Interesting facts about tailed amphibians and amphibians. Frogs. The most interesting facts Types of amphibians: with or without a tail

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 in the seas. Newts and salamanders are amphibians. Unlike frogs and toads, they do not lose their tail when they grow up. Tritons are more attached to water than other amphibians. These are almost entirely aquatic animals.

Not quite lizards

Newts and salamanders look like lizards, but they are not reptiles, but amphibians. Their life begins and usually almost all passes in the water. Tritons live in temperate climate, in winter they crawl under logs and stones and hibernate. Salamanders live in warmer climates hibernation they don't need.

The biggest salamander

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

Tritons are handsome

In many newts, the males are very beautiful. They become especially bright and beautiful in the mating season, when you need to attract the attention of females. The crested newt has a bright orange or yellow color, and along the entire back there is a large uneven comb. 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 got their name from the fact that they usually hide under logs, and they have to quickly jump out of the fire if they accidentally get there with firewood.

Frogs and toads

Poison frogs - poison dart frogs live in the Amazon forests. Their skin releases a 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 poison arrows.

tree frogs rainforest live far from water bodies, but they still prefer wet places.

Skin breathing. Most frogs breathe not only with their lungs, but also with 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.

Frogs - jumpers

The powerful hind legs of the frog help it to 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 elongated 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. On the fingers of their paws they have suction cups, and between the fingers they have membranes that work like spread wings.

toads

Generally, toads 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 hops. Toads are usually less mobile than frogs.

In my dad's mouth. The male Darwin frog from Chile carries the eggs laid by the female in its 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 migrate from water to land almost 400 million years ago. More than 4500 species of amphibians are now known. Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts, salamanders. Most often, amphibian babies hatch in water from eggs. At first, they look like fish fry, but soon their paws grow and lungs appear for breathing air. A little more - and the animals are ready to land on land, where they usually spend almost all adult life. But amphibians do not go far from the water and always return to the water to lay their eggs (caviar).

The sounds made by the barking tree frog, as its name implies, is the barking of a dog, and with a variety of variations, consisting of about a dozen sounds. Both male and female amphibians of this species bark. Frog "barking" is born in the throat pouches. Usually imperceptible, when "singing" these bags inflate almost to the size of the frog itself.

Frog - bull

Frog - bull, lives in North America, reaches a length of twenty centimeters and weighs about seven hundred grams. These frogs are real predators: they feed on invertebrates, small fish and frogs, and sometimes even chicks. waterfowl. Males, especially in mating season, make loud, bull-like sounds that carry around for a mile or more. Gourmets appreciate the most tender meat of the hind legs of a frog - a bull, a pair of which weighs almost four hundred grams. In the US, these large amphibians are bred on several farms.

Studying amphibians, scientists discovered they have remarkable navigational abilities, the ability to navigate by the sun, moon and stars. A noisy frog lives in North America (an adult reaches a length of seven centimeters), which, if it finds itself in an unfamiliar place, orienting itself on the ground and choosing short term right direction, sets off on a journey and unmistakably finds its habitat.

As you know, the body of tailless amphibians is covered with bare, unprotected skin. However, in 1900 in Gabon ( Central Africa) hairy frogs have been found. As a result of their study, it became clear that the "wool" of frogs is only additional outgrowths of the skin that produce mucus, with the help of which the body retains moisture, which is especially necessary for amphibian species that live in hot climates.

Frogs - females make sounds if they get hurt, but loud croaking is heard at night - songs exclusively of males. the main objective their concerts - to attract the attention of females during the mating season. But even after this period they perform their guttural songs.

Red-eyed tree frog, the length of its body reaches seven centimeters from the genus Phyllomedusa, 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. With impending danger, these emerald-colored beauties close their eyes and turn invisible against the background of bright green foliage, for which they are often called ghost frogs. The red-eyed tree frog is the owner of tenacious paws, the first finger of which is opposed to the rest, for which it allows it to deftly grab onto tree branches. Larger than the male, the female, having put the partner she likes on her back, climbs, like a real climber, with him on a tree, to a height of up to seven meters. They move on smooth surfaces with the help of special suction cups that are on their fingers. The sticky liquid secreted from the fingertips, as well as from special glands in the throat and abdomen, allows tree frogs to better hold on to the surface.

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

The coloring poison dart frog, about four centimeters in size, lives in 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 you smear, for example, on the skin of parrot chicks, and instead of green feathers, they will grow red. Interestingly, the mucus also contains epibatidine, a powerful pain reliever. It is two hundred times more effective than morphine and does not cause negative side effects.

