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Amplexus (coral)
Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a type of mating behavior exhibited by some externally fertilizing species (chiefly amphibians and horseshoe crabs) in which a male grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process, and at the same time or with some time delay, he fertilizes the eggs, as they are released from the female's body. In amphibians, females may be grasped by the head, waist, or armpits, and the type of amplexus is characteristic of some taxonomic groups. Amplexus involves direct contact between male and female, distinguished from other forms of external fertilization, such as broadcast spawning, where sperm and eggs are freely shed into water without direct contact by individuals. In order for amplexus to be initiated, male frogs must first find a mate by attracting one through calls, typically in the evening. Once a male has successfully attracted a mate, the process of amplexus begins, while the unsuccessful males are forced to continue their search for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strongylopus Grayii In Amplexus
''Strongylopus'' ('strongylos'=round, 'pus'=foot) is a genus of pyxicephalid frogs native to Africa. They are found in the area from southwestern South Africa and Namibia to northern Tanzania. Their common name is stream frogs. Description ''Strongylopus'' are small to medium-sized frogs: adult snout–vent lengths are typically in the range of . Species within this genus may be found at altitudes from sea level up to 3250 m in elevation. They generally occur in riparian habitats, including fynbos heath, grassland, montane flooded grassland, savanna and forest edge. Some species occur in more specific habitats, such as '' Strongylopus kilimanjaro'' in alpine moorland near cold water streams. Species These species belong to this genus: * '' Strongylopus bonaespei'' (Dubois, 1981) – Banded stream frog * '' Strongylopus fasciatus'' (Smith, 1849) – Striped stream frog * '' Strongylopus fuelleborni'' (Nieden, 1911) – Fuelleborn's stream frog * ''Strongylopus grayii'' (Smi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bufonidae
{{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, cat .... Animals by common name Frogs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limulus Polyphemus1
''Limulus'' is a genus of horseshoe crab, with one extant species, the Atlantic horseshoe crab (''Limulus polyphemus''). One fossil species is currently assigned to the genus though several other species have been named, which have since been assigned to other genera. Currently valid species include: *''Limulus polyphemus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) *''Limulus coffini'' † Reeside & Harris, 1952- Pierre Shale, United States, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Doubtful species include:Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2013. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. In Platnick, N. I. (ed.) ''The world spider catalog, version 14.0'' American Museum of Natural History, online at http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/index.html * ''Limulus nathorsti'' † Jackson, 1906- Jurassic, Sweden Tentative species: *''" Limulus" decheni'' † Zinken, 1862- Paleogene, Germany (considered by some intermediate between ''Limulus'' and ''Tachypleus ''Tachypleus'' is a genus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rough-skinned Newt
The rough-skinned newt or roughskin newt (''Taricha granulosa'') is a North American newt known for the strong toxin exuded from its skin. Appearance A stocky newt with rounded snout, it ranges from light brown to olive or brownish-black on top, with the underside, including the head, legs, and tail, a contrasting orange to yellow. The skin is granular, but males are smooth-skinned during breeding season. They measure 6 to 9 cm in snout-to-vent length, and 11 to 18 cm overall. They are similar to the California newt (''Taricha torosa'') but differ in having smaller eyes, yellow irises, V-shaped tooth patterns, and uniformly dark eyelids. Males can be distinguished from females during breeding season by large swollen vent lobes and cornified toe pads. Distribution and subspecies Habitats of rough-skinned newts are found throughout the Pacific Northwest. Their range extends south to Santa Cruz, California, and north to Alaska. They are uncommon east of the Cascade ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernal Pools
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species unable to withstand competition or predation by fish. Certain tropical fish lineages (such as killifishes) have however adapted to this habitat specifically. Vernal pools are a type of wetland. They can be surrounded by many communities/species including deciduous forest, grassland, lodgepole pine forest, blue oak woodland, sagebrush steppe, succulent coastal scrub and prairie. These pools are characteristic of Mediterranean climates, but occur in many other ecosystems. Generation and annual development During most years, a vernal pool basin will experience inundation from rain/precipitation, followed by desiccation from evapotranspiration. These conditions are commonly associated with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intermittent Stream
Intermittent, temporary or seasonal rivers or streams cease to flow every year or at least twice every five years.(Tzoraki et al., 2007) Such rivers drain large arid and semi-arid areas, covering approximately a third of the earth's surface. The extent of temporary rivers is increasing, as many formerly perennial rivers are becoming temporary because of increasing water demand, particularly for irrigation. Despite inconsistent water flow, intermittent rivers are considered land-forming agents in arid regions, as they are agents of significant deposition and erosion during flood events. The combination of dry crusted soils and the highly erosive energy of the rain cause sediment resuspension and transport to the coastal areas.(Tzoraki et al., 2009) They are among the aquatic habitats most altered by human activities. During the summer even under no flow conditions the point sources are still active such as the wastewater effluents, resulting in nutrients and organic pollutants ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newt
