amphibian families

Family Bombinatoridae (no specimen)

• 2 genera, 10 species

• E Europe and Asia

• 8 presacral opisthocoelous vertebrae

• Ribs free or fused w vertebra

• Pectoral girdle arciferal

• Amplexus inguinal 

• Sacral transverse

• Processes expanded

• Orton III larvae

  • Bombina (fire-bellied toads)

    • Diurnal and aquatic

    • Bright and ornate bright green dorsum and bright red or orange belly (serves as warning as they are very toxic, aposematic is term for warning coloration)

  • Barbourula- kalimantanesis

    • Only known lungless anuran

Family Pipidae (Pipids)

• 4 genera, 41 species

• Sub Saharan Africa and South America

• Tongue absent 

• Keratinized “Claws” present

• 6-8 opisthocoelous presacral vertebrae

• Ribs free in juveniles, fused w vertebrae in adults

• Big sternum

• Urostyle (tailbone) fused to sacral vertebra

• Larvae orton I or directly developing 

• Xenopus tropicalis- Western clawed frog

Family Scaphiopodidae (Nearctic Spadefoot Toads)

• 2 genera, 7 species

• N America

• Have “spades” on rear feet (spadefoot toads)

  • Scaphiopus holbrookii- Eastern spadefoot toad

• 8 amphicoelous presacral vertebrae

• Ribs absent

• Sternum cartilaginous

• Sacrum has greatly expanded transverse processes and fused w urostyle (coccyx)

• Orton 4 larvae

Family Bufonidae (True Toads)

• 53 genera, 642 species

• Everywhere except Australia and New Zealand

• 5-8 procoelous vertebrae

• No ribs

• Larvae type 4 if present

• Skulls heavily ossified

• No teeth

• Bidders organ present!

• Anayrus fowleri- Fowler’s toad

• Anaxyrus quercicus- Oak toad

• Anaxyrus terrestris- Southern toad

• Rhinella marina- Cane toad

Family Hylidae (Treefrogs)

• 52 genera, 1045 species (current biggest family)

• Cosmopolitan

• 8 procoelous vertebrae

• Amplexus axillary

• Type 4 larvae, when present

• Intercalary elements present (sometimes ossified)

• Often pointed or claw shaped terminal phalanges

• Often toe disks

• Acris gryllus- Southern cricket frog

• Hyla chrysoscelis- Cope’s gray treefrog

• Hyla cinerea- Green treefrog

• Hyla femoralis- Pine woods treefrog

• Hyla gratiosa- Barking tree frog

• Hyla squirella- Squirrel treefrog

• Osteopilus septentrionalis- Cuban treefrog

• Pseudacris crucifer- Spring peeper

• Pseudacris feriarum- Upland chorus frog

• Pseudacris nigrita- Southern chorus frog

• Pseudacris ocularis- Little grass frog

• Pseudacris ornata- Ornate chorus frog

Family Eleutherodactylidae (Rain Frogs)

• 4 genera, 236 species

• New world from S Texas, FL to Amazonia

• Formerly in Leptodactylidae

• Direct development

• Eleutherodactylus has egg tooth

• Eleutherodactylus planirostris- Greenhouse frog

Family Ranidae (“True” Frogs)

• 25 genera, 447 species 

• Cosmopolitan except S South America, W Indes, and most Australia

• Vertebrae procoelous except presacral

• Amphicoelous

• Firmisternal pectoral girdle

• Most have type 4 larvae, eggs usually laid in water and hatch into free living tadpoles

• usually have webbed feet, smooth skin, large and powerful legs, and large tympanum

• Rana copita- Gopher frog

• Rana catesbeiana- Bullfrog

• Rana clamitans- Green/Bronze frog

• Rana grylio- Pig frog

• Rana heckscheri- River frog

• Rana sphenocephala- Southern leopard frog

• Rana virgatipes- Carpenter frog

Family Microhylidae (Narrow Mouth Toads)

• 58 genera, 741 species

• SE N America, Neotropics, SE Asia, Africa, N Australia

• 8 procoelous vertebrae

• Pectoral girdle firmisternal

• Astragalus and calcaneum fused at ends only

• Larvae type 2 or 4 or mix of both

• Gastrophryne carolinensis- Eastern narrowmouth toad

Family Ambystomatidae (Mole Salamanders)

• genera=1

• species=32

• North america

• Lungs!!!

