Category Amphibians

See-through Glass Frog hides its blood

MaNi Leave a comment

People can see the beating heart of the see-through Glass Frog. But, its blood is less visible. Scientists have recently discovered why. The Glass Frog hides its blood in its liver when it sleeps.

The Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium yaku) and the Fleischmann’s Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni) live in the tropical, dense Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador. 

The size of a marshmallow, the amphibians are called Glass Frogs because their skin is translucent and transparent (see-through). Jesse Delia at the American Museum of Natural History in New York said to the New Scientist LIFE magazine in 2022, “If it wasn’t for that green skin on their back, you would probably be able to read a newspaper through them.”

Continue reading “See-through Glass Frog hides its blood” →

RESEARCH: Three factors why big-eyed frogs have big eyes

MaNi Leave a comment

In September 2020, the New Scientist magazine reported on research to determine why frogs have evolved big eyes. 

Some frogs have the biggest eyes of all vertebrates (animals with backbones), in relation to their body size, and zoologists did not know why. Now researchers have found that the size of the eyes of these vertebrates seems to depend upon their environment.

Eyesight requires a lot of energy to function – focusing, adjusting peripheral vision, calculating distance, determing what the object is, and so on. There is a lot of things the eye must do quickly to ‘see’ what is in front and around it. Scientists think this is why animals living in dark environments, such as caves, often evolve to have smaller eyes.

Continue reading “RESEARCH: Three factors why big-eyed frogs have big eyes” →

Tadpole of the Caucasian Parsley Frog

MaNi Leave a comment

The Caucasian Parsley Frog (Pelodytes caucasicus) is a freshwater amphibian in the Pelodytidae family of frogs. 

The Caucasian Parsley Frog begins its life as an egg. The adult female frog is oviparous, laying eggs. The female lays 40-300 eggs near reeds in a still body of water. The eggs hatch after about 14 days. 

The eggs hatch into tadpoles. 

Continue reading “Tadpole of the Caucasian Parsley Frog” →

Pool Frog

MaNi Leave a comment

The Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae) is a freshwater wetlands amphibian in the Ranidae family of water frogs.

The Pool Frog is green, olive or brown. On its back is a green line that runs from head to tail. There are small warts on its back. Its underbelly is creamy-white. It has a plump body with long hind (back) legs, and no tail. It has large, round, protruding eyes. It has webbed feet.

Continue reading “Pool Frog” →

Majorcan Midwife Toad

MaNi Leave a comment

The Majorcan Midwife Toad (Alytes muletensis) is a small freshwater amphibian in the Alytidae family of toads. It is a vulnerable species. 

The Majorcan Midwife Toad can be a variety of colours, but it is generally brownish to yellowish or greenish, with several irregular dark spots along its body. It has big, bulging dark eyes, suited to living in the dark. It has long legs with webbed feet that enable it to climb over rocks.

Continue reading “Majorcan Midwife Toad” →

Tadpole of the Phantasmal Poison Frog

MaNi Leave a comment

The Phantasmal Poison Frog (Epipedobates tricolor) is an endangered amphibian in the Dendrobatidae family of Poison Dart Frogs. 

The Phantasmal Poison Frog begins its life as an egg. The adult female frog is oviparous, laying eggs. The female lays 10-30 eggs, which hatch after about 14 days. The male cares for the eggs. 

The eggs hatch into tadpoles, and the male carries them on his back and takes them to a river or stream. 

Continue reading “Tadpole of the Phantasmal Poison Frog” →

Young African Clawed Frogs regenerate lost and damaged tails and limbs

MaNi Leave a comment

Young African Clawed Frogs regenerate lost and damaged tails and limbs. Adult African Clawed Frogs also regenerate their lost limbs, but the newly regenerated limb is often not fully functional.

The African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) is an aquatic, freshwater amphibian in the Pipidae family of tongueless frogs. It is also known as the African Clawed Toad, or the African Claw-Toed Frog. It grows to 10-13 centimetres (4-5 inches) in length. 

Continue reading “Young African Clawed Frogs regenerate lost and damaged tails and limbs” →

Diablito Frog

MaNi Leave a comment

The Diablito Frog (Oophaga sylvatica) is a small venomous amphibian in the Dendrobatidae family of poison dart frogs. 

The Diablito Frog varies in colour, from red and yellow to orange. The female has circular, round toe discs or pads that can stick to surfaces, whereas the male has heart-shaped toe discs. The female has an arched back, and the male has a curved back.

Continue reading “Diablito Frog” →

Spanish Ribbed Newt

MaNi Leave a comment

The Spanish Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) is a freshwater amphibian in the Salamandridae family of salamanders. It is also called the Iberian Ribbed Newt and the Sharp-Ribbed Newt. 

The Spanish Ribbed Newt has a dark-grey body with lighter grey sides. It has small, rust-coloured spots near its ribs. It has a flat spade-shaped head and a long tail. It has tubercles running down each side of its body, with sharp ribs which can puncture through its sides. As it pushes its ribs out, as a defence mechanism, it secretes poison from glands on its body.

 

Continue reading “Spanish Ribbed Newt” →

Yellow-Bellied Toad

MaNi Leave a comment

The Yellow-Bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) is a small amphibian in the Bombinatoridae family of fire-bellied toads.

The Yellow-Bellied Toad is grey-brown on the top with spots and warts on its back. Its underbelly and inner sides of its limbs, fingers, and toes, are grey-blue to black-blue with bright yellow to orange spots or patches. Its body is short with a rounded snout (nose). Its eardrums are not visible. It has bulging eyes, with heart-shaped pupils. 

Continue reading “Yellow-Bellied Toad” →

European Tree Frog

MaNi Leave a comment

The European Tree Frog (Hyla arborea) is a small amphibian in the Hylidae family of tree frogs. 

The European Tree Frog is a light green, slender frog, with a slightly flattened, smooth body. It can also be greyish, olive-green, or tan coloured. It has lightly mottled markings, often with four faint lines or distinctive white spots. It has bulging eyes at the side of its head. Its long hind feet are webbed with cushioned pads. The male has a golden-brown throat and the female has a white throat. 

Continue reading “European Tree Frog” →

Common Tree Frog

MaNi Leave a comment

The Common Tree Frog (Polypedates leucomystax) is a small amphibian in the Rhacophoridae family of shrub frogs. 

The Common Tree Frog is a light-green, slender frog, with a slightly flattened, smooth body. It can also be greyish, yellowish, or dark brown. It has lightly mottled markings, often with four faint lines or distinctive white spots. It has bulging eyes at the side of its head. Its hind feet are webbed with cushioned pads. 

Continue reading “Common Tree Frog” →

Hong Kong Warty Newt

MaNi Leave a comment

The Hong Kong Warty Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis) is an amphibian in the salamander family. It is also known as the Hong Kong Newt. 

The Hong Kong Warty Newt has a long dark-brown slimy body with an orange-yellow underbelly. It has small granules or nodules along its body. It has a ridge along its back, from its neck to its thin, flattened tail. Its head is almost triangular in shape. It has bulging eyes with horizontal pupils. It has four short legs with toes that are not webbed.  

Continue reading “Hong Kong Warty Newt” →