Page 15 - Amphibian

Australian A CAVE SALAMANDER
waterholding frog The cave-dwelling olm from the cold, underground streams along
burrowing the Adriatic coast (of Italy and Croatia) is a permanent,
underground sexually mature larva – like the axolotl. Unlike the
axolotl, it will not become an adult if iodine is
added to the water or if
given hormone
treatment.

DESERT FROG Olms range in length
1Many amphibians burrow from 8–12 in (20–30 cm)
deep into the ground (pp. 54–55)
to avoid drying out. In its
underground chamber, the
Australian water-holding frog
can survive long droughts in
true desert conditions.
WATER-HOLDING WAYS
LIFE 2In the underground chamber, the mois-
EXCEEDS ART ture level is higher and the surrounding
Frogs are often temperature cooler than outside. The
used in orna- frog also stores water in its bladder.
ments and
designs, like
this pretty, ANOTHER WRINKLE
water-holding, 3The outer layers of the
frog-shaped skin are shed to form a
flask, made cocoon, drastically reducing water
in China during loss. The frog emerges to feed and
the 16th century. breed only when the rains come.

The adult will live on dry land
in leaf litter or small burrows
California newt
ranges in length
from 5–8 in
(13–20 cm)

Powerful
back
leg
CALIFORNIA NEWT
This newt lays a clump of 12–24 eggs on underwater
Full plants in late winter to early spring. Young newts
webbing AN UNDERWATER LIFE leave the water in fall or early the following spring.
on foot The African clawed toad spends
most of its life in water, only
coming onto land to migrate to
nearby ponds or lakes (pp. 22–23).
The flat head and body, powerful back
legs, and fully webbed feet make this
toad an excellent swimmer.
Red,
feathery
gills WATER BABY
In some species of newts
Flat and salamanders, larvae
body never change into adults, but
remain in the water to become
sexually mature in the larval state. This
is known as “neoteny” (pp. 48–49).
Neoteny may be caused by something in the
Young albino environment – like low water temperature or a
(lacking color) low level of iodine in the water. The axolotl (left) is
African clawed toad Axolotl the best known example of a neotenic larva.
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