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Introduction

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Selected amphibian type

Spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum

Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten extant salamander families are grouped together under the order Urodela from the group Caudata. Urodela is a scientific Latin term based on the Ancient Greek οὐρά δήλη: ourà dēlē "conspicuous tail". Caudata is the Latin for "tailed ones", from cauda: "tail".

Salamander diversity is highest in eastern North America, especially in the Appalachian Mountains; most species are found in the Holarctic realm, with some species present in the Neotropical realm. Salamanders never have more than four toes on their front legs and five on their rear legs, but some species have fewer digits and others lack hind limbs. Their permeable skin usually makes them reliant on habitats in or near water or other cool, damp places. Some salamander species are fully aquatic throughout their lives, some take to the water intermittently, and others are entirely terrestrial as adults.

This group of amphibians is capable of regenerating lost limbs as well as other damaged parts of their bodies. Researchers hope to reverse engineer the regenerative processes for potential human medical applications, such as brain and spinal cord injury treatment or preventing harmful scarring during heart surgery recovery. The remarkable ability of salamanders to regenerate is not just limited to limbs but extends to vital organs such as the heart, jaw, and parts of the spinal cord, showing their uniqueness compared to different types of vertebrates. ⁤⁤This ability is most remarkable for occurring without any type of scarring. ⁤⁤This has made salamanders an invaluable model organism in scientific research aimed at understanding and achieving regenerative processes for medical advancements in human and animal biology. (Full article...)

Selected frog article

Walkerana phrynoderma

Ranixalidae is a family of frogs commonly known as the leaping frogs or Indian frogs. They are endemic to central and southern India, specifically in the Western Ghat mountain range. This mountain range encompasses the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Ranixalidae can be found in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala. There is a large concentration of them in Goa and Maharashtra, however there are still considerable amounts of species within the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala, where there are other frogs within the Indirana genus.

Scientists say the two groups of frogs in Ranixalidae, Indirana and Walkerana, split around 58.4 million years ago. (Full article...)

Selected salamander article

Siren intermedia

Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of neotenic aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other salamanders, they have external gills bunched together on the neck in both larval and adult states. Sirens are found only in the Southeastern United States and northern Mexico.

Although they are primarily carnivorous, they are the only salamanders observed eating plant material. (Full article...)

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Picture slideshow

Image 1Magnificent tree frog
Image 2Edible Frog
Image 3Epirus water frog
Image 4White-lipped tree frog
Image 5Ecnomiohyla rabborum
Image 6Male Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris aka Triturus vulgaris) during breeding season in the Netherlands.
Image 7Emerald-eyed tree frog
Image 8Marsh frog
Image 9American toad
Image 10Blue poison dart frog
Image 11Panamanian golden frog
Image 12Dendropsophus microcephalus
Image 13Leaf green tree frog
Image 14Albanian water frog
Image 15Blue Mountains tree frog
Image 16Fire salamander
Image 17Limosa harlequin frog
Image 18Fire salamander
Image 19Spanish painted frog
Image 20Fire salamander
Image 21Litoria chloris
Image 22Agile frog
Image 23New England tree frog
Image 24Iberian midwife toad
Image 25Poison dart frog
Image 26Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Image 27Lithobates clamitans
Image 28Frogs
Image 29Common frog
Image 30Limnodynastes dumerilii
Image 31Surprise, its an amphibian. This is a genus of South American Caecilians, blind and snake-like, which hunt through leaf litter. Photo from Wildsumaco Reserve, Ecuador.
Image 32Phantasmal poison frog
Image 33Balearic green toad
Image 34Eastern newt
Image 35Golden toad
Image 36Common toads during amplexus
Image 37Southern Brown tree frog
Image 38Atelopus certus
Image 39Fire-bellied toad
Image 40Italian tree frog
Image 41Agalychnis callidryas

Selected toad article

Wolterstorffina, also known as Wolterstorff toads, is a genus of "true toads" (family Bufonidae) native to Nigeria and Cameroon. Its sister taxon is either genus Werneria or the clade Werneria+Nectophryne. The name of the genus honours German geologist and herpetologist Willy Wolterstorff. (Full article...)

Selected caecilian article

Typhlonectes natans

Typhlonectidae, also known as aquatic caecilians or rubber eels, are a family of caecilians found east of the Andes in South America.

They are viviparous animals, giving birth to young that possess external gills. Of the five extant genera in the family, Atretochoana, Potamotyphlus and Typhlonectes are entirely aquatic, while Chthonerpeton and Nectocaecilia are semi-aquatic. Atretochoana reaches 100 cm (39 in) in length, but other species in the family range from 20 to 60 cm (7.9–23.6 in). A sixth typhlonectid genus, Ymboirana, was recently described and is known exclusively from fossil material. (Full article...)