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Introduction

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Selected amphibian type

European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina), a member of the family Bombinatoridae

Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.

A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientific taxonomy, but is common in popular culture (folk taxonomy), in which toads are associated with drier, rougher skin and more terrestrial habitats. (Full article...)

Selected frog article

Common frog, Rana temporaria

The Ranoidea are a superfamily of frogs in the order Anura. Members of this superfamily are characterised by having the pectoral girdle fused into a single complex unit, having no ribs, and using an axillary grip during amplexus. The larvae have a single spiracle on the left side and complex mouthparts, or in some species, undergo direct development. The taxonomy of these families has been under heavy debate for many years. In recent studies, molecular data has been used to better identify the phylogentic relationships of these frogs, rearranging and introducing new subfamilies to better distinguish between large groups of frogs (Glaw, Vences, 2001).

The Rainodea superfamily is a large group of frogs from the anura order, with 17 subfamilies. Some of these subfamilies are made up of over 300+ species. Most of the frogs belonging to this group are listed under the least concern section of the IUCN red list. However, there is a significant percentage of these frogs listed as data deficient, endangered, or critically endangered. Like most other amphibians, the frogs listed in this group can be particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Some of the largest threats to the frogs in this group include housing and urban development, farming, illegal trade, mining, etc.

. (See figure 1). (Full article...)

Selected salamander article

Siren intermedia

Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of neotenic aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other salamanders, they have external gills bunched together on the neck in both larval and adult states. Sirens are found only in the Southeastern United States and northern Mexico.

Although they are primarily carnivorous, they are the only salamanders observed eating plant material. (Full article...)

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Picture slideshow

Image 1Poison dart frog
Image 2Iberian midwife toad
Image 3Epirus water frog
Image 4Italian tree frog
Image 5Magnificent tree frog
Image 6Edible Frog
Image 7Fire salamander
Image 8Atelopus certus
Image 9Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Image 10Male Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris aka Triturus vulgaris) during breeding season in the Netherlands.
Image 11Surprise, its an amphibian. This is a genus of South American Caecilians, blind and snake-like, which hunt through leaf litter. Photo from Wildsumaco Reserve, Ecuador.
Image 12Spanish painted frog
Image 13Fire salamander
Image 14Ecnomiohyla rabborum
Image 15Eastern newt
Image 16New England tree frog
Image 17Agile frog
Image 18Litoria chloris
Image 19Lithobates clamitans
Image 20Blue Mountains tree frog
Image 21Fire-bellied toad
Image 22Common toads during amplexus
Image 23Albanian water frog
Image 24Leaf green tree frog
Image 25Fire salamander
Image 26Common frog
Image 27Golden toad
Image 28Agalychnis callidryas
Image 29Balearic green toad
Image 30Frogs
Image 31Limnodynastes dumerilii
Image 32American toad
Image 33Marsh frog
Image 34Blue poison dart frog
Image 35White-lipped tree frog
Image 36Dendropsophus microcephalus
Image 37Limosa harlequin frog
Image 38Phantasmal poison frog
Image 39Panamanian golden frog
Image 40Emerald-eyed tree frog
Image 41Southern Brown tree frog

Selected toad article

Crested toad
(Ingerophrynus biporcatus)

Ingerophrynus is a genus of true toads with 12 species. The genus is found in southern Yunnan and Southeast Asia; from Myanmar and Indochina to peninsular Thailand and Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Nias Island, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. This genus was established after a major taxonomical revision of frogs in 2006. (Full article...)

Selected caecilian article

Ichthyophis sp. from the Western Ghats

The Ichthyophiidae are the family of Asiatic tailed caecilians or fish caecilians found in South and Southeast Asia as well as southernmost China.

They are primitive caecilians, lacking many of the derived characters found in the other families. For example, their mouths are not recessed underneath their heads, they possess tails, and they have numerous scales on their bodies. However, they have two sets of muscles for closing the jaw, a feature unique to caecilians, but absent in the related family Rhinatrematidae.

They lay their eggs in cavities in moist soil, where they hatch into larvae that seek out streams or underground seepages, before metamorphosing into adults. Some evidence indicates the females may protect their eggs until they hatch. (Full article...)