The Case of the Missing Frogs by Bryan Hamilton Why Are There No
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Ecol 483/583 – Herpetology Lab 3: Amphibian Diversity 2: Anura Spring 2010
Ecol 483/583 – Herpetology Lab 3: Amphibian Diversity 2: Anura Spring 2010 P.J. Bergmann & S. Foldi (Modified from Bonine & Foldi 2008) Lab objectives The objectives of today’s lab are to: 1. Familiarize yourself with Anuran diversity. 2. Learn to identify local frogs and toads. 3. Learn to use a taxonomic key. Today’s lab is the second in which you will learn about amphibian diversity. We will cover the Anura, or frogs and toads, the third and final clade of Lissamphibia. Tips for learning the material Continue what you have been doing in previous weeks. Examine all of the specimens on display, taking notes, drawings and photos of what you see. Attempt to identify the local species to species and the others to their higher clades. Quiz each other to see which taxa are easy for you and which ones give you troubles, and then revisit the difficult ones. Although the Anura has a conserved body plan – all are rather short and rigid bodied, with well- developed limbs, there is an incredible amount of diversity. Pay close attention to some of the special external anatomical traits that characterize the groups of frogs you see today. You will also learn to use a taxonomic key today. This is an important tool for correctly identifying species, especially when they are very difficult to distinguish from other species. 1 Ecol 483/583 – Lab 3: Anura 2010 Exercise 1: Anura diversity General Information Frogs are a monophyletic group comprising the order Anura. Salientia includes both extant and extinct frogs. Frogs have been around since the Triassic (~230 ma). -
Helminths of the Plains Spadefoot, Spea Bombifrons, the Western Spadefoot, Spea Hammondii, and the Great Basin Spadefoot, Spea Intermontana (Pelobatidae)
Western North American Naturalist Volume 62 Number 4 Article 13 10-28-2002 Helminths of the plains spadefoot, Spea bombifrons, the western spadefoot, Spea hammondii, and the Great Basin spadefoot, Spea intermontana (Pelobatidae) Stephen R. Goldberg Whittier College, Whittier, California Charles R. Bursey Pennsylvania State University, Shenago Valley Campus, Sharon, Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan Recommended Citation Goldberg, Stephen R. and Bursey, Charles R. (2002) "Helminths of the plains spadefoot, Spea bombifrons, the western spadefoot, Spea hammondii, and the Great Basin spadefoot, Spea intermontana (Pelobatidae)," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 62 : No. 4 , Article 13. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol62/iss4/13 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Western North American Naturalist 62(4), © 2002, pp. 491–495 HELMINTHS OF THE PLAINS SPADEFOOT, SPEA BOMBIFRONS, THE WESTERN SPADEFOOT, SPEA HAMMONDII, AND THE GREAT BASIN SPADEFOOT, SPEA INTERMONTANA (PELOBATIDAE) Stephen R. Goldberg1 and Charles R. Bursey2 Key words: Spea bombifrons, Spea hammondii, Spea intermontana, helminths, Trematoda, Cestoda, Nematoda. The plains spadefoot, Spea bombifrons (Cope, mm ± 2 s, range = 54–61 mm), 8 from Nevada 1863), occurs from southern Alberta, Saskatch- (SVL = 50 mm ± 3 s, range = 47–55 mm), and ewan, and Manitoba to eastern Arizona and 14 from Utah (SVL = 57 mm ± 6 s, range = northeastern Texas south to Chihuahua, Mexico; 44–67 mm). -
Frogs and Toads of Rhode Island
FROG & TOAD Chug-o-rum! Peep-peeep-peeep! Kraack-arrack! Frogs and toads thrive in the many ponds, forests , felds and open woodlands found on Audubon wildlife refuges. Spring and summer are great times to look and listen for them. Listed below are the common species found in Rhode Island. Bullfrog Northern Leopard Frog (Rana catesbeiana) (Rana pipiens) Bullfrogs are the largest frog in the United States Leopard frogs, as their name implies, are covered and have smooth, dull green to brown skin with in many, round black spots with lighter outlines. dark spots. Males have a yellow chin, and females Teir base color is usually brown or green but can have a white chin. Males make a deep echoing vary into yellow or blue. Tey have raised, golden croak “Chug-o-rum, Chug-o-rum” call in