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Blue poison dart frog. Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν herpetón, meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (including snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and tuataras).
Frogs produce a wide range of vocalisations, particularly in their breeding season, and exhibit many different kinds of complex behaviors to attract mates, to fend off predators and to generally survive. Frogs are valued as food by humans and also have many cultural roles in literature, symbolism and religion.
Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history. An adult frog has a stout body, protruding eyes, anteriorly-attached tongue, limbs folded underneath, and no tail (the tail of tailed frogs is an extension of the male cloaca
Some amphibians such as newts and salamanders, and some frogs such as fire-bellied toads and wood frogs. Some reptiles such as crocodilians, turtles, water snakes and marine iguanas. Waterbirds, especially penguins, waterfowls, storks and shorebirds. Some rodents such as beavers, muskrats and capybaras.
The decline in amphibian and reptile populations has led to an awareness of the effects of pesticides on reptiles and amphibians. [177] In the past, the argument that amphibians or reptiles were more susceptible to any chemical contamination than any land aquatic vertebrate was not supported by research until recently. [177]
While reptiles and amphibians can be quite similar externally, the French zoologist Pierre André Latreille recognized the large physiological differences at the beginning of the 19th century and split the herptiles into two classes, giving the four familiar classes of tetrapods: amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. [30]
Image credits: girlfr0g They have adapted to surviving in extreme weather conditions. Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperatures change with the temperature of ...
The temnospondyl Eryops had sturdy limbs to support its body on land Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) with limbs and feet specialised for climbing Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), a primitive salamander The bright colours of the common reed frog (Hyperolius viridiflavus) are typical of a toxic species Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) can parachute to ...