Axolotl

The axolotl is a medium-sized amphibian that is only found in one complex of lakes that are close to Mexico City in south-central Mexico. The axolotl is today kept as a popular freshwater aquarium pet all around the world.

The axolotl is most closely related to the tiger salamander which inhabits the waters in a similar region of Mexico. However, axolotls can be easily distinguished from salamanders as the axolotl retains it\'s tadpole-like appearance for it\'s whole life, therefore axolotls and young tiger salamanders are easily confused.

The axolotl has a flat-shaped broad head that is much wider than the body of the axolotl. The axolotl also has feathery gills which protrude from either side of the head of the axolotl, allowing the axolotl to breath under water. As with newts and salamanders, axolotls are able to regenerate limbs that become damaged or detached meaning that axolotls have been extensively used in scientific experiments around the world.

The axolotl is most commonly found in albino form as they spend a great deal of their lives hiding under rocks and in crevices on the bottom of the lake. Although axolotls are generally white or pink in colour, black, grey and brown coloured axolotls can also be found.

The axolotl is a carnivorous animal meaning that the axolotl has a purely meat-based diet. The axolotl eats worms and insect larvae that develop under the surface of the water along with molluscs, crustaceans and some small species of fish.

Due to the bottom-dwelling lifestyle of the axolotl, it has surprisingly few natural predators despite it\'s relatively small size. Birds and large fish are the most common predators of the axolotl along with humans who catch the axolotl to keep as pets in artificial environments.

The axolotl can live for up to 25 years although the average axolotl rarely gets much older than the age of 15. Female axolotls can lay anywhere from 100 to 1,000 eggs which are coated with a sticky substance that helps them to stick to plants and rocks in the water to keep them safe. After about a month of development, tiny axolotl babies emerge into the open water.

Today, the axolotl is considered to be a critically endangered species meaning that there are very few axolotl individuals left in the wild. Increasing levels of pollution is the most destructive factor in the survival to the axolotl with the ever-growing size of nearby Mexico City.

African Tree Toad

• African Tree Toad Classification and Evolution

The African Tree Toad is a small species of Toad found in the forests of Central Africa. Today, little is still known about this tiny amphibian and the constantly decreasing population numbers of the African Tree Toad are making it increasingly difficult for us to learn more about them. There are two known subspecies of the African Tree Toad, which are the African Tree Toad and the Bates' Tree Toad. Both African Tree Toad species are of similar size and colour but tend to differ in the geographical regions they inhabit.

• African Tree Toad Anatomy and Appearance

The African Tree Toad is generally dark to light brown in colour, with white patches on it's belly and like other Toad species, the African Tree Toad has specially designed feet which aid it's semi-aquatic and tree climbing lifestyle. The African Tree Toad is a terrestrial animal and uses it' s toes to also help it to hop about on the ground. The toes of the African Tree Toad are long and thin, with sticky, round discs on the tips. These widely spread digits enable this Toad to grip onto a larger surface area. The tiny striped body of the African Tree Toad grows up 3.8cm in length making these animals particularly hard to spot amongst the debris on the forest floor.

• African Tree Toad Distribution and Habitat

The African Tree Toad is said to be distributed across it's natural Central African range in countries such as Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Nigeria. Despite this though, there are very few records of this elusive amphibian meaning that much of it's distribution (and indeed population size) is simply presumed. The natural habitat of the African Tree Toad is subtropical or tropical moist, lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest, where there is a plentiful water supply. Today however, the African Tree Toad is generally restricted to taller forests.

• African Tree Toad Behaviour and Lifestyle

Like other Toads, the African Tree Toad is a semi-aquatic animal, although it is most commonly found in water when the female is laying her eggs. In a similar way to other tropical Toads, the African Tree Toad spends much of it's life walking, hopping or running about on the ground where it is able to find plenty of food and water. When darkness falls however, the African Tree Toad retreats high into the surrounding vegetation to remain safe during the night from ground-dwelling predators. The colour and markings of their skin, gives the African Tree Toad camouflage amongst the surrounding forest, again giving it extra defence from hungry predators.

