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 climates and in the winter they crawl under logs and rocks and hibernate. Salamanders live in warmer climates and do not need hibernation.
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 belly, and a large, uneven crest running along its entire back. 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.
Rainforest tree frogs live far from bodies of water, but they still prefer damp 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 largest frog is the goliath frog 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 during the mating season, make loud, bull-like sounds that can be heard 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 their 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, having orientated itself on the terrain and choosing the right direction in a short time, sets off and unmistakably finds its habitat.
As you know, the body of tailless amphibians is covered with bare, unprotected skin. However, in 1900, hairy frogs were discovered in Gabon (Central Africa). 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. The main goal of their concerts is 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 settles 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 grasp 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. The skin of the rare blue dart frog produces a very strong poison, which makes it extremely dangerous for large animals and humans.
Measuring approximately four centimeters, the red poison dart frog is native to Central and South America, from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to southeastern Brazil and Bolivia. It usually settles in the lower tier of a damp forest, in old trees with small hollows and crevices at the base of the trunk. These amphibians secrete a special mucus that, if you smear it on the skin of parrot chicks, for example, will cause them to 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, a three-cornered frog with a body length of almost ten centimeters, is an extremely rare frog of the family of marsupial tree frogs - 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.
Animals adapted to life both in water and on land evoke mixed feelings in people: amphibians are so different from other life forms that they often become heroes of science fiction or horror films. Their second name, amphibians, means “double life,” which perfectly illustrates their behavior and type of development. Amphibians have interesting features, unusual appearance, behavior, physiology, so you can learn something new and incredible about them almost endlessly.
60 million years ago, amphibians were the rightful masters of the Earth, being in numerical advantage. Then among them there were specimens of such a size that would now cause horror in a modern person. The average length of an amphibian of those times was about 2 meters, and the largest representatives had bodies up to 15 meters in length. Despite their enormous size, they were extremely vulnerable, so with the appearance of the first natural enemies they began to disappear catastrophically. Until now, they remain the class that is disappearing from the face of the Earth the fastest.
This species of amphibian - Rheobatrachus or Caring Frogs - was discovered only in 1973. While observing them, zoologists were faced with an amazing discovery: rheobatrachus bears their offspring in the stomach. It is this amazing fact that explains the name of the species.
Gestation of cubs lasts about 2 months, and this period becomes a difficult test for females: the amphibian completely stops feeding and lives off the available reserves of nutrients. During such a “fast”, about 40 eggs develop in the female’s stomach, from which tadpoles emerge. To prevent the babies from dissolving in the gastric juice, the secretion of the glands completely stops, and instead of digestive enzymes, prostaglandin E2 is produced - a substance in which the young animals feel cozy and comfortable.
After babies develop skin, it also begins to produce prostaglandin, helping the mother. The restless offspring in the stomach behaves extremely actively, so from the outside the rheobatrachus looks strange: its body shakes, it protrudes in different directions. This picture is worthy of any horror movie.
When the tadpoles become fully formed frogs, the mother gently pushes them outside, where they finally become independent.
Incredible Regeneration
The class of amphibians is known for its ability to renew lost organs and quickly restore tissue. But even compared to all other representatives of the class, the crested newt stands out far ahead thanks to its amazing regeneration abilities.
It has many enemies in the surrounding nature, so injuries and damage to the body are not uncommon for this amphibian. Scientists have noticed that healing occurs at a speed that is simply amazing. After this, numerous laboratory studies began, during which it was possible to establish that the crested newt can regrow almost any organ. After complete loss of paws or tail, they recover in 3-4 months. Even after both eyes were completely removed, they grew in 10 months and were in no way inferior to those that were before: the amphibian could see with them the same way.
And even this was not the end of the amazing properties of the crested newt. If in the reservoir where it lives, the water freezes and the animal turns into ice, then after thawing it continues to live as if nothing had happened. If a severe drought occurs, the newt turns into a dried up mummy, which, it would seem, will never come to life again. But after the first rain, it restores all the tissues of the body and continues to live and reproduce.
Honeycomb on the back
The pipa toad does not trust the environment in the responsible task of raising offspring, preferring to ensure the safety of its children itself. While the male lays eggs, the female exposes her back to the flow of eggs, and the male carefully presses them directly into the female’s skin. After a few hours, her back looks like a honeycomb, in which from 40 to 144 eggs are securely hidden.