early ridges running down their back. Tey can be found summer. It can sound like a cow mooing, which in meadows and grasslands in the warmer months is why the word “bull” is in its name. Tey eat and near ponds and streams during breeding season. many insects, but will also eat fsh, rodents and Teir calls sound like a mix of “chucks” and “old small birds. creaky door” sounds. Green Frog Pickerel Frog (Rana clamitans) (Rana palustris) Green frogs greatly resemble bullfrogs, with a bright Nearly the twin of the leopard frog, pickerel green head and shoulders and hints of brown, blue or frogs are distinguished by their spots being black, but can be distinguished by the raised ridges square shaped rather than round and a bright down their backs. -
Amphibians of the Jordan River Compiled by Dan Potts, Local Naturalist, Revised 2011
Amphibians of the Jordan River compiled by Dan Potts, local naturalist, revised 2011 SALAMANDERS (AMBYSTOMIDAE) Arizona tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum rare SPADEFOOT TOADS (PELOBATIDAE) Great Basin spadefoot (toad) Spea intermontana uncommon TRUE TOADS (BUFONIDAE) Boreal (Western) toad Bufo boreas boreas common Western Woodhouses toad Bufo woodhousei woodhousei common TREE TOADS (HYLIDAE) Boreal (Striped) chorus frog Pseudacris triseriata maculata common TRUE FROGS (RANIDAE) Northern leopard frog Rana pipiens brachycephala rare Spotted frog Rana pretiosa pretiosa rare, endangered species Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana common, exotic, nuisance species Green frog Rana clamitans rare, exotic Ecology Most amphibians are no longer as common on the Jordan River, nor around the world as they once were. There have been major declines in many species. For example, where vast numbers of leopard frogs could be found on the banks of the Jordan only twenty years ago, I have been unable to find even a single individual for years! On the other hand, populations of introduced exotic species like the bull frog are apparently expanding. A few like the striped chorus frog seem to be holding their own. Cars, and predators like foxes and domestic and introduced exotics like cats and raccoons have all played a part in some of these declines. Some species may be especially sensitive to chemicals like the herbicide Roundup, the depletion of earth’s protective ozone layer, and a disease called kitrid which have all been implicated in the demise of many species worldwide. Only three natives and the one exotic (see above) are currently common in the river’s corridor. One species is endangered, others are threatened as amphibians in general appear to a be the veritable Acanary in the mine@ for predicting the ecological demise of many ground-based vertebrates, unless we clean up our act and start caring for them. -
Rhinella Marina) on Sanibel Island, FL
Possible Introduction Mechanisms, Movement Patterns, and Control Efforts of the Giant Toad (Rhinella marina) on Sanibel Island, FL Chris Lechowicz Director-Wildlife Habitat Management Program/Herpetologist Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Giant Toad (Rhinella marina) • Also called the cane toad, marine toad, Bufo toad, faux toad. • Previously Bufo marinus • Native to Central America, South America, Mexico, and south Texas. • A true toad (Family Bufonidae) belonging to a group of Neotropical toads (beaked toads = Rhinella). • Largest Bufonid toad (up to 5.8 lb), but not the largest Anuran (frog) in the world. Notable Facts • They have very large paired parotoid glands containing Bufotoxin that is oozed out when harassed. • This milky toxin has killed household pets (dogs, cats) and numerous wildlife species when ingested. • There has been documented human fatalities from “toad- licking” and ingestion. • Eggs/larvae are toxic to wildlife. • Highly nocturnal Prey and Predators • They consume invertebrates, small rodents, birds, amphibians, reptiles , and plants. • They will eat non-living prey (small dead animals, dog and food, feces). • The are preyed on in their natural range by caimans (C. latirostris), certain species of fish, Possums (Didelphis species), meat ants, banded cat-eyed snake (Leptodeira annulata), and some species of ibis. • They can lay up to ~30,000 eggs a year. Current uses for Cane Toads • Educational purposes (the dangers of exotic species) • Pregnancy tests • Leather goods • Pet trade • Eaten in Peru (after -