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

• Aldabra Giant Tortoise Classification and Evolution

The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is a giant species of Tortoise native to the Aldabra Islands in the Indian ocean. The Aldabra giant tortoise is one of the largest species of Tortoise on the planet and is also one of the world's longest living animals, with one Aldabra Giant Tortoise individual reaching the grand old age of 255 years old. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is the only Indian ocean giant Tortoise species alive today as others have now become extinct with the arrival of Human settlers (including the Seychelles Giant Tortoise which is now thought to be extinct in the wild). The Aldabra Giant Tortoise and the Seychelles Giant Tortoise are so similar in both appearance and behaviour that they are actually thought by some to be the same species.

• Aldabra Giant Tortoise Anatomy and Appearance

The Aldabra Giant Tortoise has an enormous dome-shaped shell which acts as protective armour to the soft, vulnerable body of the Aldabra Giant Tortoise underneath. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise also has an incredibly long neck which it uses to tear leaves from the branches higher up trees. The male Aldabra Giant Tortoise grows to an average size of 1.1 meters long, with females being slightly smaller at a length of 0.9 meters. The males, although not really that much bigger, are also known to weigh nearly 100kg more than their female counterparts. They are slow-moving animals with thick, short legs and round, almost flat feet that help them when they are walking on the sand.

• Aldabra Giant Tortoise Distribution and Habitat

The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is primarily found inhabiting grasslands and swamps on the islands of the Aldabra atoll (an island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely), which forms part of the Seychelles island chain in the Indian Ocean. They once shared these islands with a number of other giant Tortoise species, but many of these were hunted to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s. Although the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is usually found in areas of dense, low-lying vegetation, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is also known to wander into more sparse, rocky regions when food is in short supply. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise can also often be found resting in the shade, or in a very shallow pool of water to cool themselves down in the heat.

Marine Toad

The marine toad (also known as the cane toad or the giant toad) is a species or terrestrial (land-dwelling) toad that is natively found throughout Central and South America. The marine toad is one of the world's true toads and is often used to eradicate pests from sugar-cane (hence it's name).

The marine toad is generally found in the subtropical forests of Central and South America, where despite it's name, spends it's life entirely on the land. The marine toad has also been introduced to non-native regions as a form of pest control for crops.

Marine toads tend to be around 15 cm in length although much larger individuals have been recorded. Marine toads are known to have poison glands which ensure that it has toxic skin. This means that if another animal ate the marine toad, it's quite likely that it would lead to near, if not fatal, consequences.

Along with being used to control agricultural pests, the marine toad also has a variety of other uses to humans around the world. Traditionally, tribes people in South America would milk the toads for their toxin (called bufotoxin), which was then used as arrow poison. There are also suggestions that the toxins produced by the marine toad may have also been used as a narcotic by the local people.

As with numerous other toad species, the marine toad is a carnivorous animal, primarily surviving on a diet of insects. Due to their large size however, marine toads have also been known to hunt slightly bigger animals including rodents, reptiles, birds and even other amphibians.

Due to it's relatively small size, the marine toad is preyed upon by a number of different species within it's natural environment. Caimans, snakes, rats, eels, opossums and various birds of prey are all predators of the marine toad.

Like other amphibians, the marine toad undergoes the incredible transformation from a water-bound tadpole to a ground-dwelling adult in a matter of months. Like it's adult counterpart, the marine toad tadpoles are also highly toxic to any animal that eats them.

Today, the marine toad populations are thriving around the world due to the artificial introductions of the marine toad to many islands in the 1900s. Since then, the marine toad has become a pest in many of these countries as their ruthless nature poses a serious threat to native species.

Amphibians

Amphibians are a group of vertebrates that includes salamanders, newts, caecilians, frogs and toads. There are between 5,000 and 6,000 species of amphibians alive today. The first amphibians arose about 370 million years ago during the Devonian Period. The articles listed below provide information about the characteristics, classification and evolution of amphibians.