Tree frog - cocked hat, body length of almost ten centimeters, an extremely rare frog of the family of marsupial tree frogs - lives in South America. Protective coloration makes it look like a piece of tree or lichen bark, so this frog becomes completely invisible against the background of trees and stones. Taking care of the offspring, the female carries the 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 leaf frog ukoki. The poison of this crumb in toxicity, many times greater than that of a snake, retains its strength for several years. The Indians rubbed their arrowheads with it, one frog was enough to make fifty poisoned arrows. Once in the blood, ukoki poison kills a person in 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 so that it would not turn sour: their poisonous mixture inhibited the growth of lactic acid bacteria, and the milk remained fresh.

Amphibians or amphibians (Amphibia)- class of vertebrates. íbios - live two lives. Latin name comes from the Greek amph íbios - living with a double life. Class Amphibians totals more than 6700 species.

Amphibians (amphibians) interesting facts

When witches brewed their potion hundreds of years ago, traditionally frogs have always been a key ingredient in any witchcraft potion. The strong poison of some amphibians, such as the golden frog, has long been used as a weapon; the Choco Indians lubricated the tips of their arrows with them. Frogs are a traditional symbol of mutilation, rejection and rejection. In 16th century England, a woman in whose house a frog was found was tried for witchcraft. But why a frog? Because of their skin, the shape of their body, or does it still contain dark forces? Since ancient times, there have been many stories about stones that suddenly split, releasing a frog that lived inside. Witchcraft, magic? No. This is winter sleep. In order not to freeze in winter, frogs fall asleep in dark and warm places. Amphibian skin can also serve as a medicine. In 1986, in the secretion of the African clawed frog, new class antibiotics. More recently, scientists have found 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 detrimental 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 lungs. At the sixth week of life, his hind limbs grow back. Nine weeks later, the tadpole looks like a frog. There are lungs that swallow air from the surface of the water, and forelimbs. Each hour of his life corresponds to a million years of evolution. Over time, the tadpole develops vision and hearing. Tailless amphibians perfectly hear 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 - inviting, and other males, only a low one - threatening. For male American bullfrogs, good hearing is very important. They are aggressive and constantly listen for nearby rivals. Their ears are almost twice the size of their eyes. The vision of amphibians depends on the habitat. Eyes are also different types, differ in shape and size. Narrow, cat-like pupils, either horizontal or vertical, make it possible 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, they are even red, for example, in tree frogs. This is a strange feature, given that amphibians see the world in black and white. Predatory snakes too acute vision but they see the world in ultraviolet light. Their potential victims - amphibians, will not interfere with 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 cannot be seen, and the snake sees an empty sheet. Amphibians are the first vertebrates, such that have switched from aquatic to aquatic-terrestrial way of life. Reproduction in most species occurs in water. Amphibians, like fish, lay eggs, since their eggs (roe) and embryos are devoid of 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 respects: the metabolic rate is very low, the body temperature is unstable and corresponds to the temperature of the external environment.

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

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

All amphibians feed only on moving prey. At the bottom of the oropharyngeal cavity is the tongue. When catching insects, the tongue is thrown out of the mouth, 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 predators. The teeth serve only to grasp and hold the prey. Frogs have no teeth at all. Herbivorous animals among amphibians has because of the extremely sluggish metabolism. Amphibians feed on small animals (mainly insects and invertebrates), and are prone to cannibalism. AT aquatic species the diet may include juvenile fish, and the largest prey on the chicks of waterfowl and small rodents that have fallen into the water. AT life cycle amphibians are clearly distinguished four stages of development: egg, larva (tadpole), metamorphosis period, adult.

For the development of an egg (caviar), its constant moisture is necessary. The vast majority of amphibians lay their eggs in fresh water, but there are known exceptions: giant salamanders, amphibian frogs and some other amphibians lay eggs on land. Eggs need even in these cases high humidity environment, the provision of which lies with the parents.

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

Fertilized eggs in Surinamese pips are pressed by the male into the back of the female and the latter wears it on herself until young pips hatch from the eggs. The larvae that hatch from the eggs lead an aquatic lifestyle. They resemble fish in their structure: they lack paired limbs, they breathe with gills (external, then internal). Only some species are already born in the form of 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 lived on land but had to return to the water to lay their eggs there. The first animals to live all the time on land were the early reptiles. They are the ancestors of dinosaurs.

The first creatures on land were called scaly finned fish. They developed lungs for breathing air, and propelled themselves out of the water with strong, leg-like fins.

