, its body length reaches seven centimeters, belongs to the phyllomedusa genus and lives near water bodies, mainly in forests. These amphibians are diurnal. They look with unusual red eyes, the lower eyelids of which are covered with a mesh pattern. When danger approaches, these emerald-colored beauties close their eyes and turn invisible against the backdrop of bright green foliage, for which they are often called ghost frogs. The red-eyed tree frog has tenacious paws, the first toe of which is opposed to the others, which allows it to deftly grab onto tree branches. The female, larger than the male, puts the partner she likes on her back and, like a real steeplejack, climbs a tree with him to a height of up to seven meters. They move on smooth surfaces with the help of special suction cups located on their fingers. A sticky liquid secreted from the fingertips, as well as from special glands in the throat and abdomen, allows tree frogs to better stay on the surface.

The blue dart frog (its body length is about four centimeters) can only be found in southern Suriname, in forests near streams. It is dark sapphire in low light, but in bright light it literally phosphorescent. Meanwhile, this dandy of amazingly beautiful color is far from harmless. Rare leather blue dart frog produces a very strong poison, which makes it extremely dangerous for large animals and humans.

The colorful poison dart frog, approximately four centimeters in size, lives in the Central and South America, from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Southeast Brazil and Bolivia. He usually settles in the lower tier wet forest, in old trees with small hollows and crevices at the base of the trunk. These amphibians secrete a special mucus, which if you smear it, for example, on the skin of parrot chicks, they will grow red feathers instead of green. It is also interesting that the mucus contains epibatidine, a powerful pain reliever. It is two hundred times more effective than morphine and does not cause negative side effects.

The tree frog is a three-cornered frog with a body length of almost ten centimeters, an extremely rare frog of the marsupial tree frog family, and lives in South America. Its protective coloring makes it look like a piece of tree bark or lichen, so against the background of trees and stones this frog becomes completely invisible. Taking care of the offspring, the female carries fertilized eggs in a special leather pocket, which is located on her back.

It is frogs that produce the strongest poisons in nature. The record holder for “poisonousness” is the Colombian ucoqui leaf frog. The toxicity of this baby's venom, which is many times greater than that of a snake, retains its strength for several years. The Indians rubbed the tips of their arrows with it; one frog was enough to make fifty poisoned arrows. Once in the blood, the ucoca poison kills a person within a few minutes. the same substances also have bactericidal properties, thanks to which frogs destroy harmful microorganisms that fall on their skin. In the old days, frogs were placed in containers with milk to prevent it from turning sour: their poisonous mixture suppressed the growth of lactic acid bacteria, and the milk remained fresh.

Amphibians or amphibians (Amphibia)- class of vertebrates. íbios - live twofold lives. The Latin name comes from the Greek amph íbios - living a double life. The class Amphibians has a total of more than 6,700 species.

Amphibians (amphibians) interesting facts

When witches brewed their potions hundreds of years ago, tradition dictated that frogs were always the key ingredient in any witchcraft potion. The strong poison of some amphibians, for example, the golden frog, has long been used as a weapon; the Choco Indians lubricated the tips of their arrows with it. Frogs are a traditional symbol of injury, rejection and rejection. In 16th century England, a woman who found a frog in her house was tried for witchcraft. But why a frog? Is it because of their skin, the shape of their body, or does it still contain dark forces? Since ancient times, there have been many stories of stones that suddenly split open, releasing the frog that lived inside. Witchcraft, magic? No. This is hibernation. To avoid freezing in winter, frogs fall asleep in dark and warm places. Amphibian skin can also serve as medicine. In 1986, in the secretion of the African clawed frog, they discovered new class antibiotics. And more recently, scientists have discovered that frog skin contains an anesthetic that is 200 times stronger than morphine. Holes in ozone layer have made amphibians unwitting sensors of the planet's health. Ultraviolet rays, which cause cancer in humans, are also harmful to them. Scientists believe that amphibians at an accelerated pace reflect the course of evolution during which homo sapiens appeared. The tadpole loses its gills immediately after birth and begins to breathe with its lungs. At the sixth week of life, his hind limbs grow. Nine weeks later, the tadpole looks like a frog. There are lungs that swallow air from the surface of the water, and forelimbs. Every hour of his life corresponds to a million years of evolution. Over time, the tadpole develops vision and hearing. Tailless amphibians have excellent hearing- this is a proven fact. Males attract females by singing. The call of the coca frog consists of two tones. But females hear only a high sound - calling, and other males only hear a low sound - threatening. For male American bullfrogs, good hearing is very important. They are aggressive and constantly listen for rivals nearby. Their ears are almost twice the size of their eyes. The vision of amphibians depends on their habitat. There are eyes too different types, differ in shape and size. Narrow, cat-like pupils, horizontal or vertical, allow you to see in the dark. The pupils of amphibians are square, even heart-shaped. The colors of their eyes are also striking in their diversity; there are even red ones, for example, in tree frogs. This is a strange feature, given that amphibians see the world in black and white. Predatory snakes also have keen vision, but they see the world in ultraviolet light. Their potential victims - amphibians - could use an extra ace up their sleeve. And in them he is mimicry. The skin of frogs reflects as much ultraviolet light as the letter on which it sits, it is impossible to notice, and the snake sees an empty sheet. Amphibians are the first vertebrates to transition from an aquatic to an aquatic-terrestrial lifestyle. Reproduction in most species occurs in water. Amphibians, like fish, lay eggs because their eggs (spawn) and embryos lack adaptations for terrestrial development. Development ends with metamorphosis, during which the larvae lose their resemblance to fish and turn into adult animals.