Striped Rocket Frog

The striped rocket frog  is a small species of rocket frog natively found on mainland Australia  and on a number of the islands that are both close to it and surround it. The striped rocket frog is closely related to other species of rocket frog, all of which are named for their remarkably agile jumping abilities and their streamlined-shaped bodies.

The striped rocket frog is found mostly in coastal areas from northern Western Australia to New South Wales in the south and is also found inhabiting lowland areas of parts of the tropical Indonesian island of Papua New Guinea. The striped rocket frog is found in a variety of wetland habitats including swamps, ponds and flooded grasslands in forests and open woodland.

The striped rocket frog is an easily identifiable species of frog due to its relatively small size and the two stripe-like folds of skin the run vertically down the striped rocket frog's back. The skin of the striped rocket frog is usually a dark brown colour and has dark spot-like markings across it's back and legs. The striped rocket frog has a narrow and streamlined body which makes for more agile movement through both the air and water.

The striped rocket frog has incredibly long and powerful legs which can propel this little frog over vast distances (comparable with it's size). The striped rocket is actually a type of tree frog but despite this, the striped rocket frog spends the majority of it's life on the ground due to the fact that they sticky discs on their toes are simply not big enough to allow them to climb with ease.

Like most other species of frog, the striped rocket frog is a carnivorous animal that catches the majority of it's using it's long and sticky tongue. The striped rocket frog primarily feeds on small invertebrates such as insects, moths and spiders along with worms and insect larvae. The webbed feet of the striped rocket frog mean that this animal is able to hunt effectively both on land and in the water.

Due to the fairly small size of the striped rocket frog, it has numerous predators within its natural environment. Large birds and bats prey on the striped rocket frog from the skies and ground-dwelling predators such as cats and foxes prey on this species on the ground. The water-based eggs and tadpoles of the striped rocket frog are preyed upon by aquatic animals including fish and other frogs.

In the same way as other species of frogs (and indeed toads), the striped rocket frog undergoes the incredible metamorphic process of turning from the young aquatic tadpole, to the generally ground-dwelling adult. Females lay an average of 60 eggs in a sticky mass known as frogspawn which floats on the surface of the water. When they are ready, the hatching tadpoles drop into the water where they begin there life underwater.

Today, the striped rocket frog has been listed as Least concern as although it is not deemed to be under immediate threat from extinction, the striped rocket frog populations have been affected in much of the native range from deforestation and the introduction of mammalian predators.

Tree Frog

The tree frog is a small species of frog  that spends its life in the trees. True tree frogs are found inhabiting the forests and jungles in the warmer regions all over the world.

Tree frogs are best known for their distinctive disc-shaped toes on the end of each leg. The rounded toes of the tree frog, gives its feet more suction and therefore better grip when moving around in the trees.

There are four main species of tree frog which vary in size from just a few to more than 10 centimetres in length. The European tree frog is found in meadows and shrublands across eastern Europe but is considered endangered in western Europe. The Common tree frog is the smallest of the tree frog species and is found in a variety of habitats across south-east Asia.

The Cuban tree frog is the largest of the four tree frog species ans is natively found in Cuba and its surrounding islands, but has been introduced to parts of Florida, the Caribbean and Hawaii. The Red-Eyed tree frog is the most distinctive of the tree frog species and is native to the jungles of Central America. The Red-Eyed tree frog has a long narrow body and hind legs which point outwards, along with its characteristic red eyes.

As with other frogs and toads, tree frog are generally carnivorous animals, feeding primarily on insects, worms and spiders. The large Cuban tree frog will eat anything that will fit in its mouth including lizards, snakes, small mammals and even other frogs.

Due to their small size, the tree frog has numerous predators wherever it lives in the world. Birds, mammals and reptiles of all shapes and sizes prey on the tree frog and the tree frog is also known to be a tasty tree for large fish.

