Phylum Amphibia

(American bullfrog – Rana

catesbiana)
 Froggy Classification
Phylum – Chordata
Sub-phylum – Vertebrata
Class – Amphibia
Super-order – Anura (meaning “without tail”)
Order – Salientia (includes frogs and toads)
Family – Ronidae
Genus – Rana
Species - catesbiana
 The Orders
Amphibia:
1. Anura – examples are frogs & toads
2. Caudata – examples are salamanders &
newts
3. Apoda – examples are caecilians

 Amphibians are significant because they

represent the most primitive vertebrates with
four limbs that maintain a terrestrial niche.
3 Examples of the order Anura
 There are about 3500 species of frogs and
toads.
Frog:
 Habitat – temperate and tropical climates

around the world

 Niche – insectivores (eating a diet of
insects)
3 Examples of the order Anura,
cont’d
Toad:
 Characteristics – can secrete poison on
their skin; appear to have dry, wart-covered
skin.
 Habitat & Niche – generally same as frogs;
perhaps somewhat more terrestrial.
3 Examples of the order Anura,
cont’d
Salamanders / newts:
 Characteristics – also have poison glands;
have tails and largely cartilaginous limbs
 Habitat – live near water, under moist rocks
and logs
 Niche – same as frogs and toads
General Characteristics
 Have no nails or claws
 Minimal number of teeth
 Most have a tongue that is projectile and sticky
 Spends first stages of life in water as tadpoles
 They go through drastic changes during
development (caused by changes in hormones)
 Tadpoles are herbivorous while adults are
carnivorous
General Characteristics Cont’d
 They are ectotherms. During extreme
environmental conditions they either
hibernate (winter) or aestivate (summer).
 Temperature regulation is mainly behavioral
 They breathe through poorly developed
lungs and moist skin.
Amphibians – Systems
 Well developed brain attached to the dorsal nerve
cord.
 They contain a well developed muscular system.
 Sensory receptors located all over the skin
 Good vision since these animals are mainly vision
feeders; that is, they have to use their sight to find
and capture food (think of a frog going after a
fly!)
 Amphibians – Reproduction &
Reproductive System
 Dioecious – 2 different sexes very similar in structure
(appearance)
 External fertilization in moist environments.
Exceptions to the external fertilization are salamanders
(only about 10% are external).
 Jelly-like eggs need to be laid in water
 Interactions between internal (largely hormonal)
controls and extrinsic factors determine the timing of
reproductive activities.
 Their offspring develop through a process called
metamorphosis.
 Vocalization
 Sound production is primarily a reproductive function
of male anurans.
 These calls attract females to breeding areas and to
announce to other males that a given territory is
occupied.
 These calls may also cause some hormonal changes
internally to occur, reading the breeding process in
females.
 Sounds are caused by air being forced from the lungs
over the vocal cords and cartilages of the larynx,
causing them to vibrate.
 Our Dissection Froggy
The American bullfrog – Rana catesbiana
 Typically the specimens are adult male and egg-
bearing females, measuring about 7 inches from the
tips of their snouts to the ends of the trunks. Their
long hind legs, when extended, add another 8 inches to
their total length of 15 inches.
 Arteries are injected with RED latex, and veins with
BLUE or YELLOW latex.
 Frogs shown good organization of systems, along with
a relatively complete muscular and skeletal system.
 Special Amphibian Facts
 Amphibians have a “double
life” because they spend
half their life in water and
half on land.
 In PA waters, the presence
of tadpoles and frogs show
signs of good environment
health.