Adults live on land.

The organization of Amphibians as terrestrial vertebrates is imperfect in many ways: very low metabolic rate, body temperature is unstable and corresponds to the temperature of the external environment.

All amphibians have thin, smooth skin that is relatively easily permeable to gases and liquids. Moisture and soft skin play an important role in respiration in Amphibians. Skin moisture, necessary for gas exchange, is maintained by secretions of the mucous glands. In some species, mucus can be poisonous.

The skin is an additional organ of gas exchange and is equipped with a dense network of capillaries.

All amphibians feed only on mobile prey. At the bottom of the oropharyngeal cavity is the tongue. When catching insects, the tongue is thrown out of the mouth and the prey sticks to it. The jaws have teeth that serve only to hold prey. In frogs they are located only on the upper jaw.

All modern amphibians are predators. The teeth serve only to grasp and hold prey. Frogs have no teeth at all. Herbivores among amphibians have an extremely sluggish metabolism. Amphibians feed on small animals (mainly insects and invertebrates) and are prone to cannibalism. IN aquatic species The diet may include juvenile fish, and the largest ones prey on chicks of waterfowl and small rodents that fall into the water. IN life cycle amphibians clearly stand out four stages of development: egg, larva (tadpole), period of metamorphosis, adult.

For the development of the egg (spawn), it needs constant moisture. The vast majority of amphibians lay their eggs in fresh water bodies, but there are exceptions: giant salamanders, amphium frogs and some other amphibians lay eggs on land. Even in these cases, eggs need high humidity environment, the provision of which falls on the parents.

Species are known that carry eggs on their bodies: male midwife frogs wrap a cord-like clutch around their hind legs, and a female reticulated copepod frog attaches the eggs to her stomach.

The fertilized eggs in the Surinamese pipa are pressed by the male into the back of the female and the latter carries it on herself until young pipas hatch from the eggs. Larvae hatched from eggs lead water image life. They resemble fish in their structure: they lack paired limbs and breathe with gills (external, then internal). Only some species are born as small tailless frogs. The larvae undergo metamorphosis and turn into adults leading a terrestrial lifestyle. Amphibians of some species take care of their offspring (toad, tree frog). Fossil amphibians are much more numerous and diverse than modern ones.

Amphibians or amphibians are the most interesting animals, occupying an intermediate position between aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates. The origin of amphibians, their amazing lifestyle in both aquatic and land environments, their tadpole larvae resembling more fish, and adult frogs so different from them, the poisonousness of some representatives of the class - these and many other features have always attracted the attention of scientists.

Amphibians came to land more than 200 million years ago. These were the first animals to emerge from the water. Why aquatic organisms were forced to go ashore? Scientists have put forward a hypothesis that during this period of the Earth's development, land began to advance on the World Ocean. As a result of the Earth's volcanic activity, water began to heat up and evaporate. Reservoirs shallowed, the density of their inhabitants increased, became significantly depleted in oxygen and became unsuitable for living in them for animals that only had gills for breathing. In this regard, some animals, in addition to gills, also developed lungs. The fins began to resemble paws, with the help of which the animals were able to get onto land. And since the lungs were not yet sufficiently developed, the skin took on a significant role in breathing. This is how the cutaneous-pulmonary type of breathing appeared in amphibians.