Pipa bears its children for 80 days. During this time, they manage to hatch from eggs, turn into tadpoles and become fully formed individuals. Mom's back swells more and more, and it becomes very difficult for her to move, as her weight increases almost 3 times. Nutrition and oxygen to the cubs come from the mother's body, so during the months of gestation the pipa becomes very depleted.
After the babies become sufficiently formed, they break through the film and actively get out, crawling in different directions. This is how their long independent life begins, in which they will be able to acquire their own offspring only after 6 years of age.
Spiked monsters
Crested newts, found in China, lead a predominantly aquatic lifestyle. Their females are no different from most newts, but the males look different: on their backs they have a crest with spikes that grows to an impressive size during the mating season.
The body length of this amazing amphibian is from 11 to 20 cm, and the spiked crest reaches 2 cm. When the mating season begins for these animals, they often crawl out onto the banks of reservoirs, straightening their crest, which becomes brighter in color than usual.
It is during this period that people, often experiencing mystical horror, may stumble upon these frightening-looking amphibians, because crested newts resemble small dragons and look terrifying. Several centuries ago, for this reason, they were exterminated en masse, taking them for manifestations of evil spirits, which affected their numbers.
Higher and further
The Javan flying frog is one of the few amphibians that can soar like a bird. Of course, this is not the full-fledged flight characteristic of birds, but with the help of its adaptations, the amphibian can glide perfectly.
Having a size of only 10-12 cm, the Javan flying frog can soar at a distance of as much as 12 m. To do this, during a jump, it spreads the membranes on the toes of all four paws, catching air currents. The total area of the interdigital membranes of this small amphibian is 19 cm2. Thanks to this amazing ability, she can catch up with any insect that is of interest to her, so the flying hunter is not in danger of starvation.
The beauty and the Beast
An amazing amphibian called the American proteus is both a beauty and a beast. Among salamanders, it ranks second in size: the body of this amazing amphibian is about 40 cm. The salamander does not look particularly attractive, since it has very small eyes located on a large grayish head. But on the cheeks there are gill outgrowths, painted bright red. It is these beautiful outgrowths that unmistakably indicate belonging to the species.
For a long time, scientists considered the American protea to be the larval form of another species of amphibian, but then it was found that it is an independent biological unit. Unlike other salamanders, the American protea's skin surface does not contain toxic substances that help repel predators, so it is often forced to hide from birds or predatory fish.
Another interesting fact is known about the American protea: it is the only salamander capable of making quite loud sounds. They resemble the barking of a small dog, for which in America this amphibian is called the “squealing puppy.”
Blind worker
The purple frog was discovered as recently as 2003. The reason that it went unnoticed for so long was its special lifestyle, in which the amphibian spends most of its life in burrows and holes.
The appearance and shape of the body does not particularly resemble ordinary frogs, since the head is very small with a pointed muzzle, and the body looks like a shapeless jelly mass. It looks like a very clumsy amphibian, but in reality this is not at all the case. With a body size of up to 9 cm, this amphibian is capable of digging a hole 3.7 m deep in just a couple of minutes. To do this, it works very actively with its front and hind legs. The purple frog crawls to the surface from holes and pits extremely rarely, since its small eyes see almost nothing. She can only be forced to leave her home by the need to reproduce, since their mating season takes place on the surface of the earth. After the reproductive instinct is satisfied, the amazing animal again hides at a safe depth, where there is enough dampness and coolness.
Vanishing Giant
The largest creature among amphibians is the gigantic salamander. Its length can reach 160 cm, while its tail is not long, so most of this length falls on the body and head. Due to such enormous size, the amphibian’s weight is impressive - about 180 kg. Its lifespan most often lasts from 55 to 60 years.
It was these amazing amphibians that appeared many millions of years ago and were able to survive the heyday of the era of reptiles and the death of dinosaurs, successfully adapting to changing living conditions. But now a new threat is looming over them, which this species is coping with less successfully. The fact is that the meat of gigantic salamanders is very tender and soft, which became the reason for the mass extermination of the population in Japan and China, where these amphibians live. So far, the situation cannot be changed by the fact that the gigantic salamander was included in the international Red Book and taken under legal protection.
