Page 140 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

140 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

Comparisons

African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) are a species of amphibian toad and they share many traits – they’re tongue-less, toothless and
famous for their conspicuous black claws, which are used to grasp prey. have almost aquatic lifestyles. Xenopus frogs are found in sub-Saharan
These large frogs belong to the same family Pipidae as the Surinam Africa, while Surinam toads come from South America and Trinidad.

Surinam toad African clawed frog

The word amphibian comes from the Greek amphibios strike out, grabbing any passing prey, and pushing it into
meaning ‘both kinds of life’, which tells us that these their wide mouths with a speedy, shovelling motion. Pipids
incredible creatures can live both in water and on land. are ‘opportunistic’ feeders and will make a meal of
Frogs and toads of the family Pipidae are truly unusual anything, from insects to fish.
amphibians in that they are mainly aquatic, and are rarely
seen outside their watery homes. In fact, their favourite Remarkable reproduction
habitats are South America’s slow, heavily silted streams and Amphibians, like insects, have a complex life cycle, which
rivers. It’s due to such an aquatic lifestyle that they have involves a series of dramatic physical changes known as
lost many of the physical characteristics we typically a metamorphosis.
associate with frogs and toads.
Most members of the order Anura, to which frogs and
toads belong, are bulky, full-bellied beasts, with long, Surinam toad habitats
powerful hind legs and elongated, flexible tongues,
which they use to catch prey. By contrast, pipids have
flattened, leaflike bodies. Combined with their mottled
brown coloration, this makes for wonderfully effective
cryptic camouflage, which helps these small amphibians
to blend in with their surroundings. Pipids do have long
legs, but their feet are completely webbed, suiting their
aquatic lifestyles.
Frogs and toads are also famous for their noisy croaks
and bellows, but Surinam toads have no vocal cords.
They’re not ‘mute’ but instead communicate in a rather
strange way.They use bony rods in the larynx (voice box)
to create clicks that help to attract a mate. In place of the
usual long, sticky tongue, these peculiar amphibians have
developed highly sensitive and mobile ‘fingers’.Their usual
hunting technique is to lie still, with their arms
outstretched until they sense motion nearby.Then, they

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.