A Natural History of Amphibians

by Stebbins, Robert C.; Cohen, Nathan W.

• ISBN13: 9780691102511
• ISBN10: 0691102511
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-01-06
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

This is a book for all readers who want to learn about amphibians, the animal group that includes frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. It draws on many years of classroom teaching, laboratory experience, and field observation by the authors. Robert Stebbins and Nathan Cohen lead readers on a fascinating odyssey as they explore some of nature's most interesting creatures, interspersing their own observations throughout the book.A Natural History of Amphibianscan serve as a textbook for students and independent learners, as an overview of the field for professional scientists and land managers, and as an engaging introduction for general readers. The class Amphibia contains more than 4,500 known living species. New species are being discovered so rapidly that the number may grow to more than 5,000 during our lifetimes. However, their numbers are being rapidly decimated around the globe, largely due to the encroachment of humans on amphibian habitats and from growing human-caused environmental pollution, discussed at length in the final chapter. The authors focus our attention on the "natural history" of amphibians worldwide and emphasize their interactions with their environments over time: where they live; how they reproduce; how they have been affected by evolutionary processes; what factors will determine their destinies over time. Through the experienced eyes of the authors, who are skilled observers, we come to see and understand the place of amphibians in the natural world around us.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xv
Introduction	3	(7)
The Major Groups of Living Amphibians	3	(1)
The Place of Amphibians in Nature	4	(2)
Amphibian Life Cycles and Modes of Reproduction	6	(3)
Natural History Overview	9	(1)
Skin	10	(7)
Glands	10	(4)
Coloration	14	(1)
Shedding	15	(2)
Breathing	17	(9)
Gills	17	(1)
Lungs	17	(5)
Skin	22	(2)
Buccopharyngeal Respiration	24	(1)
The Lung-breathing Mechanism	24	(2)
Limbs and Locomotion	26	(7)
Tail	33	(4)
Nose and Chemoreception	37	(5)
Function of the Nasolabial Grooves	39	(1)
Larval Amphibians	40	(1)
Control of Nasal Water and Air Flow	40	(2)
Eyes and Vision	42	(12)
Vision in Water and on Land	43	(1)
Some Additional Anatomical Aspects	44	(4)
Distance Perception and Visual Acuity	48	(1)
Use of Vision in Feeding	49	(2)
Color Vision	51	(1)
Eye Protection	52	(1)
Use of Amphibians in Studies of Vision	53	(1)
Food Habits	54	(13)
Kinds of Food and Their Detection	54	(1)
Visual Prey Detection	55	(1)
Role of Olfaction	55	(2)
Food Preferences	57	(1)
The Feeding Mechanism	57	(4)
Methods of Catching Prey	61	(1)
Competition for Food and Partitioning of Food Resources	62	(4)
Metabolic Reserves	66	(1)
Ears and Hearing	67	(9)
Anurans	67	(2)
The Opercularis System	69	(3)
Salamanders	72	(1)
Caecilians	72	(1)
Amphibian Larvae	73	(1)
Lateral Line System	73	(2)
Reception of Seismic Signals	75	(1)
Voice	76	(13)
Caecilians	76	(1)
Salamanders	76	(1)
Anurans	77	(12)
Method of Sound Production	77	(1)
Voice Intensity, Volume, and Directionality	78	(2)
The ``Advertisement'' Call	80	(3)
Chorus Formation and Pairing	83	(3)
Vocalizations at Short Range	86	(1)