In addition to the barbaric attitude on the part of people, the population of the species was seriously affected by the deterioration of the condition of natural reservoirs, since these amphibians can only live in clean water without industrial pollutants. In order to somehow rectify the situation, a huge nursery for breeding giant salamanders was created in China, where they are kept in ideal conditions and reproduce successfully.
Dangerous Kid
The Zimmermann dart frog is a frog that is considered one of the most poisonous on the planet. Its body size is only 2 cm, but this amphibian is easy to spot in nature thanks to its bright colors. The beautiful blue and lime color, as well as large spots on the back, look like the creature came straight out of the pages of a children's coloring book, but the amphibian is by no means harmless.
The surface of her skin contains a strong poison, batrachotoxin, which can cause a spasm of the heart muscles in a person and cause rapid respiratory arrest. This fact was discovered by the Indians of Peru, who learned to use it to their advantage: they passed an arrow along the body of a dart frog, after which it became deadly to enemies and capable of killing the enemy in a few seconds.
There are amphibians that only zoologists know about - caecilians. They are distinguished from the rest of the class by the complete absence of limbs, so in appearance they are more reminiscent of something between snakes and earthworms. The largest representative is 1.55 m long and looks creepy.
Such amphibians can live in the soil, inside anthills or termite mounds. The eyes of caecilians almost do not see, but these animals have an excellent sense of smell, which allows them to find worms that serve as food for them.
In many species of caecilians, the hatched babies first eat the skin of the mother, which is the best food for them. At the same time, they do not harm their parent, since they eat only the top layer, rejuvenating her skin.
The study of amphibians does not stop, so every year scientists discover new amazing species that have survived to this day far from human eyes.
Let amphibians not be the most attractive and cute creatures. They're not kittens to please everyone. But among them there are also the most interesting rare individuals that can captivate anyone with their truly extravagant appearance. Let's get acquainted with this strange class of animals (these are neither on land nor on water - neither yours nor ours) and learn more about the most outstanding representatives.
Signs of amphibians: duplicity as a gift
Amphibians, also known as amphibians (translated from Greek as “one who lives a double life”), are those groups of animals that can live both on land and in water. Therefore, they stand out from all other living beings and have a number of advantages.
The main external sign of an amphibian is “nakedness” (they are devoid of fur or any other heat-insulating coverings). It is believed that the ancestors of amphibians were lobe-finned fish. But they themselves gave life to reptiles.
Types of amphibians: with or without a tail?
Scientists distinguish three types of amphibians based on the presence and development of the tail and paws.
Tailless amphibians
They have a short body, a poorly defined neck, developed legs (the hind legs are larger and more massive than the front ones: they are used for moving by jumping), and of course they do not have a tail. This species includes toads, frogs, tree frogs, spadefoots, toads and others. This is the largest order, which numbers about five thousand different species.
Tailed amphibians
They have a long body that ends in a strong, developed tail, but their legs are short and weak (although there are exceptions). Among the representatives of this order, the most noticeable are newts and salamanders. In total, the group numbers about five hundred species. And just some species of salamanders stand out from the general background - they can run rapidly and even jump.
Legless (aka worms)
They differ in that they have neither a tail nor paws - the animals are unlucky, they seem completely helpless! Moreover, they also look very unattractive - these amphibians look like nasty worms. And from a scientific point of view, they have the most primitive structure of their kind.
Not only hypocrites, but also opportunists
Animals belonging to the class of amphibians are surprisingly tenacious - they live on all continents of the globe, except Antarctica. They are opportunists: very salty waters, arid territories and serious cold - they don’t mind any difficulties! If you climb into the Himalayas, you will meet an amphibian in the mountain heights.
And if you find yourself in the desert or beyond the Arctic Circle (you never know what will happen for fun), then they are here too, just like underground.
True, these are rather exceptional options. The most fertile environment for amphibians is humid, warm and nourishing (where it is easy for amphibian animals to find edible prey) tropical countries.
Amphibians: the immortal snow queen
One of the rarest amphibians is the Siberian salamander. It has a unique cold resistance, which allows this amphibian to exist, in principle, in conditions not typical for its class - in the harsh north of Russia (the territory from the Urals to Kamchatka). And these are temperatures reaching 30-35 degrees below zero, and permafrost...
