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Knocking Sand Frog
The knocking sand frog (''Tomopterna krugerensis''), also known as sandveld pyxie or Kruger burrowing frog, is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, northern South Africa, and Eswatini. This species was discovered during the evening of 23 October 1973 in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Two weeks after heavy rain fell in the area, large numbers were found around the Machayi and Mathlakuza Pans in the northeastern part of the Park near the Mozambican frontier. Description Males measure and females in snout–vent length. It is a stout frog with short, broad head. The fore limbs are also short and stout, whereas the hind limbs are longer than body when extended. Fingers have no webbing whereas the toes have some webbing. The tympanum is present but can be indistinct. The dorsum is typically cream-beige, but may vary from very pale grey-brown to a mid-brown. There are many ir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough skin texture due to wart-like parotoid glands tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal and purely cosmetic, not from taxonomy (biology), taxonomy or evolutionary history. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforest and associated wetlands. They account for around 88% of extant amphibian species, and are one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is known from the Early Triassic of Madagascar (250Myr, million years ago), but molecular clock, molecular clock dating suggests their divergent evolution, divergence from other amphibians may exte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Tomopterna
''Tomopterna'' (common names: sand frogs, burrowing frogs, Old World bullfrogs) is a genus of frogs from sub-Saharan Africa. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Tomopterna'': * ''Tomopterna ahli'' (Deckert, 1938) * ''Tomopterna branchi'' Wilson and Channing, 2019 * ''Tomopterna cryptotis'' (Boulenger, 1907) — common sand frog * ''Tomopterna delalandii'' (Tschudi, 1838) — Delalande's sand frog * ''Tomopterna elegans'' (Calabresi, 1927) * ''Tomopterna gallmanni'' Wasonga & Channing, 2013Wasonga, D.V. & Channing, A. (2013). "Identification of sand frogs (Anura: Pyxicephalidae: ''Tomopterna'') from Kenya with the description of two new species." ''Zootaxa'' 3734 (2):221–240. * ''Tomopterna kachowskii'' Nikolskii, 1900Zimkus, B.M. & Larson, J.G. (2011). "Examination of the molecular relationships of sand frogs (Anura: Pyxicephalidae: ''Tomopterna'') and resurrection of two species from the Horn of Africa." ''Zootaxa'' 2933: 27-45. * ''Tomopterna krugerens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Amphibians Of Zimbabwe
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic membrane, such as modern reptiles, birds and mammals). All extant (living) amphibians belong to the monophyletic subclass Lissamphibia, with three living orders: Anura (frogs and toads), Urodela (salamanders), and Gymnophiona (caecilians). Evolved to be mostly semiaquatic, amphibians have adapted to inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living in freshwater, wetland or terrestrial ecosystems (such as riparian woodland, fossorial and even arboreal habitats). Their life cycle typically starts out as aquatic larvae with gills known as tadpoles, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this. Young amphibians generally undergo metamorphosis from an aquatic larval form with gills to an air-breathing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Amphibians Of South Africa
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic membrane, such as modern reptiles, birds and mammals). All extant taxon, extant (living) amphibians belong to the monophyletic subclass (biology), subclass Lissamphibia, with three living order (biology), orders: Anura (frogs and toads), Urodela (salamanders), and Gymnophiona (caecilians). Evolved to be mostly semiaquatic, amphibians have adapted to inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living in freshwater ecosystem, freshwater, wetland or terrestrial ecosystems (such as riparian woodland, fossorial and even arboreal habitats). Their biological life cycle, life cycle typically starts out as aquatic animal, aquatic larvae with gills known as tadpoles, but some species have devel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Amphibians Of Namibia
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic membrane, such as modern reptiles, birds and mammals). All extant (living) amphibians belong to the monophyletic subclass Lissamphibia, with three living orders: Anura (frogs and toads), Urodela (salamanders), and Gymnophiona (caecilians). Evolved to be mostly semiaquatic, amphibians have adapted to inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living in freshwater, wetland or terrestrial ecosystems (such as riparian woodland, fossorial and even arboreal habitats). Their life cycle typically starts out as aquatic larvae with gills known as tadpoles, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this. Young amphibians generally undergo metamorphosis from an aquatic larval form with gills to an air-breathing adu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Frogs Of Africa
The fauna of Africa are all the animals living in Africa and its surrounding seas and islands. The more characteristic African fauna are found in the Afro-tropical realm. Lying almost entirely within the tropics, and stretching equally north and south of the equator creates favorable conditions for variety and abundance of wildlife. Africa is home to many of the world's most recognizable fauna such as lions‚ rhinoceroses‚ cheetahs‚ giraffes‚ antelope, hippopotamuses, leopards, zebras‚ and elephants, among many others. Origins and history of African fauna Whereas the earliest traces of life in fossil record of Africa date back to the earliest times, the formation of African fauna as we know it today, began with the splitting up of the Gondwana supercontinent in the mid-Mesozoic era. After that, four to six faunal assemblages, the so-called African Faunal Strata (AFSs) can be distinguished. The isolation of Africa was broken intermittently by discontinuous "filter routes" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Vlei
A vlei (; ) is a shallow minor lake, mostly of a seasonal or intermittent lake, intermittent nature. It even might refer to seasonal ponds or marshy patches where frogs and similar marsh dwellers breed. Commonly, vleis vary in their extent, or even in the presence or absence of water, according to the fall of rain or dryness of the season."Compendium of South African history and geography", by George McCall Theal, Edition: 3 - 18779/ref> In terms of water salinity, vleis may be freshwater, Seawater, saltwater, or brackish. Over time a vlei may degrade into a Dry lake, salt pan or Dry lake, clay pan, such as Dead Vlei or Sossusvlei. Ecology Vleis of various types can be of considerable local ecological importance, harboring many Endemism, endemic and Animal migration, migratory species. Most vleis are too minor to be granted recognition in the form of a name. However, some major vleis are accorded names, for example Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Rondevlei and Zeekoevlei in the Cape ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Pyxicephalidae
The Pyxicephalidae are a Family (biology), family of frogs currently found in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in the Eocene, the taxon ''Thaumastosaurus'' lived in Europe. Classification The Pyxicephalidae contain two subfamilies, with a total of 12 genera. This family was formerly considered part of the family Ranidae. Family Pyxicephalidae * Subfamily ''Cacosterninae'' ** Genus ''Amietia'' (16 species) ** Genus ''Anhydrophryne'' (3 species) ** Genus ''Arthroleptella'' (10 species) – moss frogs ** Genus ''Cacosternum'' (16 species) ** Genus ''Microbatrachella'' (monotypic) – micro frog ** Genus ''Natalobatrachus'' (monotypic) ** Genus ''Nothophryne'' (5 species) – mongrel frogs ** Genus ''Poyntonia'' (monotypic) ** Genus ''Strongylopus'' (10 species) ** Genus ''Tomopterna'' (16 species) *Subfamily ''Pyxicephalinae'' ** Genus ''Aubria'' (2 species) – Masako fishing frog, brown ball frog ** Genus ''Pyxicephalus'' (4 species) – African bull frogs, pixie frog ** Genus †''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
