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Frogs and Toads– Part 1

Herpetoculture

Pensacola Jr College

Classification

w Class Amphibia

w Order Anura

• Family Leiopelmatidae

• Family Pipidae

• Family Pelobatidae

• Family Leptodactylidae

• Family Bufonidae

• Family Ranidae

• Family Hylidae

• Family Dendrobatidae

Order Anura

w Range: worldwide except Antarctica

w Physical characteristics:

• Less than 14 inches long

• No tail as adults

• Short fused backbone, up to 9 vertebrae, urostyle

• 4 limbs, 4 front/ 4-5 rear digits

Order Anura (cont’d)

w Physical characteristics:

• Elongated hind limbs

• No “neck” region

• Large eyes, moveable eyelids

• Lungs, no gills

• Middle ear cavity, tympanum present on outside of body

• Frogs = smooth skin, aquatic

• Toads= warty skin, terrestrial

Order Anura (cont’d)

w Lifestyle:

• Carnivorous and solitary

• Strong vocal behaviors (for mating and territoriality)

• Many hibernate or estivate

w Reproduction:

• Usually external fertilization

• Axillary or inguinal amplexus

Leiopelmatidae = tailed frog and New Zealand frog

Family Leiopelmatidae

w Range: U.S. (west coast) and New Zealand

w Physical characteristics:

• 1 - 2 inches long

• Prepubis bone projects forward from pelvis

• 9 vertebrae

• Tail muscles retained in adult

• Vertical pupil

Family Leiopelmatidae

w No voice

w Feeding: insects, worms

w Tailed frog:

• Inside-out cloaca as copulatory organ (internal fertilization)

• Tadpoles attached by mouth to rocks, 1-3 yr to metamorphosis

• Live in fast flowing mountain streams

Family Leiopelmatidae

w New Zealand frogs:

• Terrestrial

• External fertilization

• Direct development (entire development and metamophosis within egg)

Tailed Frog

Pipidae = clawed and Surinam toads

Family Pipidae

w Range: Africa, Central and South America

w Physical characteristics:

• 2 – 5 inches long

• Small forelimbs and feet

• Large hindlimbs, webbed feet, 3 claws on each hind foot

• No tongue

Family Pipidae

w Physical characteristics:

• No visible tympanum

• Round pupil, no moveable lids

• Retain lateral line system in adults

w Completely aquatic, low visibility stagnant waters

w Feeding: voracious, eat anything incl. own tadpoles

Family Pipidae

w Reproduction:

• External fertilization

• Surinam toad retains eggs / larvae in back skin pits 2 – 4 months

• All others have free-swimming larvae

w Surinam toad:

• Sensory fringes on fingertips

Family Pipidae

w Clawed toads:

• Voicebox discs make intense underwater buzzing sound while breathing in

• 7 day egg incubation

• 5 – 7 weeks to metamorphosis

w African clawed frog husbandry

African Clawed Frog

Pelobatidae = spadefoot toads, horned toads, parsley frogs

Family Pelobatidae

w Range: N America, Europe, Central and SE Asia

w Physical characteristics:

• 2 – 4 inches long

• Large eyes with vertical pupils

• Specialized for burrowing and for high rates of water loss

w Terrestrial

Family Pelobatidae

w Reproduction:

• External fertilization

• Free swimming tadpoles

• Rapid courtship, development, and metamorphosis

w Horned toads:

• Flexible skin extensions on head

• Males become conspicuous and loud in mating conditions

Family Pelobatidae

w Spadefoots:

• Dry areas with sandy soils

• Sharp rear foot spades to dig

• Loud male call, quick aggressive breeding when conditions good

• 1.5 day incubation, 2 weeks to metamorphosis

w Parsley frogs:

• Looks like true frog, burrows

Western Spadefoot

Great Basin Spadefoot

Couch’s Spadefoot

Eastern Spadefoot

Plains Spadefoot

New Mexico Spadefoot