• Ypsiloid cartilage,spinal nerve foramena, sepomaxillae present

• Lacrimal absent

• Transverse vomerine teeth in broad heads

• Otic capsule fused and firmly attached

• aquatic larvae (usually pond type)

• Usually complete metamorphosis to terrestrial stage

• Paedomorphosis (species), paedogenesis (individuals, populations), neoteny (traditional term)

  • Somatic development delayed or truncated so larval morphological traits are maintained while reproductive maturity is attained

• broad head, small eyes, and prominent coastal grooves

• larger males and internal fertilization

• Ambystoma bishopi- Reticulated flatwoods salamander

• Ambystoma cingulatum- Flatwoods salamander

• Ambystoma opacum- Marbled salamander

• Ambystoma talpoideum- Mole salamander

• Ambystoma tigrinum- Tiger salamander

Family Amphiumidae (Amphiumas, Congo Eels)

• genera=1

• species=3

• Incomplete metamorphosis (no external gills, 1 pair gill slits, no eyelids)

• Lungs present

• No ypsiloid cartilage, septomaxillae or lacrimals

• Premaxillae fused

• Elongate body

• 4 tiny legs and tiny eyes

• lives up to 20 years

• internal fertilization, hatchlings must find water on their own

• Amphiuma means- 2 toed amphiuma

• Amphiuma phoeleter- 1 toed amphiuma

Family Plethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders)

• genera=28 

• species=506

• New world, S Europe, Korea

• Nasolabial groove from nostril to upper lip

• Lungs absent, no ypsiloid cartilage

• Vertebrae opisthocoelous

• Spinal nerve foramena present

• Lacrimals and pterygolds absent

• Complex vomerine tooth patches

• Complex cloacal structure

• IDENTIFY MENTAL GLANDS (small circle under head)

• Desmognathus cf. conanti- Spotted dusky salamander

• Desmognathus monticola- Seal salamander

• Desmognathus apalachicolae- Apalachicola dusky salamander

• Desmognathus auriculatus- Southern dusky salamander

• Eurycea wallacei- Georgia blind salamander

• Eurycea cirrigera- Southern 2 lined salamander

• Eurycea guttolineata- 3 lined salamander

• Eurycea quadridigitata- Dwarf salamander

• Eurycea sphagnicola- Bog dwarf salamander

• Stereochilus marginatus- Many lined salamander

• Hemidactylium scutatum- 4 toed salamander

• Plethodon grobmani- Slimy salamander

Family Proteidae (Mudpuppies, Olms)

• genera=2

• species=8

• Eastern N America, Eastern Adriatic coast

• Paedomorphic (gills, 2 pairs gill slits, no eyelids)

• 4 hind toes Necturus, 2 Proteus

• Small lungs, no ypsiloid cartilage

• Septomaxillae and lacrimals ABSENT

• Splenial and palatine teeth- no maxillary

• 38 chromosomes

• Necturus cf. beyeri- Gulf coast waterdog

Family Salamandridae (True Salamanders, Newts)

• genera=21

• species=135

• Europe, Asia, N Africa, N America

• Lungs

• Ypsiloid cartilage

• Opisthocoelous vertebrae

• Spinal nerve foramena 

• NO coastal grooves

• Septomaxillae and lacrimals absent

• Sphenosquamosal arch (most)

• Toxins in skin (tetrodotoxin, samandarine)

• Life cycles often complex

• Notophthalmus perstriatus- Striped newt

• Notophthalmus viridescens- Eastern newt

Family Sirenidae (Sirens)

• Genera 2, species 5+

• Southeastern USA

• 2 front legs!

• Permanent larvae (gills, no eyelids)

• 4 chamber heart

• Well developed lungs 

• Keratinized beak (premaxillary)

• Non Pedicellate teeth (splenial, palatine)

• External fertilization

• Able to reliably aestivate

• paedomorphic

• Pseudobranchus striatus- Northern dwarf siren

• Siren intermedia- Lesser siren

• Siren lacertina complex- Greater siren

suborder Cryptobranchoidea (familes- Crytptobranchidae and Hynobiidae)

• fusion of parts of branchial arches

• fusion of tibialis muscles

• external fertilizarion- females lack spermathecae

• eggs in paired sacks

• family Hynobiidae

  • genera 9, species 84

  • asia- mostly temperate

  • free angular bone

  • lacrimals and septomaxillae present

  • complete metamorphosis- usually terrestrial after

  • external fertilization

  • eggs in paired sacks

• family Cryptobranchidae

  • genera 2, species 5

  • eastern USA, china, japan

  • free angular bone

  • lacrimals and septomaxillae absent

  • incomplete metamorphosis (adults have no eyelids, larval teeth, gill slits, no gills)

  • largest living salamanders!

  • external fertilization

  • eggs in paired sacks

suborder Salamandroidea

• 7 families (88% of living salamanders)

• angular fused w prearticular in extant families

• internal fertilization

family Dicamptodontidae

genera 1, species 4

NW NA

lungs, ypsiloid cartilage, septomaxillae, lacrimals present

vertebrae amphicoelous

spinal nerve foramena ABSENT (except in tail)

transverse vomerine teeth

otic capsule loosely connected

family Rhyacotritonidae

genera 1, species 4

NW NA

lungs small but present

ypsiloid cartilage reduced

vertebrae amphicoelous

no spinal nerve foramena (except in tail)

septomaxillae and lacrimals present

vomerine teeth transverse

square vent glands in males