A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts, however. More than 100 known species of newts are found in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia. Newts metamorphose through three distinct developmental life stages: aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile (eft), and adult. Adult newts have lizard-like bodies and return to the water every year to breed, otherwise living in humid, cover-rich land habitats. Newts are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and pollution. Several species are endangered, and at least one species, the Yunnan lake newt, has become extinct recently. Etymology The Old English name of the animal was , (of unknown origin), resulting in Middle English ; this word was transformed irregularly into , , or . The initial "n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eleutherodactylus
''Eleutherodactylus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Eleutherodactylidae.Hedges, S. B., W. E. Duellman, and M. P. Heinicke . 2008. New World direct-developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and conservation. Zootaxa 1737: 1-182. Many of the 200 species of the genus are commonly known as "rain frogs" or "robber frogs", due to their sharp, high-pitched, insect-like calls. The best-known species is the common coquí (''E. coqui''), which is both a national symbol of Puerto Rico and a notorious invasive species in Hawaii. Two ''Eleutherodactylus'' species, '' E. limbatus'' and '' E. iberia'', are among the smallest known frogs, measuring only 8.5 mm in length (only slightly larger than ''Paedophryne amauensis'', which measures around 7.7 mm). Etymology The name "Eleutherodactylus" is derived from the Greek words for ‘free-toed’, composed of the Ancient Greek ' (, ‘free, unbound’) and ' (, ‘finger, toe’). Most sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mertensophryne
''Mertensophryne'' is a genus of true toads (family Bufonidae). They are found in eastern and southern Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, southeastern Zimbabwe, and adjacent Mozambique. Their common names include snouted frogs, Chirinda forest toads, and forest toads. The genus is named for Robert Mertens, German zoologist and herpetologist. Taxonomy ''Mertensophryne'', as currently understood, consist of the former ''"Bufo" taitanus'' group and the genera ''Mertensophryne'' (as formerly defined) and ''Stephopaedes''. The latter is monophyletic and still recognized as a subgenus. The closest relatives of ''Mertensophryne'' remain uncertain but probably include ''Poyntonophrynus'', '' Vandijkophrynus'', and ''Capensibufo''. Description ''Mertensophryne'' lack tympanum and columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nectophrynoides
''Nectophrynoides'' is a genus of true toads, family Bufonidae. They are endemic to Eastern Arc forests and wetlands in Tanzania,Channing and Howell. (2006). ''Amphibians of East Africa.'' Pp. 104–117. and all except '' N. tornieri'' are threatened. Species of the genus are ovoviviparous: fertilization is internal, and the females give birth to fully developed, small toadlets. Together with the West Africa ''Nimbaphrynoides'' (which was included in ''Nectophrynoides'' in the past) and ''Limnonectes larvaepartus'', they are the only frogs/toads in the world that do not lay eggs.Wells (2007). ''The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians.'' Pp. 486–487. The Ethiopian ''Altiphrynoides ''Altiphrynoides'' is a genus of toads, commonly referred to as Ethiopian toads. They are restricted to highlands of south-central Ethiopia in the Arussi, Bale and Sidamo Provinces. Both species are threatened by habitat loss.Stuart ''et al.'' ...'' (includes ''Spinophrynoides''), which lay eggs, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intromittent Organ
An intromittent organ is any external organ of a male organism that is specialized to deliver sperm during copulation. Intromittent organs are found most often in terrestrial species, as most non-mammalian aquatic species fertilize their eggs externally, although there are exceptions. For many species in the animal kingdom, the male intromittent organ is a hallmark characteristic of internal fertilization. Species with intromittent organs Invertebrates Molluscs Male cephalopods have a specialized arm, the hectocotylus, which is inserted into the female's mantle cavity to deliver a spermatophore during copulation. In some species, the hectocotylus breaks off inside the female's mantle cavity; in others, it can be used repeatedly to copulate with different females. Arachnids In spiders the intromittent organs are the male pedipalps, even though these are not primarily sexual organs, but serve as indirect mating organs; in the male the pedipalps have hollow, clubbed tips, oft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ascaphus
The tailed frogs are two species of frogs in the genus ''Ascaphus'', the only taxon in the family Ascaphidae . The "tail" in the name is actually an extension of the male cloaca. The tail is one of two distinctive anatomical features adapting the species to life in fast-flowing streams. These are the only North American frog species that reproduce by internal fertilization. They are among the most primitive known families of frogs. Its scientific name means 'without a spade', from the privative prefix '' a-'' and the Ancient Greek ' (, 'spade, shovel'), referring to the metatarsal spade, which these frogs do not have. Taxonomy Until 2001, the genus was believed to be monotypic, the single species being the tailed frog (''Ascaphus truei'' Stejneger, 1899). However, in that year, Nielson, Lohman, and Sullivan published evidence that promoted the Rocky Mountain tailed frog (''Ascaphus montanus'') from a subspecies to its own species. Since then, the former species has been formall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