During the mating season, tree frogs make loud croak-like calls to one another in order to attract a mate. The female tree frog lays her eggs on a leaf above the water, which develop into tadpoles in just a few days when they fall into the water below. The metamorphic process from tadpole to adult tree frog can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months

Darwin,s Frog

Darwin's frog is a small species of frog, native to the forest streams of Chile and Argentina. Darwin's frog is named after Charles Darwin who came across it on his famous "Voyage of the Beagle".

Darwin's frogs can be found inhabiting beech-tree forests and fields, in the cooler regions of South America. Darwin's frogs can also be found living near and in slow streams and swamps throughout Chile and across the border into Argentina.

Darwin's frog has a very distinct appearance, having evolved to look a bit like a leaf. This means that when the Darwin's frog feels threatened by approaching predators, it simply remains very still on the forest floor looking like a dead-leaf until the danger has passed.

Darwin's frog is a small, yet round species of frog that has a triangular shaped head and pointed snout. Despite having some webbing on their back feet, Darwin's frogs do not have webbed front feet as this helps them when moving around on the forest floor.

Like many other amphibian species, the Darwin's frog is a carnivorous animal that uses it's long, sticky tongue to catch it's prey. Darwin's frogs feed on a variety of small invertebrates including insects, worms, snails and spiders.

Due to it's small size, and despite it's best attempts at blending in, the Darwin's frog has a number of predators in it's native habitat. Small mammals such as rodents, snakes and birds all commonly prey on the Darwin's frog.

The Darwin's frog is well known for the way in which it takes care of it's young. The female lays her eggs, which are then guarded by the male for about 2 weeks. Once hatched, the male Darwin's frog carries the developing tadpoles in a pouch in his throat until they are tiny froglets and are able to hop away.

Today, the Darwin's frog is a species that is considered to be vulnerable from extinction mainly due to habitat loss in the Darwin's frog's native habitat, primarily caused by deforestation.

Edible Frog

• Edible Frog Classification and Evolution

The Edible Frog is a species of Frog found across Europe that is also known as the Common Water Frog and the Green Frog. The Edible Frog is a fertile hybrid of two other European Frogs, the Pool Frog and the Marsh Frog, that bred when populations where isolated close to one another during the ice ages. The scientific name of the Edible Frog means both "mud" and "guardian" as they are known to never stray far from water, almost guarding the muddy banks. It was first described in 1758 and has adopted it's name as the "edible" Frog due to the fact that they are now seen as a culinary delicacy in France, particularly the legs.

• Edible Frog Anatomy and Appearance

The Edible Frog is a medium sized Frog growing to around 9cm in length. Females tend to be larger than males and have been known to get up to 12 cm long. Adult Edible Frogs are mainly green in colour with light patches of brown on their backs, yellow eyes and a white underside, covered in a few dark spots. There are number of distinct differences between males and females including the fact that males become much lighter (and greener) during the mating season. Male Edible Frogs also have vocal sacs on the outside of their cheeks and extra skin patches on their feet, both of which are primarily for mating.

• Edible Frog Distribution and Habitat

The Edible Frog is found across central Europe and as far north as Germany and Estonia. Southern populations of the Edible Frog are found from Croatia, through northern Italy and into the south of France. There are also isolated populations in Sweden and Bulgaria which are thought to have migrated from the countries nearby. Edible Frogs spend all of their time either in or very close to water and are most commonly found in calmer parts of rivers and streams, where there is a slow but constant flow of fresh water. They are said to prefer more open areas and can also be commonly spotted around lakes, ponds and marshes.

Radiated Tortoise

• Radiated Tortoise Classification and Evolution

The Radiated Tortoise is a relatively large species of Tortoise, natively found on the island of Madagascar. Although having evolved in similar environments to other star-patterned Tortoises from around the tropics, the Radiated Tortoise has more striking and complex markings than those of the Indian Star Tortoise, for example. The Radiated Tortoise is also known as the Sokake in Madagascar, and although they are critically endangered in the wild, it is widely believed that they are the most beautiful of all Tortoise species. Naturally then, they are a popular exotic pet, which is thought to be one of the main reasons for their demise.