Green Heritage Spring 2010
GREENMONMOUTH COUNTY PARK HERITAGE SYSTEM The Newsletter of Monmouth County’s Open Space, Parks & Recreation Agency Vol. 44 No. 1 Spring 2010 The Park System has been hosting fishing contests since the 1960s. One of the earliest is shown at Shark River Park, right, 1968. Compare that to the annual Fishing Derby at Out- door Expo in Turkey Swamp Park, 2007, above. Monmouth County’s “Best Idea” Turns 50 The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same n the last issue, we printed old photos that showed how county park facilities have changed over 50 years. Certain sites, like the beach at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park for instance, saw the landscape utterly transformed. Not only were buildings relocated, docks (or Iwhat was left of them) removed, and new dunes built, but later a pavilion was added, a Skateplex was constructed and most recently, the playground was renovated—see below. Old photos of the parks also demonstrate the opposite trend: some things haven’t changed much at all in the last 50 years. People visit the parks and recreate in much the same ways now as they did in the 1960s (there are just many more people recreating).This may be due to the enduring nature of classic outdoor activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, and canoeing. And, with the possible exceptions of new technologies (cell phones with GPS, bird identification “apps,” fish-finders, etc.) and improvements to equipment , these activities look pretty much the same today as they ever did. See for yourself… Continues on p. 2 Chair Steals The Show At Exhibit New Playground! Tony’s Place If you like antiques and didn’t visit Last November, a seaside-themed, oceanfront, universal access play- the “Sit Thee Down—Chairs That ground called Tony’s Place opened at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Furnished Walnford” exhibit this past Long Branch. -
Toadally Frogs Frog Wranglers
Toadally Frogs Frog Wranglers P rogram Theme: • Frogs are toadally awesome! P rogram Messages: • Frogs are remarkable creatures • A frogs ability to adapt to its environment is evident in it physiology • Frogs are extremely sensitive to their surroundings and as a result are considered to be an indicator species P rogram Objectives: • Gallery Participants will observe live frogs face-to-face • Gallery Participants will be able to describe several physical features and unique qualities of the White’s tree frog • Gallery Participants will get excited about frogs Frog Wrangling Procedure 1. Wash and dry your hands. You may use regular tap water and light soap, but insure that you rinse your hands thoroughly. 2. Move frog from the Public Programs suite into carrying case. Whenever you transport your frog from the Public Programs suite to the exhibit, please carefully remove them from the habitat terrarium and place them in the small red carrying case (cooler). This will prevent the animal from becoming stressed as it is moved through the Museum. 3. Prepare your audience. Prior to bring out the live frog, ensure that everyone is seated and that you have asked your audience not to move quickly. Sit on the floor as well; this will ensure that if the frog leaps from your hands, it would not have far to fall. 4. Wet your hands. When you are ready to show the frog as part of your demonstration, please moisten your hands with the spray bottle. This will help minimize your dry skin from sucking the moisture out of the frog. -
Class: Amphibia Amphibians Order