It is noteworthy that these creatures can survive even in ice for several years at a time. After geologists found such seemingly frozen to death individuals, they thawed, warmed up and returned to vigorous life. How can you come back to life after an icy death? The fact is that during frost, the water in the cells of this amphibian turns into glycerol, which protects them from certain death.
Rare amphibians: a frog that doesn't croak
But in the lowlands of the British mountains there lives a peculiar frog called the chicken frog. In addition to the fact that it belongs to the largest frog species in the world (reaches 21 centimeters), its meat also has an exceptional taste.
Actually, this is why the green amphibian of peculiar beauty was named that way. True, only criminally wealthy gourmets can now afford such a delicacy, because it is under the protection of the country as a species on the verge of extinction.
Fish that walks
Either a fish or a reptile - a very strange creature! Another unique member of the amphibian class with terrifying names is the water monster, the walking fish, and in science, the axolotl. He, too, can boast of unconventional beauty and strange qualities of survival.
The most remarkable of them is that these amphibians reach sexual maturity without entering the adult stage, but remaining a larva, sometimes even for life. They, as befits amphibians, can live both on land and in water. But often they do not “work” on the development of lungs, like other amphibians, but live in water spaces, but without the scales that fish rely on.
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1. Some amphibians in arid areas are able to produce liquid themselves in the form of dew. For example, the coral-footed litoria, a frog that lives in Australia, can get out of a warm shelter outside at night. There it cools and then returns, after which condensation forms on its body, which the frog absorbs over the entire surface of its skin.
2. The smallest representative of frogs lives in Cuba and measures only 8.5 mm. While the largest - the African Goliath (pictured above) - reaches a length (excluding paws) of 30 cm and a weight of three kilograms. Such impressive dimensions do not prevent it from jumping a distance of three meters, but at the same time, thanks to them, it has become an object of hunting for local residents and is therefore endangered
3. An amazing toad lives in South America; it itself is small, only 4-5 cm, but its offspring (tadpoles) outgrow its mother by 3-4 times. But as they grow older, they return to standard sizes. This species is called the “paradoxical frog” for this feature.
4. Green algae are added to the eggs that the salamander lays. This is a mutually beneficial symbiosis. The embryo receives oxygen from the plant. The algae feeds on nitrogen, which contains waste from the embryo. Everyone knows about the fire salamander; it has a characteristic color (black with bright yellow spots). She is characterized by viviparity, and an amazing ability not to burn in fire, which has long become the subject of legends. The explanation is simple: the salamander’s body is covered with special mucus and this allows it to gain time and retreat. The largest representative of this order lives in Japan (pictured). It is called a giant salamander and averages one meter in length. This is a predator that resembles some kind of prehistoric creature. Having poor eyesight, he navigates space using his sense of smell and touch.
5. There are legless amphibians. To put it mildly, these are strange creatures that resemble snakes and earthworms at the same time. This is the smallest order of amphibians known since the Jurassic period. They have no limbs, and the tail is greatly reduced. Their skin is completely bare, although some have noticeable reduced scales; the color is usually dark and matte. These are inhabitants of the forest floor near water bodies; some are characterized by viviparity.
6. Frog Rheobatrachus silus or Caring frog. Got its name thanks to its ability carry offspring in the stomach until they are fully mature. The female swallows the fertilized eggs, and after a while spits out the little frogs. According to the results of the research, it turned out that tadpoles produce a special substance - prostaglandin E2, which does not allow the release of stomach acid, which allows the tadpoles to develop calmly inside the frog. Unfortunately, this species is considered endangered due to environmental changes.
7. Length the smallest frog in the world is only 10-13 mm, and females are slightly larger than males. It also has a camouflage color, so it will take a lot of effort to see it. It was discovered by scientists Alessandro Catenazzi and Edgar Lehr in 2008. In her entire life, she lays only 2 eggs, which are the size of a third of a frog’s body. It lives in one territory, almost never leaving it.
8. The largest salamander lives in the rivers and lakes of Eastern China. Its length is 150-180 cm, and its weight is about 65 kg. Considered to be the largest amphibian. Nowadays, it is on the verge of extinction, because for normal existence it urgently needs clean and cold water, and due to constant pollution this becomes difficult.