Vocal Responses to Approaching Males	87	(1)
Vocalizations and Predation	87	(1)
Other Vocalizations	88	(1)
Temperature Characteristics	89	(13)
Basking	91	(1)
Temperature Preferences	92	(2)
Tolerance of Temperature Extremes	94	(1)
Thermal Acclimation	95	(2)
Thermal Acclimatization	97	(1)
Behaviorally Controlled Fever	97	(1)
Coping with Freezing Temperatures	98	(1)
Biological Effects of Environmental Temperatures	99	(1)
The Pineal Complex and Activity Rhythms	100	(1)
Temperature and Timing of Reproduction	100	(2)
Body Water Regulation	102	(8)
Hydroregulation	103	(1)
Skin Structure and Water Loss in Lungless Salamanders	103	(1)
Avoiding Desiccation	104	(6)
The ``Seat Patch''	105	(1)
Burrowing	106	(1)
Dormant (Estivating) Amphibians: Cocoons	107	(1)
Urea Retention	107	(1)
Skin Color	108	(1)
Uricotelic Frogs	108	(2)
Protection against Predators	110	(11)
Protective Glands and Their Use in Defense	110	(1)
``Warning'' Coloration	111	(4)
Mimicry	115	(1)
Posturing and Delivery of Noxious Secretions	116	(2)
Other Antipredator Adaptations	118	(1)
Variation in Antipredator Responses	119	(1)
Noxious Properties of Amphibian Eggs and Larvae	119	(2)
Home Range and Movements	121	(5)
Some Measurements of Movements and Home Range in Salamanders and Anurans	122	(4)
Territorial Behavior and Fighting	126	(5)
Salamanders	126	(2)
Anurans	128	(2)
``Dear Enemy'' Recognition	130	(1)
Homing and Migration	131	(9)
Shoreline Orientation	131	(5)
Homing Behavior during Migrations	136	(1)
Role of Olfaction in Homing	137	(1)
How Does Homing Ability Become Established?	138	(2)
Reproduction	140	(55)
Breeding Patterns and Their Control	140	(1)
Reproductive Activities	141	(21)
Caecilians	141	(2)
Salamanders	143	(11)
Anurans	154	(8)
Eggs	162	(10)
Gelatinous Capsules	162	(2)
The Ovum	164	(2)
Location and Shape of Egg Clusters (the ``Spawn'')	166	(4)
Frequency of Laying and Number of Eggs Laid	170	(2)
Larvae	172	(23)
Caecilians	172	(1)
Salamanders and Anurans	173	(2)
Salamander Larvae	175	(4)
Anuran Larvae (Tadpoles)	179	(16)
Parental Care	195	(10)
Guarding of Eggs and Nest Sites	195	(2)
Foam Nests	197	(1)
Tadpole Herding	197	(1)
Transport of Eggs and Larvae	198	(1)
Frogs That Feed Their Young	198	(2)
Pouch Brooding	200	(2)
Vocal Sac Brooding	202	(1)
Stomach Brooding	203	(1)
Viviparous Amphibians	204	(1)
Contributions of Amphibians to Human Welfare	205	(5)
Food	205	(1)
Teaching and Research	205	(2)
Toxicology	207	(1)
Medicine	207	(3)
Fever Therapy	207	(1)
A Pharmacopeia of Skin Secretions	207	(2)
The Australian Stomach-brooding Frogs and Gastric Ulcers	209	(1)
Declining Amphibians	210	(43)
Examples of Declines with Comments on Possible Causes: Selections from Western North, Central, and South America, and Australia	211	(27)
Western North America	211	(24)
Central and South America	235	(2)
Australia	237	(1)
Amphibians as ``Bio-indicators''	238	(3)
Known and Possible Causes of Amphibian Declines	241	(6)
A Diversity of Local Impacts	241	(1)
Global Impacts	242	(1)
The Role of Biomagnification	242	(1)
The Endocrine Connection	243	(4)
Amphibians as Subjects for Study of the Effects of Chemical Contaminants at the Hormonal and Developmental Levels	247	(1)
Some Topics Needing Study in Relation to the Possible Role of Synthetic Chemicals in Amphibian Declines	248	(1)
Possible Impacts of Amphibian Declines	249	(1)
What of the Future?	249	(4)
Literature Cited	253	(48)
Index	301