Although the different species my vary in size and color, mostly all frogs have basic body structure. They have large hind legs, short front legs and flat head and body with no neck. Most frogs have teeth only on their upper jaw. Toads swallow their prey in one piece. To aid in the swallowing process, the frog’s eyes sink through the openings in the skull and force the food down its throat.
2 August 2001. 2 April 2004. < http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-08/ou-nsp072701.php> Witmer, Lawrence M. “Nostril Position in Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates and Its Significance for Nasal Function.” Science 293 (2001): 850-53.
Interspecific and intraspecific views of color signals in the strawberry poison frog Dendrobates pumilio. The Journal of Experimental Biology. 207: 2471-2485. Silverstone, Philip. A.
The most recent Arch... ... middle of paper ... ...tats. Many reptiles have specially adapted to life in some of the areas that are being lost at a frightening rate - for example the rain forests in the tropics and much of the shrubland of Europe. Although governments are now more aware of the situation and have agreed to help some severely threatened species, too little may have been done too late. (Colin McCarthy) After researching so many things that I never even knew about reptiles, I believe I would much rather be a reptile instead of an amphibian. Reptiles were able to adapt to land while amphibians can barely even stay away from water for long periods of time.
KEYWORDS: Dendrobatidae, Habitat, Diet, Life History, Conservation, Distribution, Dendrobates pumilio, Central America, Reproduction, Poison-Dart Frog. Considered some of the smallest vertebrates in the world, the members of Dendrobatidae, or poison-dart frogs, have a wide distribution throughout the southern parts of Central America and produce a diverse population throughout these areas. As their name indicates, Strawberry poison-dart frogs (Dendrobates pumilio) are some of the most toxic organisms in the world, and their diverse bright color schemes are prominent general indicators of their toxicity. Description and Identification An extremely small amphibian, the Strawberry poison-dart frog averages roughly 20 mm in length (Sandmeier, 2001) and weighs 8.5 grams (National Aquarium, 2014). The distinctive coloration of the members of Dendrobates pumilio is highly variable, ranging from bright red (Figure 1), to spotted blue, to yellow, and other various striped colors (Milligan, 2008); this coloration is representative of their toxicity and a warning display for possible predators (Bristol Zoo Gardens, 2014).
Autumn K. and Peattie A. M. 2002. Mechanisms of Adhesion in Geckos. Integrative and Comparative Biology. 42: 1081-1090. .
Feathers, toothless beaks, hollow bones, perching feet, wishbones, deep breastbones, and stump-like tailbones are only part of the combination of features that no other living animal has in common with them (Padian and Chiappe 1998). Scientists have speculated on the evolutionary history of birds since shortly after Charles Darwin established his theory of evolution in On the Origin of Species (Padian and Chiappe 1998). One year later, in 1860, a solitary fossil feather of a bird was found dating back 150 million years. The next year a skeleton of an animal that had bird-like wings and feathers, but a very unbirdlike long, bony tail and toothed jaw, turned up in the same region. These finds became the first two specimens of Archaeopteryx lithographica, the most archaic known member of the birds, and sparked the immense interest in the evolution of birds and the search for their ancestors (Padian and Chiappe 1998... ... middle of paper ... ...y of Deinonychus antirrhopus, an unusual theropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Montana.
Insects have always been the major food source for birds and with coquis around, they have to compete and search for food. When Coqui frogs feed off of mites, ant... ... middle of paper ... ...es from the coqui frogs are a serious problem, but we need to accept the fact that coqui frogs will never leave our Hawaiian islands the way it used to be. Works Cited Beard, Karen , and William Pitt. "Biology and Impacts of Pacific Island Invasive Species. Eleutherodactylus coqui, the Coqui Frog."
Animal Diversity Web. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pseudacris_regilla/ 8. Meteyer, C.U., I. K. Loeffler, J. G. Burkhart, K. A., Converse, E. Green, J. C. Helgen, S. Kersten, R. Levey, L. Eaton Poole, and J. F. Fallon. 2000. Hind limb malformations in free–living Northern leopard frogs (Rane pipiens) from Maine, Minnesota and Vermont suggest multiple etiologies.
There have been a few hypotheses on this matter. The most recent one states that the transformations of the aquatic creatures happened underwater in order to help them survive. This time period is very difficult to study because there is a very small amount of fossils preserved. A... ... middle of paper ... ...r they started to use them on land, but for completely different reasons. Conclusion: As we have seen, the features of the early tetrapods indicate that they were excellent swimmers but unable to walk on land.