9. Frogs dart frogs and leaf frogs have a very bright color. In addition, they are considered the most poisonous vertebrates on earth. The skin glands of these frogs secrete poison in microscopic sizes, which has a nerve-paralytic effect, and this amount is enough to kill a large predator.
10. There is a world glass frog. At first glance, it is no different from an ordinary green frog, but you should pay attention to its stomach; the skin on it resembles glass, through which you can see all the internal organs.
11. Amazing ability crested newt to regeneration. This amphibian is capable of restoring any of the lost body parts. Newts are not afraid of frost; they can easily “wait out the cold” by freezing into the ice. And they are not afraid of the heat. Even if it seems that the newt has completely dried up, as soon as it rains, it will come to life and continue its unfinished business.
12. Do you know why in the old days it was customary to throw a frog into a bucket of milk? The fact is that there were no refrigerators at that time, and the frog’s moist skin has bactericidal properties, which is why the frog’s milk never turned sour.
13. Also, the eyes of frogs play an important role in... digestion. It is with the help of the eyes that the frog helps push the food in the mouth further along the digestive tract. Therefore, having captured prey, these representatives of the amphibian world must blink. And frogs close their eyes only for a short period of time, even when they sleep.
14. While in water, frogs breathe through their skin; on land, their lungs and mouth are responsible for their breathing. The body of frogs is designed in such a way that every time the animal plunges into water, it provokes a shutdown of the respiratory system. The circulatory system of frogs is also quite interesting: their heart consists of 2 sections, and mixed venous-arterial blood circulates in the body.
15. Representatives of some species (the frog Litoria nasuta, living in Australia) can overcome jumping distances 50 times their size and achieve acceleration up to 20 meters per second. Other ( Rhacophorus Nigropalmatus – Wallace's flying frogs, living in the humid jungles of Malaysia and Borneo) can not only jump superbly, but even glide, “flying” distances of 15 m.
The giant goliath frog is the largest representative of its species - its length is 90 cm, and its weight can exceed 3 kilograms. The goliath has very strong legs, thanks to which the average jump of this frog exceeds 3 meters.
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Common toad, common newt, Siberian salamander.
Information on these species is provided.
Description.
GRAY TOAD.
Belongs to tailless amphibians. The gray toad is the largest toad in Europe. She has a wide, squat body and short toes on her paws. The eyes are orange with black horizontal pupils. Males do not have resonators. The skin is dry and lumpy with a small number of mucous glands, which allows the amphibian to conserve water and not dry out at a great distance from water bodies. It easily tolerates loss of moisture (it can lose up to 30% of its mass due to water evaporation without much harm). The toad stores water in its skin during night "swimmings" when the toad washes itself in the dew. It protects itself from enemies with poison, which is secreted by parotids - glands located behind the eyes. The poison acts as an emetic and only when the toad is in the enemy's mouth. lives in dry places: forests, forest-steppes, steppes, parks, gardens, bushes. The mountains rise up to 3000 m above sea level. The gray toad lives permanently on land, and enters water (lakes, ditches, ponds, slow rivers) only to reproduce. It feeds on invertebrates: beetles, bedbugs, ants, slugs, worms, insect larvae, spiders, nooses, caterpillars, small snakes and lizards, newborn mice. Notices prey at a distance of up to 3 meters. Hunts with the help of a sticky tongue, to which insects stick. When hunting for large prey, the gray toad grabs it with its jaws, while helping itself with its paws. Despite its gluttony, it does not eat dead animals. predominantly nocturnal amphibian. During the day it hides under tree roots, stones, in grass, and rodent burrows. Most active in rainy weather, especially at night. The toad moves slowly (in steps) and jumps in case of danger. The most cold-resistant of toads. It enters hibernation at the end of September-October. It overwinters under fallen leaves, logs, in burrows and drainpipes, and sometimes buries itself in coastal mud. It wakes up at the end of March, when the temperature is not lower than +5"C. After hibernation, the gray toad migrates to breeding sites. In moments of danger, it puffs up and takes an aggressive pose.
In the Omsk region it lives in the forest, sometimes in the forest-steppe zone.
The main limiting factor is the lack of suitable places for reproduction and destruction by humans.
NEWT.
