Category: Amphibians
The American toad is a commonly occurring species throughout the Eastern United States and Canada and they can live almost anywhere, from forest to grassland. One of their interesting adaptations is that the tadpoles have been shown to have mutualistic relationship with Chlorogonium alga, developing more rapidly in its presence than without it. Also, in addition to seeking safety in numbers, their tadpoles produce a toxin to discourage predation.
Learn more about the American Toad at Wikipedia and Reptiles Magazine.
An Ample Amphibian
Before reptiles and mammals appeared to challenge amphibian supremacy on the land, amphibians were much larger. But while they have shrunk in size over the last 315 million years, the Chinese Giant Salamander never got the memo: at up to 5.9 feet in length and 66lbs, this amphibian is longer than your dog, and probably weighs at least as much! Compare that to Paedophryne amanuensis, the world’s smallest frog (and smallest vertebrate) who is the size of a house fly! Due to habitat loss, environmental changes, and over-hunting/collecting, the Chinese giant Salamander is critically endangered, though conservation efforts to save it are underway today.
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