CLASS: AMPHIBIA AMPHIBIANS ANNIELLIDAE (Legless Lizards & Allies) CLASS: AMPHIBIA AMPHIBIANS Anniella (Legless Lizards) ORDER: ANURA FROGS AND TOADS ___Silvery Legless Lizard .......................... DS,RI,UR – uD ORDER: ANURA FROGS AND TOADS BUFONIDAE (True Toad Family) BUFONIDAE (True Toad Family) ___Southern Alligator Lizard ............................ RI,DE – fD Bufo (True Toads) Suborder: SERPENTES SNAKES Bufo (True Toads) ___California (Western) Toad.............. AQ,DS,RI,UR – cN ___California (Western) Toad ............. AQ,DS,RI,UR – cN ANNIELLIDAE (Legless Lizards & Allies) Anniella ___Red-spotted Toad ...................................... AQ,DS - cN BOIDAE (Boas & Pythons) ___Red-spotted Toad ...................................... AQ,DS - cN (Legless Lizards) Charina (Rosy & Rubber Boas) ___Silvery Legless Lizard .......................... DS,RI,UR – uD HYLIDAE (Chorus Frog and Treefrog Family) ___Rosy Boa ............................................ DS,CH,RO – fN HYLIDAE (Chorus Frog and Treefrog Family) Pseudacris (Chorus Frogs) Pseudacris (Chorus Frogs) Suborder: SERPENTES SNAKES ___California Chorus Frog ............ AQ,DS,RI,DE,RO – cN COLUBRIDAE (Colubrid Snakes) ___California Chorus Frog ............ AQ,DS,RI,DE,RO – cN ___Pacific Chorus Frog ....................... AQ,DS,RI,DE – cN Arizona (Glossy Snakes) ___Pacific Chorus Frog ........................AQ,DS,RI,DE – cN BOIDAE (Boas & Pythons) ___Glossy Snake ........................................... DS,SA – cN Charina (Rosy & Rubber Boas) RANIDAE (True Frog Family) -
FROG LISTENING NETWORK This Program Is Designed to Assist You in Learning the Frogs, and Their Calls, in the Hillsborough River Greenway System
HILLSBOROUGH RIVER GREENWAYS TASK FORCE FROG LISTENING NETWORK This program is designed to assist you in learning the frogs, and their calls, in the Hillsborough River Greenway System. Through this program, volunteers can help in local frog and toad research efforts. We use frogs and toads because: • They are good biological indicators of the river system’s health. • Their lifecycles span from wetland to upland areas. • They are very susceptible to environmental change. • They track the hydrologic cycle. • They are good ecological barometers for the health of the ecosystem. Frogs indicative of healthy Ecosystems: • Gopher Frog • Certain Tree Frogs Such As The: Barking Treefrog and the Pinewoods Treefrog Frogs indicative of exotic invasion and conversion to urbanization: • Cuban Tree Frog • Marine Toad These are non-native species that have been imported or introduced to our area. Volunteers are helping by: • Learning the calls. • Listening for calls. • Recording call information. Provide the recorded call information to the HRGTF on the data forms provided. This information will be used to detect changes or trends within frog populations over time. • This in turn helps to assess the health of the Ecosystem which then benefits: •Frogs • Other area wildlife •Ourselves Frog calls are easy to learn! • They are distinctive and unique. • We will use mnemonics (phrases that sound like the frog call) to remind us what frog we are listening to. • Many of the names of the frogs are associated with their calls. • For Example: the Bullfrog has a call that sounds like a bullhorn. Frog Diversity • 2700 Worldwide • 82 in the United States • 28 in Florida • 21 in the Hillsborough River Greenway (14 Frogs; 4 Toads; 3 Exotics) First lets look at the six large frogs found in the Hillsborough River Greenway. -
Recovery Strategy for the Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea Intermontana) in Canada
Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series Adopted under Section 44 of SARA Recovery Strategy for the Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) in Canada Great Basin Spadefoot 2017 1 Recommended citation: Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2017. Recovery Strategy for the Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa. 2 parts, 31 pp. + 40 pp. For copies of the recovery strategy, or for additional information on species at risk, including the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) Status Reports, residence descriptions, action plans, and other related recovery documents, please visit the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry1. Cover illustration: © Karl Larsen Également disponible en français sous le titre « Programme de rétablissement du crapaud du Grand Bassin (Spea intermontana) au Canada » © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 2017. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-660-24364-1 Catalogue no. En3-4/279-2017E-PDF Content (excluding the illustrations) may be used without permission, with appropriate credit to the source. 