The common newt is the smallest among those found in Russia. The length of the body with the tail does not exceed 9 cm, while the tail is approximately equal to or slightly longer than the body with the head. The skin is smooth or rough.
The common newt is one of the smallest newts. The skin is smooth or fine-grained. Distinguishes between red, blue-green and yellow colors. A dark longitudinal stripe passes through the eye. The tail is slightly shorter, equal to or slightly longer than the body and head. An adult newt molts once a week. The male's body is covered with large dark spots (all year round), which are absent in females. During the breeding season, the male grows a crest - an additional respiratory organ. The ridge is richly supplied with blood vessels, which significantly increases the proportion of skin respiration. The newt's crest is solid, with weak curves at the top, with an orange border and a blue stripe running underneath. The female does not develop a crest. The acquired experience is used throughout life. The sense of smell is well developed.
Color: the back is olive-brown, the underbody is yellow with small dark spots. There are longitudinal dark stripes along the head. The common newt can change color - becoming darker and lighter. Size: 8-12 cm. Life expectancy: in captivity 20-28 years. This newt is common in forests of various types, in forest-steppes, swamps, and is less common among meadows. It is not afraid of the proximity of people, easily populates human-created landscapes and, if not disturbed, thrives in parks, gardens, orchards, among pastures, rural and urban buildings, and even in landfills. The main thing is that he can find a body of water with standing or low-flowing water and places for winter shelter. Ponds are necessary for newts, since they reproduce, develop larvae, and even the adults themselves lead an aquatic lifestyle in the spring and early summer. Common newts do not have any special requirements for the quality of reservoirs. They prefer shallow ponds with clear water, densely overgrown with aquatic and coastal vegetation, inhabited by various small animals. But they can also settle in lakes, swamps, ditches, puddles, drainage basins, oxbow lakes, and water-filled pits. Common newts do not show the same pronounced attachment to their “native” (in which they were born) body of water, as some tailless amphibians do. Therefore, they quickly populate new ones that arise for one reason or another. Newts overwinter, crawling under heaps of leaves and branches, burrowing into the ground, into the passages and burrows of soil animals, and sometimes into cellars and basements. They often gather in small groups. As a rule, wintering sites are located not far from the reservoir in which newts bred - at a distance of 50-100 meters. There have been cases of wintering in non-freezing reservoirs. Sometimes the delay in the larval state is so prolonged that the newt does not undergo metamorphosis, but becomes capable of reproduction, that is, in this species, although very rarely, there are cases of neoteny. Normally, young newts that have undergone metamorphosis grow quite quickly on land and reach sexual maturity at the age of two to three years.
The common newt has many natural enemies. In water, adult but defenseless newts, as well as their larvae, are eaten by predatory insects (dragonfly larvae, swimming beetles), leeches, fish, other amphibians (for example, lake frog), snakes, and waterfowl. On land they fall prey to a wide variety of animals. In the Omsk region it lives in the forest zone.
SIBERIAN SALAMANDER.
Belongs to the tailed amphibians. Relict, very ancient amphibian in origin. It has a very dark, almost black color. Unlike a lizard, the body is covered with mucus, and bulging eyes are visible. The small newt has the largest range among all amphibians. Siberian salamander. It is found throughout almost all of Northeast Asia - in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. But besides this, the salamander is the northernmost amphibian - it was found on the Taimyr Peninsula and Chukotka. That is, he lives in the permafrost zone.
Well-known herpetologist S. Kuzmin writes that “the salamander is a unique amphibian in its frost resistance. Adult individuals are able to tolerate temperatures dropping to -35-40°C and do not lose mobility at -1°C.
Salamanders have been repeatedly found frozen in the ice. After thawing, the animals came to life. Radiocarbon dating of the ice showed its age to be 10,000 years old. But how long did the animal spend in the ice? It feeds on various invertebrates, among which insects predominate. Wintering takes a lot of time for salamanders, because in the north of their range they have to spend up to 80% of their lives in a “suspended” state. With the arrival of warmth, at a water temperature of 2-3°C, the breeding period immediately begins. After not-
After birth, adults switch to a land-based lifestyle. Waking up early in the spring, when the ice has not yet melted, they rush to the reservoir to procreate. They spend almost their entire life on land; as we have already said, they go into the water exclusively for reproduction.
