Volunteers surveying dormice and bats in trees have made the unexpected discovery of over fifty common toads in nest boxes and tree cavities at least 1.5 meters high
Ecology
Jul 06, 2022
0
264
A new study from North Carolina State University examines immune system diversity in the critically endangered Wyoming toad and finds that genetic bottlenecks could impact a species' ability to respond to new pathogens. The ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 28, 2022
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2
While frog and salamander declines worldwide have made scientists outspoken about the need to preserve amphibian genetic diversity, two University of California, Berkeley, biologists emphasize another important reason for ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 03, 2022
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274
Toads are a symbol of prosperity and good fortune in Taiwan, but the unexpected discovery of an invasive species has officials and environmentalists scrambling to contain their spread.
Ecology
Dec 06, 2021
1
18
Wasps have a reputation for being jerks because of their perceived aggressiveness and ability to sting repeatedly. They're often negatively compared with the honey production and agricultural pollination of bees.
Plants & Animals
Oct 29, 2021
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569
A team of researchers at the University of Sydney has found that invasive cane toad tadpoles have given their species an advantage in Australia by eating the hatchlings of native toads. In their paper published in Proceedings ...
While the UK was in lockdown, certain species of captive amphibians became more visible, a new study suggests.
Plants & Animals
Jul 08, 2021
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4
Frog calls are iconic sounds of summer in Australia. There are more than 240 species native to Australia, almost all of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Ecology
Dec 29, 2020
0
14
Look at this photo of two coral skeletons below. You'd be forgiven for thinking they're the same species, or at least closely related, but looks can be deceiving. These two species diverged tens of millions of years ago, ...
Ecology
Sep 15, 2020
0
15
How do you get rid of an invasive fish that is taking over waterways across the globe? With robot predators designed to scare them, of course!
Plants & Animals
Jul 02, 2020
0
2
A toad can refer to a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura. A distinction is often made between frogs and toads by their appearance, prompted by the convergent adaptation among so-called "toads" to dry habitats. Many "toads" have leathery skin for better water retention, and brown coloration for camouflage. They also tend to burrow. However, these adaptations are not reliable indicators of its ancestry. Because taxonomy reflects only evolutionary relationships, any distinction between frogs and toads is irrelevant to their classification.
For instance, many members of the frog families Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, and some species from the Microhylidae family are commonly called "toads". However, the only family exclusively given the common name "toad" is Bufonidae, or the "true toads". Some "true frogs" of the genus Rana have also adapted to burrowing habitats, while a bufonid species in the genus Atelopus are conversely known by the common name "harlequin frogs". Similarly to frogs, toads also display metamorphosis from tadpole to sexually mature adult.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