• Radiated Tortoise Anatomy and Appearance

The male Radiated Tortoise tends to be slightly larger than females and the two sexes are also easily identified as the tail of the male Radiated Tortoise is often substantially longer than that of the female. Radiated Tortoises have high-domed, dark brown to black shells, covered with bright yellow or orange intricate star-like patterns. Unlike other star-patterned Tortoises, the centres of the stars on the carapace of the Radiated Tortoise are not raised, giving their domed shell a smoother appearance. The legs, tail and head are a yellowish colour with a black spot on top of the head, which varies in size between individuals. The appearance of this Tortoise actually camouflages it perfectly in the long grasses.

Hippopotamus

• Hippopotamus Classification and Evolution

The Hippopotamus is a large semi-aquatic mammal that is found wallowing in the rivers and lakes across sub-Saharan Africa. Despite it's appearance, the Hippopotamus is actually thought to be most closely related to Whales as the two are thought to have had a common ancestor that existed roughly 54 million years ago. Also known as the Common Hippopotamus, it is one of two Hippo species that are found on the African continent with the other being the solitary and forest-dwelling Pygmy Hippopotamus which is only found in western Africa and is now Critically Endangered. Although the Common Hippopotamus remains abundant and widespread throughout it's current range, numbers are reportedly declining due to both hunting and habitat loss.

• Hippopotamus Anatomy and Appearance

The Hippopotamus has an enormous grey barrel-shaped body that can measure up to five meters in length and weigh more than four tonnes, and which is held up by short and stocky legs. One of the Hippopotamus's most distinctive features is their enormous jaws which contain two long canine teeth (tusks) which can grow up to 50 cm long and are used for fighting. Due to the fact that the Hippopotamus spends most of it's life resting in the water, they have a number of excellent adaptations to aid their semi-aquatic lifestyle including four webbed toes on each foot that help with swimming and walking on slippery banks, and the eyes, ears and nostrils of the Hippopotamus are situated on the top of it's head. This means that when the Hippopotamus's body is immersed in the water, they are still able to see, hear and breath whilst keeping cool in the hot sun.

Pool Frog

The pool frog (also known as the northern pool frog) is a species of medium-sized frog natively found in parts of northern Europe. The pool frog is the rarest amphibian in England and actually is thought to have been extinct in native environment during the 1990s, but re-introduction programmes are now under-way.

The northern pool frog is naturally found in Sweden, Norway and on Britain's south-east coast where it inhabits natural ponds found in forested or heathland areas. Much of the pool frog's native habitat has now been bulldozed to create housing estates which led to the sharp decline and extinction of this species on the British Isles.

The pool frog is a medium sized frog that is generally brown or brownish-green in colour with a splattering of dark spots across it's skin. Pool frogs are also easily identified by their sharply pointed heads and by the two, lightly coloured stripes that run down either side of the pool frog's back.

Frogs are well known for their webbed feet, and the pool frog is no exception. Pool frogs have webbing (flaps of skin) between their toes which not only assists the pool frog when swimming about in the water but also gives these rare amphibians more grip when climbing about on the slippery banks of the pond.

BullFrog

The bullfrog is one of the most widely distributed frogs across the North American continent. The bullfrog is a medium-sized frog that is best known for it's loud cow-like calls, hence it's name.

Bullfrogs are found in a wide range of permanent freshwater habitats including ponds, swamps and lakes where the bullfrog tends to prefer to be closer to the banks rather than out in the open water. Bullfrogs also prefer to be in warmer climates rather than the cooler ones.

Today bullfrogs are being more and more commonly kept as pets and are even eaten by locals in some of the more southern regions of North America. Bullfrogs have also been introduced to other countries throughout the world where they have generally had a devastating impact on the local ecosystems.