You need to choose a good shallow place with rich vegetation, and so that it is warmed by the sun. Several males hover around the female. She lays eggs, which are fertilized by the male.
The clutch is a gelatinous sac with eggs, which is attached to aquatic plants or stones. This is where the female's parental instinct ends. Lizards leave the aquatic environment and go to eat.
And after 3–4 weeks, salamander larvae emerge from the pouch, 10 mm long, with underdeveloped gills, but a long perioral sucker. This event takes place at the end of May.
The larvae move very slowly and sink to the bottom of the reservoir - this is the best option for survival. Within a month, the grown larvae appear on the water surface. Full development ends by the end of August, having reached 40 mm in length, the matured cubs come to land.
In the Omsk region it lives in forest and forest-steppe zones.
Limiting factors are poorly studied.
IMPORTANT: When meeting a rare amphibian in nature, you must not touch or catch it; you must leave the defenseless animal alone.
-Identify the type of amphibian using the card.
-Collect a picture of this amphibian.
-Game “Imagine a toad and a frog.” The task is given to depict how a toad and a frog move.
FIXING.
EXERCISE 1.
Name the relict tailed amphibian. It has a very dark, almost black color. Unlike a lizard, the body is covered with mucus, and bulging eyes are visible. In the Omsk region it lives in forest and forest-steppe zones. Found in damp forest (SIBERIAN ALANTERTOOK)
TASK 2.
Name a tailless amphibian. The skin is covered with mucus and pimples. In the Omsk region it lives in the forest, sometimes in the forest-steppe zone. Often found far away from the water. It feeds on various invertebrates. Moves in steps. (GRAY TOAD)
TASK 3.
Belongs to the tailed amphibians. In the Omsk region it lives in the forest zone. Males have a crest that extends from the head to the end of the tail. It is found in various reservoirs, lakes, and swamps. It feeds on various invertebrates. (NETT)
TASK 4.
How should you behave when meeting a rare amphibian in nature?
A GAME
Complete the crossword
1. Our usual tailed amphibian.
2. A representative of the family of tailless amphibians.
3. A tailless amphibian, the development of larvae occurs in the skin cells of the dorsal part of the parent.
4. A tailed amphibian with a shiny black body color and bright yellow spots.
5. Tailless amphibian with poisonous skin glands. Lives in the forests of Central and South America.
6. Tailless amphibian leading an arboreal lifestyle.
7. Tailless amphibian, with a brightly colored belly.
8. A toad with a peculiar care for its offspring.
10. A tailed amphibian with three pairs of external gills.
11. Tailless amphibian, there are small teeth on the upper jaw
Station: "Terminal"
LEADING: We all successfully reached the Konechnaya station, let's remember what we learned and repeated as we moved from station to station.
Questions for all teams
What is the Red Book? ( The Red Book is a book that contains information about rare and endangered plants and animals)
– What did the first Red Book look like? (The cover was red, and the pages were multi-colored: red, yellow, white, gray and green)
– In what year was the International Red Book published? (In 1966)
– Why did you choose red for its cover? (Red color is a danger signal)
– Why did you choose multi-colored pages in this book? (In order to see the position of this or that animal and plant: endangered, persistent, rare, uncertain and recovering)
– What types of plants and animals are included in this book? (Rare and endangered)
– For what reason can plants and animals change their location in the Red Book? (If the fate of an animal or plant changes for the better or for the worse)
Using the code, decipher the name of the topic.
169, 4585397 956230!
– DECODING: Be nature's friend!
– If you want to see a lot of interesting things in nature and hear the singing of birds, the buzzing of insects, the squeak of a wood mouse - hide, don’t make noise, listen to the rustles and sounds. You are visiting nature, remember this!
Why are many plants and animals becoming increasingly rare? (Children list: they kill animals, cut down forests, catch fish with nets, catch butterflies with nets, pick flowers, factories dump dirty water into reservoirs).
Well done, you answered correctly!
– The protection of plants and animals is a state problem, but can you and I help nature, become its friend? (We can: we won’t pick flowers, break trees, destroy nests, etc.)
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, 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. 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. 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, 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 the life cycle of amphibians, there are clearly 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 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 environmental humidity, 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 an aquatic lifestyle. 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.
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