The number of amphibian species and their distribution is quite extensive, despite the significant dependence on water bodies, which play a large role in their reproduction and lifestyle.

Biological scientists have counted the number of species of toads and frogs living on globe. Tailless amphibians, for example, there are more than 6 thousand species. This is quite a lot considering their fertility.

Amphibians most often live near fresh water bodies. But there are also such as, for example, grass frogs, green toads, American northern toads and toad aha (more about it), which can live and reproduce in salt water.

The adult frog is preceded by a larval stage. From the eggs laid in the reservoir, small tadpole larvae hatch, which are so called because of their rather large head compared to the rest of the body. They bear little resemblance to adult frogs and are more reminiscent of large-headed fish. They do not yet have limbs, and they breathe, like fish, with gills. After some time, paws appear; the front ones have four fingers, and the back ones have five. The toes on the hind legs are connected by membranes and resemble swimmer's flippers. Or rather, people invented flippers by observing how well frogs swim, pushing off the water with their hind legs. Gradually, the tadpoles lose their tails and become a copy of adult frogs, only they are still very tiny. The gills are replaced by lungs, but the lungs of amphibians, even adults, are very poorly developed, and the main role in the respiration of frogs is played by thin skin rich in blood vessels.

The males of many frogs and toads have what are called resonators. In the spring, when it is already warm enough, frogs and toads stage mating concerts, singing in different voices, and these resonators increase the volume of the sounds made by the singers. Inflating rather large leathery bubbles on the sides of their heads, they “sing”, attracting females.

In frogs and toads, the eyes not only perform a visual function, but also help in swallowing food. Having received a food item in their mouth, the frogs close their eyes, plunging them into the depths of their sockets. Looking at them at this moment, you might think that they are experiencing pleasure from food, but in fact, the eyes of these amphibians at this time perform the function of pushing food from the oral cavity into the pharynx. By closing and pressing their eyes down, animals press on food with the underside of their eyes.

It is interesting to note that, contrary to previously accepted belief, many frogs are able to distinguish colors. Fire-bellied frogs see all the main colors of the spectrum, the so-called disc-tongued frog does not distinguish yellow, and the Japanese copepod does not see orange, yellow and green. The horned frog can only see red and blue colors. In general, amphibians appear to distinguish between red and blue colors best, perhaps because blue is the color of water and sky. Anyway, it's very interesting. After all, it is known that even such highly organized vertebrate animals as dogs cannot distinguish colors.

Frogs have a peculiarly attached tongue. It is attached not like in other animals - to the inside of the oral cavity, but immediately behind the line of the lower lip, so that its end lies, on the contrary, almost at the entrance to the pharynx. Try, for example, catch a fly from afar, if you don’t have a special device for this, but the fly won’t let you get close, because it has excellent eyesight.

Amphibians, unlike mammals and reptiles, are not able to chew food. Their teeth are adapted only for grasping and holding squirming prey. In return, nature has endowed most amphibians with a long, sticky tongue that can capture prey at lightning speed.

What do we know about amphibians? When witches brewed their potions hundreds of years ago, tradition dictated that toads were always the key ingredient in any witchcraft potion. The strong poison of some amphibians, for example, has long been used as a weapon; the Choco Indians lubricated the tips of their arrows with it.

Toads and frogs are a traditional symbol of ugliness, rejection and rejection. In 16th century England, a woman in whose house a toad was found was tried for witchcraft. But why a toad? Is it because of their skin, their body shape, or does it still contain dark forces? Since ancient times, there have been many stories of stones that suddenly split, releasing the toad that lived inside. Witchcraft, magic? No. This is hibernation. To avoid freezing in winter, toads fall asleep in dark and warm places.

Amphibian skin can also serve as medicine. In 1986, a new class of antibiotics was discovered in the secretion of the African clawed frog. And more recently, scientists have discovered that frog skin contains an anesthetic that is 200 times stronger than morphine. Holes in the ozone layer have made amphibians unwitting sensors of the planet's health. Ultraviolet rays, which cause cancer in humans, are also harmful to them.

Scientists believe that amphibians at an accelerated pace reflect the course of evolution, during which homo sapiens appeared. The tadpole loses its gills immediately after birth and begins to breathe with its lungs. At the sixth week of life, his hind limbs grow. Nine weeks later, the tadpole looks like a frog. There are lungs that swallow air from the surface of the water, and forelimbs. Every hour of his life corresponds to a million years of evolution.

