Page 73 - Amphibian
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FLASH COLORATION Markings MOTTLED Mottled skin PREDATOR An animal that
of bright color on an animal, revealed only Dappled; having hunts and kills other animals
when the animal moves. The sudden flash spots, streaks, or patches of for its food
of unexpected and vivid color distracts different colors
potential predators. SALAMANDER Any of the
MUCUS A slippery nocturnal amphibians of the order
FROGLET secretion created by Caudata. Salamanders are typically
A juvenile frog, mucous glands for lubrication and terrestrial, resemble lizards, and
resembling a protection against bacteria return to water only to breed.
small adult with Blue poison
a short tail. Newly MUDPUPPY Any of various dart frog SECRETION The organic process of
hatched tadpoles North American salamanders that making and releasing a substance. For
turn into fully live in mud under the water example, poison dart frogs secrete poison.
formed froglets in
about 12 to 16 weeks. NEOTENIC Refers to animals in which SHEDDING The casting off of skin
juvenile characteristics are retained in the
GILLS The respiratory organs adults of the species SIREN An eel-like aquatic North American
of aquatic animals that breathe salamander with small forelimbs and no
oxygen dissolved in water NEWT Any of various small, usually hind limbs. Sirens have external gills.
bright-colored semiaquatic salamanders of
HABITAT The place where a Froglets North America, Europe, and northern Asia SKELETON The hard framework in an
plant or animal species naturally lives animal’s body used to support tissues
and grows; also, the characteristics of the NICTITATING MEMBRANE A and protect organs
soil, water, and community that allow the transparent “extra” eyelid that an animal can
plant or animal to survive pull across its eye for additional protection SPAWN To produce or deposit eggs;
usually refers to an amphibian or fish
HIBERNATION A deep sleep that can NUPTIAL PADS Patches of roughened
last for months, used by some animals skin on the thumbs of male frogs and toads, SPERMATOPHORE A case or capsule
to reduce the amount of energy they use to help them hold onto a female while containing a male amphibian’s sperm
they are mating
HUMMOCKS A series of low mounds TADPOLE The larval form of a frog or
or ridges of earth OLM A European cave-dwelling aquatic toad. A tadpole has an all-in-one head and
salamander with permanent external gills body, a long tail, and no legs.
INCUBATION The process of
maintaining an embryo at the most PARADOXICAL FROG An unusal South TENTACLE Any of the flexible organs
favorable temperature for its development American frog species, in which the tadpole that exist on the head or near the mouth
grows larger than the adult frog, and the toes of many animals. Tentacles are used for
LARVA An animal in an early, immature each have an extra bone feeling, grasping, or moving.
state, markedly different from an adult
PAROTID GLAND A salivary gland. In TERRESTRIAL Refers to anything that
LATERAL LINE One of a series of poison frogs, the milky poisonous secretion lives or grows on land
sensory pores along the head and sides of oozes from the pores of the parotid gland.
some amphibians, by which water currents, TOXIC Poisonous. The toxic effects
vibrations, and pressure changes are detected PHEROMONE A chemical released by an of a substance depend on the dose.
amphibian or other animal which it uses to
LEAF LITTER Leaves that have fallen communicate with another individual of the TREE FROG Any of the frogs which
from trees, shrubs and other flora, which same species through the sense of smell spend most of their lives in trees, usally
remain on the woodland floor. Leaf litter having adhesive sucker disks at the toe tips.
is essential to the ecosystem since it allows PIGMENT Any of various substances Tree frogs are found in southeast Asia,
nutrients from the soil used by the tree to found in living cells that create coloring Australia, and America.
be recycled back into the soil as the leaves
eventually decay. PLAQUE In aquatic frogs, one of the VERTEBRATE A member
lateral-line sense organs located on the of the subphylum
LEKKING A behavior found in a variety head and along the sides of the body Vertebrata; an animal
of animals in which males gather and with a backbone
compete for mates POISON GLAND Webbing or spinal column.
Another name for the All amphibians are
MARSUPIAL Any animal, such as a parotid gland vertebrates, as are
kangaroo, that carries its young in a pouch. fish, reptiles, birds,
The South American marsupial frog carries POLYCHROMATIC and mammals.
its fertilized eggs in a pouch on its back. Describes something with
various or changing colors VOCAL SAC
METAMORPHOSIS A change of body A loose pouch
shape; for example, the change from a larval POLYMORPHISM The of skin used in
stage to a juvenile or adult form phenomenon of several frog calling
different forms of animal Common newt
MIMIC To act like something else; for existing within the same WEBBING The
example, to look and behave like another species, independent membrane connecting the
animal, for protection from predators of the sex of the animal fingers and toes of some aquatic animals
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