Ichthyostega was one of the first amphibians. Her stomach was covered with scales, she had a tail like a fish, but walked on four legs. This amphibian lived in Greenland, which was hot and humid 370 million years ago.

Amphibians are the first creatures capable of throwing out their tongues to catch insects.

One of the earliest strangest amphibians is the Diplocolus. Her head was shaped like a boomerang. Enemies probably found it very difficult to swallow it.

The first animals to appear on land were fish. About 370 million years ago, their group left their homes in water bodies and made their way to land. They evolved into amphibians, a family of animals that includes frogs and toads.

Amphibians can recover ... the heart. During the experiments, one or another section of the heart muscle was literally cut off in newts, and it almost always regenerated.

Despite the fact that amphibians are distributed throughout the Earth, this is one of the few classes of animals that is practically not used by humans. Unless in the tropics (and in one of European countries, whose inhabitants are called “frogs” for their addiction to frog legs), some types of amphibians are eaten, and biologists like to experiment on amphibians. Basically, amphibians and humans live on their own and rarely intersect.

A person's lack of mercantile interest in them does not make amphibians boring. Amphibians have their own characteristics, some of them are very interesting. In the selection below - teeth that are not chewed, a frog like a refrigerator, freezing newts, fireproof salamanders and other interesting facts.

1. All amphibians are predators. Even their larvae eat plant foods only in young age and then switched to live food. Of course, this is not from some kind of innate bloodthirstiness, it does not happen in nature. In the body of amphibians, the metabolism is very sluggish, so they can only survive on high-calorie animal food. Do not shun amphibians and cannibalism.

2. The teeth that some amphibians have are not designed for chewing prey. This is a tool for catching and capturing it. Amphibians swallow their food whole.

3. Absolutely all amphibians are cold-blooded. Therefore, the ambient temperature plays a crucial role for their survival.

4. The life of amphibians begins in the water, but most of it takes place on land. There are amphibians that live exclusively in aquatic environment, but there are no reverse exceptions, there are only species that live only on trees in the humid jungle. So "amphibians" is a surprisingly accurate name.

5. However, even when most time on land, amphibians are forced to constantly return to the water. Their skin is permeable to water, and if it is not moistened, the animal will die of dehydration. On their own, amphibians can secrete mucus to moisten their skin, but the resources of their organisms, of course, are not unlimited.

6. The permeability of the skin, which makes amphibians so vulnerable, helps them breathe normally. They have very weak lungs, so some of the necessary air is drawn into the body through the skin.

7. The number of amphibian species does not even reach 8 thousand (more precisely, there are about 7,700 of them), which is quite a bit for a whole class of living beings. At the same time, amphibians are very sensitive to environment and poorly adapted to its changes. Therefore, environmentalists believe that up to a third of amphibian species are under threat of extinction.

8. Amphibians are the only class of creatures living on land whose offspring in their development passes through a special stage - metamorphosis. That is, not a reduced copy of an adult creature appears from a larva, but another organism, which subsequently turns into an adult. For example, tadpoles are frogs in the stage of metamorphosis. More in development complex organisms there is no stage of metamorphosis.

9. Amphibians come from lobe-finned fish. They got out on land about 400 million years ago, and 80 million years ago they dominated the entire animal world. Before the dinosaurs came...

10. The reasons for the appearance of amphibians are still being explained purely hypothetically. It is believed that as a result of volcanic activity on Earth, the air temperature has risen, which has led to intensive grinding of water bodies. Reductions in the food supply for the inhabitants of the water and a drop in oxygen concentration led to the fact that some aquatic species died out, and some managed to get out onto land.

11. Amphibians also include caecilians - strange creatures, which look like a cross between a worm and a snake. Worms live only in the tropics.

12. Dart frogs and leaf climbers are extremely poisonous. Rather, the mucus that they secrete to wet the skin is poisonous. One frog is enough for the South American Indians to make dozens of arrows poisonous. The lethal dose of poison for an adult is 2 milligrams.

13. Ordinary frogs that are found in ponds middle lane Russia, secrete mucus with a bactericidal effect. A frog in a glass of milk is not a grandmother's fairy tale or a way to keep milk from being stolen. This is an ancient analogue of the refrigerator - frog mucus kills lactic acid bacteria and milk does not sour longer.

14. Newts belonging to amphibians are surprisingly resilient. They regenerate all parts of their body, even their eyes. A newt can dry out to the state of a mummy, but if water gets on it, it comes to life very quickly. In winter, newts easily freeze into the ice, and then thaw.