The tadpole loses its gills immediately after birth and begins to breathe with its lungs. At the sixth week of life, his hind limbs grow. Nine weeks later, the tadpole looks like a frog. There are lungs that swallow air from the surface of the water, and forelimbs. Every hour of his life corresponds to a million years of evolution.

Over time, the tadpole develops vision and hearing. Tailless amphibians hear perfectly well - this is a proven fact. Males attract females by singing. The cry consists of two tones. But females hear only a high sound - calling, and other males only hear a low sound - threatening. For American males, good hearing is very important. They are aggressive and constantly listen for rivals nearby. Their ears are almost twice the size of their eyes.

The vision of amphibians depends on their habitat. Eyes also come in different types, differing in shape and size. Narrow, cat-like pupils, horizontal or vertical, allow you to see in the dark. The pupils of amphibians are square, even heart-shaped. The colors of their eyes are also striking in their diversity, there are even red ones, for example,

Types of frogs and their interesting features

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Frogs are amphibians belonging to the order Anura (tailless). Below you will find some interesting facts about the life of these amazing amphibians.

The oldest fossils are believed to have evolved about 265 million years ago and are called "protofrogs." These amphibians are widely distributed in subarctic and tropical regions, with large populations existing in tropical forests. Of all the vertebrate groups, they are the most diverse, with 4,800 species worldwide.

They're not that defenseless

The adult is distinguished by a forked tongue, folded limbs and a slippery body. These subtypes do not have a tail. Frogs most often live in fresh water and on irrigated lands and are believed to be highly adaptable to living underground or in trees.

They have a glandular skin type, which in some species has built-in toxic glands, thus making them inedible. These animals are close relatives of toads. Skin color varies from gray, brown to green with a luminous yellow pattern in some varieties.

Reproduction and nutritional habits

These types of amphibians are known to lay eggs in water. Once dammed, they hatch into larvae known as tadpoles, which have tails and gills. Frogs are divided into three types: herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. There are several subgroups that lay eggs on land.

Adults are exclusively carnivores and they primarily consume small invertebrates. Omnivorous species In addition, they feed on fruits. When breeding season begins, frogs tend to produce several types of sounds that reflect numerous complex species behaviors such as attracting the attention of a female for mating, scaring off predators.

More than one third of amphibians are believed to be at risk of extinction globally, with their numbers declining at an accelerating rate.

Let's find out something else interesting

Frogs have neither a tail nor claws. They have complex structure legs, big eyes, shiny skin, widened ankle bones and elongated hind legs. They have a short spine.

Their skin allows oxygen to pass through easily, so they can live even in places where there is no or very little oxygen, as they can breathe through their skin.

One of the main reasons for the population decline is that the frog's dermis is too vulnerable to the environment. They must keep their skin moist at all times because there is toxic substances, which can enter the bloodstream and thereby cause death.

External features

The length of the amphibian ranges from 10 mm to 300 mm. Small species such as Brachycephalus didactylus can be found in Cuba and Brazil.

Their eyelid consists of three membranes represented by connective tissue.

Unlike toads, frogs do have teeth, but they have no teeth on the lower jaw, and the amphibians mostly swallow their prey whole. With the help of their claws, frogs squeeze their prey tightly in order to swallow it completely.

Depending on their membership in one of the groups, they have different legs and feet. Tree-dwelling subspecies have different legs than terrestrial species or those that live in burrows.

Dexterity

These animals must move quickly to catch their prey and also to escape natural predators.

The presence of webbing on a frog's feet depends on the amount of time the species spends in water compared to land.

The skin of an amphibian is capable of absorbing water and thus helps in maintaining body temperature.

Frogs are cold-blooded animals, so they can regulate their body temperature. Skin color is used for thermoregulation. It becomes darker as the temperature drops.

Disguise

Frogs, which tend to protect themselves through camouflage, mainly behave night look life, and hide during the daytime. There are several species that can change their skin color to evade predators.

The amphibian absorbs through its skin carbon dioxide and oxygen along with water, carrying them into the bloodstream. The skin contains quite large number blood vessels, which allows oxygen to enter the body. On land, frogs use their lungs to breathe.

Amphibians primarily use their teeth to absorb prey, which they then swallow. However, these teeth are not used for chewing prey; they are too weak for that.