Bullfrogs are carnivorous animals and bullfrogs have a diet that is meat-based. Bullfrogs are nocturnal hunters, hiding and resting during the day and actively hunting by night. Bullfrogs hunt a variety of insects and their larvae, eggs, spiders and even small fish. Some of the larger bullfrogs, today found in South Korea, have been even known to eat small snakes.

Due to the relatively small size of the bullfrog and the fact that its calls can be heard for some distance, the bullfrog has numerous different predators within its natural environment. Aquatic animals including large fish and river turtles are the most common predators of the bullfrog along with a number of snake species.

Marsh Frog

The Marsh Frog is a medium, fairly colourful species of frog that natively found in Europe. The marsh frog is closely related to the edible frog and the pool frog, all three of which belong to the family of "green frogs" (the common frog belongs to the brown frog family).

The marsh frog is the largest species of true frog native to Europe and is found in deep ponds, lakes, rivers and around streams across the continent. The range of the marsh frog is wider than it once was, as the marsh frog is also found in parts of western Asia and Russia and even in some areas in China and Pakistan.

The marsh frog is a very aquatic species of frog and has adapted well to a water-based life. As with other frogs, the toes of the marsh frog are webbed to both assist the marsh frog in swimming and when negotiating the slippery banks. The eyes of the marsh frog are also on top of it's head which means that they can be looking on the surface of the water while the body of the marsh frog is safely submerged.

Marsh frogs are often easy frogs to identify due to their bright-green coloured skin and long hind legs. Marsh frogs are often medium sized frogs with females often growing to 17cm in length. The male marsh frog is often much smaller, maybe two thirds of the size of the female marsh frog.

As with many other amphibious animals, the marsh frog is a carnivore meaning that it only eats other animals in order to survive. Marsh frogs primarily feeds on small invertebrates in, on or close to water including various species of insect, spiders and moths.

Desert tortoise

Scientific Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Chelonia
Family:Testudinidae
Genus:Gopherus
Genus species:Gopherus agassizii

Animal Characteristics

Head-Body Length:up to 38 cm
Habitat:Scrublands, deserts, rocky hillsides
Diet:Herbivore: wildflowers, grasses, cacti
Reproduction:There is no defined mating season for desert tortoises. The female builds a nest near her burrow and lays 1-14 eggs inside it between April and July. The eggs incubate for 70-120 days. These tortoises can live for 60-100 years old.
Behavior:Desert tortoises hibernate in underground burrows from October to February.
Status:No special status
Interesting Facts:Ravens, coyotes, foxes, eagles, and roadrunners are all predators of the desert tortoise.

Gopher Frog

Appearance: The gopher frog is a stout-bodied frog from two to four inches long found throughout most of the Florida peninsula. They are cream- to brown-colored, with irregular dark spots on their backs and sides.

Habitat: Because of habitat destruction, the gopher frog is very rare in its traditional southern range. It is listed as a species of special concern in Florida.

Green Sea Turtle

Appearance: Its name describes the color of its body fat, not its carapace (top shell), which is smooth and colored light to dark brown with dark mottling. Adults can grow to four feet long and weigh as much as 400 pounds.

Habitat: Most sea turtle nesting in the continental U.S. occurs in Florida, where five species of turtles deposit eggs in 40,000 to 70,000 nests annually. The nesting is concentrated along the east coast from Volusia to Broward counties. One species, the green turtle, digs anywhere from 200 to 1,100 nests each year in Florida.

Alligator

Appearance:

Female alligators rarely exceed 9 feet in length, but males can grow much larger. The Florida state record for length is a 14 foot 3-1/2 inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County. The Florida record for weight is a 1,043 pound (13 feet 10-1/2 inches long) male from Orange Lake in Alachua County.
The tell-tale eye-shine of an alligator (and other nocturnal vertebrates) is caused by a layer of cells called the tapetum lucidum (a Latin phrase meaning "bright carpet"). This structure is located beneath the photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) in the retina and reflects light back into these cells to increase the amount of light detected, which improves an alligator's vision in low light conditions. In alligators this eye-shine is red, but it can be different colors in other species. For more information, see the documents at the links below.