1 http://sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=24F7211B-1 RECOVERY STRATEGY FOR THE GREAT BASIN SPADEFOOT (Spea intermontana) IN CANADA 2017 Under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996), the federal, provincial, and territorial governments agreed to work together on legislation, programs, and policies to protect wildlife species at risk throughout Canada. In the spirit of cooperation of the Accord, the Government of British Columbia has given permission to the Government of Canada to adopt the Recovery Plan for the Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) in British Columbia (Part 2) under Section 44 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). -
Anurans of Idaho Recent Taxonomic Changes
Anurans of Idaho Fa mil y Genera Species Ascaphidae Tailed Frog Ascaphus 1 Bufonidae True Toads Bufo 2 Pelobatidae Spadefoots Spea(Scaphiopus) 1 Hylidae Tree frogs Pseudacris 2 Ranidae True Frogs Rana 4 Recent Taxonomic Changes 1983 2002 Leiopelmatidae Ascaphidae Ascaphus truei Ascaphus montanus Tailed Frog Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog Hylidae Hylidae Hyla regilla Pseudacris regilla Pacific Treefrog Pacific Treefrog Pseudacris triseriata Pseudacris maculata Striped Chorus Frog Boreal Chorus Frog Ranidae Ranidae Rana pretiosa Rana luteiventris Spotted Frog Columbia Spotted Frog Frog and Toad Characteristics • Size • Color pattern • Body shape • Head shape • Skin texture • Tympanum • Dorsolateral folds • Eye size and placement • Pupil shape • Glands • Toe shape and length • Tubercles 1 Tailed Frog Distribution Family Ascaphidae Tailed Frog (Ascaphus montanus) • Max length= 2 inches (51 mm) •brown to gray • Smooth to warty skin • tympanum absent • vertical pupils •5th toe wider than others • male with “tail ” Tailed Frog Habitat 2 Tailed Frog Eggs Tailed Frog (Ascaphus montanus) Tadpoles Family Pelobatidae Great Basi n Spadefoot (Spea intermontana = Scaphiopus intermontanus) 3 Family Pelobatidae Great Basin Spadefoot • Max length = 2.5 inches (65 mm) • gray with light stripes • Relatively smooth skin • tympanum inconspicuous • vertical pupils • black, sharp-edged "spade" on the underside of each hind foot Great Basin Spadefoot Habitat Great Basin Spadefoot Reproduction Call Eggs 4 Great Basin Spadefoot Tadpoles Bufonidae - True Toads Western -
Biogeography of the Nearly Cosmopolitan True Toads (Anura: Bufonidae) Jennifer B
Global Ecology and Biogeography, (Global Ecol. Biogeogr.) (2007) Blackwell Publishing Ltd RESEARCH Around the world in 10 million years: PAPER biogeography of the nearly cosmopolitan true toads (Anura: Bufonidae) Jennifer B. Pramuk1*, Tasia Robertson2, Jack W. Sites Jr2 and Brice P. Noonan3 1Department of Herpetology, Bronx Zoo/ ABSTRACT Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Aim The species-rich family of true toads (Anura: Bufonidae) has been the focus of Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA, 2Brigham Young University, Department of several earlier studies investigating the biogeography of geographically widespread Integrative Biology, Provo, UT 84602, USA, taxa. Herein, we employ newly developed Bayesian divergence estimate methods to 3Duke University, Department of Biology, investigate the biogeographical history of this group. Resulting age estimates are Durham, NC 27708, USA used to test several key temporal hypotheses including that the origin of the bufonid clade pre-dates Gondwanan vicariance (~105 million years ago, Ma). Area cladograms are also invoked to investigate the geographical origin of the family. Location Worldwide, except the Australia–New Guinea plate, Madagascar and the Antarctic. Methods A phylogenetic hypothesis of the relationships among true toads was derived from analysis of 2521 bp of DNA data including fragments from three mitochondrial (12S, tRNAval, 16S) and two nuclear (RAG-1, CXCR-4) genes. Analysis of multiple, unlinked loci with a Bayesian method for estimating divergence times allowed us to address the timing and biogeographical history of Bufonidae. Resulting divergence estimates permitted the investigation of alternative vicariance/dispersal scenarios that have been proposed for true toads. Results Our area cladogram resulting from phylogenetic analysis of DNA data supports a South American origin for Bufonidae.