15. Salamanders are also amphibians. They prefer warmer weather, and at the slightest cold snap they clog under branches, leaves, etc. and wait out the bad weather. Salamanders are poisonous, but their poison is not dangerous for humans - at most it can cause burning of the skin. However, it is still not worth testing your own susceptibility to salamander venom empirically.

16. Contrary to popular belief, the fire salamander is very much on fire. It's just that the layer of mucus on her skin is quite thick. It allows the amphibian to gain a few precious seconds to escape from the flames. The appearance of the name was facilitated not only by this fact, but also by the characteristic fiery coloring of the back of the fiery salamander.

17. Most amphibians are very good at navigating familiar terrain. And frogs are completely capable of returning to their native places even from afar.

18. Despite their low place in the hierarchy of animal classes, many amphibians see well, and some even distinguish colors. But such developed animals as dogs see the world in black and white.

19. Amphibians lay their eggs mainly in water, but there are species that bear eggs on their backs, in their mouths, and even in their stomachs.

20. Individuals of one of the salamander species grow up to 180 cm in length, which makes them the largest amphibians. And the tender meat makes giant salamanders an endangered species, salamander meat is so highly valued in China. The frogs of the Paedophryne species have the smallest size among amphibians, average length which is about 7.5 mm.

March 27, 2015

The word "amphibians" speaks for itself. These creatures cannot live without water, they are the inhabitants of swamps and rivers, lakes and wet forest floor in the tropics. Frogs, salamanders, newts - everyone knows them, and they are all included in the class Amphibians. Interesting Facts about them are collected from all parts of the world, more than amazing creatures hard to find.

Who are amphibians?

Their second name is amphibians. This group of vertebrates should be attributed to the most primitive among terrestrial species. characteristic feature is that reproduction most often occurs in the aquatic environment, and already matured individuals live on land. They all have skin rich in glands internal secretion, it is smooth and always moist due to the secretion of mucus. Interesting facts about amphibians begin with their structure. They breathe through their gills, lungs, and skin at the same time. Some are able to regenerate body parts they have lost. There are species that live in salt water, but mostly amphibians are inhabitants of fresh water.

Frogs are interesting!

There are so many creatures on the planet, but everyone knows frogs. The attitude, frankly, to them is twofold. Meanwhile, in Japan, they are considered a symbol of luck. Not always presentable appearance and not very melodic sounds did not provide them with special love. But among them there are such specimens that, to put it mildly, surprise. In general, all frogs have an amazing structure of the visual apparatus, which allows you to simultaneously look up, forward and sideways. We will name only the most interesting facts about the amphibians of this order. The smallest representative of the frog lives in Cuba and has a size of 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 her from jumping a distance of three meters, but at the same time, thanks to them, she became an object of fishing. local residents and therefore endangered.

The most dangerous frog lives in South America. Its poison, secreted outward by the secretion glands, is much more dangerous than that of a cobra. An amazing toad lives there, it itself is small, only 4-5 cm, but its offspring (tadpoles) outgrow the mother by 3-4 times. But as they grow older, they return to standard sizes. This type for this feature was called "paradoxical frog".

Interesting facts about amphibians (order Tailed)

The eggs laid by the salamander are infested with green algae. it mutually beneficial symbiosis. The embryo receives oxygen from the plant. The algae feeds on nitrogen, which contains the waste of the embryo. About fire salamander everyone knows that it has a characteristic color (black with bright yellow spots). It is characteristic of her to give birth, well, amazing ability do not burn in a fire that has long been the subject of legends. Everything is explained simply: the body of the salamander is covered with a special mucus and this allows it to buy time and retreat. The largest representative of this order lives in Japan (pictured). They call her giant salamander, the average length is one meter. This is a predator, reminiscent of some prehistoric creature. Possessing poor eyesight, he navigates in space with the help of smell and touch.

Legless amphibians: interesting facts

To put it mildly, these are strange creatures that resemble snakes and earthworms at the same time. This is the smallest detachment of amphibians known since the time jurassic. They have no limbs, and the tail is greatly reduced. Their skin is completely bare, although some have reduced scales, the color is usually dark, matte. These are inhabitants of the forest floor near water bodies, some are characterized by live birth.

Interesting facts about amphibians are very numerous, every year scientists make amazing discoveries about the features of their life, reproduction, structure, adaptation to the environment, and even find new species in places where no human has yet set foot. The world is full of amazing creatures - that's a fact.

Source: fb.ru

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