Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Thus amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this.
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. The oldest fossil "proto-frog" Triadobatrachus is known from the Early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their split from other amphibians may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforest. Frogs account for around 88% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.
A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in adult amphibians such as a lateral line, gills and swimming tails. As they undergo metamorphosis, they start to develop functional lungs for breathing air, and the diet of tadpoles changes drastically.
The purple frog, Indian purple frog, or pignose frog is a frog species of the genus Nasikabatrachus. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in India. Although the adult frog was formally described in October 2003, the juvenile form of the species was described earlier in 1917.
Pseudis is a genus of South American frogs in the family Hylidae. They are often common and frequently heard, but easily overlooked because of their camouflage and lifestyle, living in lakes, ponds, marshes and similar waters with extensive aquatic vegetation, often sitting at the surface among plants or on floating plants, but rapidly diving if disturbed. Whereas the adults are medium-sized frogs, their tadpoles are large; in some species the world's longest.
Alsodes is a genus of alsodid frogs found in Chile and Argentina. It is the most species-rich frog genus in Patagonia. Common name spiny-chest frogs has been coined for them.
Eupsophus is a genus of frogs in the family Alsodidae. They are sometimes known as ground frogs. The genus is endemic to Patagonia. Eupsophus is the second most species-rich frog genera of Patagonia. These frogs are restricted to forested areas at southern latitudes.
The common parsley frog is a species of frog in the genus Pelodytes. It lives in the Iberian region in south-western Europe.
The Italian agile frog, also known as Lataste's frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. The species is native to southern Europe, primarily found in the Po River Basin of Italy. It is one of the most endangered amphibian species in Europe, with its populations declining sharply in recent years, and has been the focus of multiple conservation plans.
Scutiger boulengeri is a species of toad in the family Megophryidae. It is found in Nepal, India (Sikkim) and western China. A healthy population has been found at an elevation of 5,270 m (17,290 ft) in one of the lakes in the Gurudongmar Lake complex in Sikkimese Himalaya. This is one of the highest elevations where amphibians have ever been recorded.
Phytotriades is a genus of tree frogs in the family Hylidae. As currently delimited, the genus is monotypic and contains Phytotriades auratus, commonly known as the golden tree frog, bromeliad-dwelling treefrog, El Tucuche golden tree frog, or Trinidad heart-tongued frog.
Acanthixalus spinosus, commonly known as the African wart frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae, the sedge and bush frogs. It is native to Africa, where it can be found from south-eastern Nigeria to Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Alsodes hugoi is a species of frogs in the family Alsodidae. It is endemic to Chile and only known from its type locality, Río Lircay, in Alto de Vilches, Talca Province, on the western slopes of the Andes. The specific name hugoi honors Professor Hugo Campos Cereceda, for his "remarkable contributions to the development of the natural sciences in Chile".
Alsodes igneus is a species of frogs in the family Alsodidae endemic to Chile; it is only known from its type locality, Tolhuaca National Park, Malleco Province, on the western slopes of the Andes. The specific name igneus, meaning "something that is of fire", was chosen to symbolize the survival of the population from a great forest fire that affected the type locality in 2000.
Chaltenobatrachus is a monotypic genus of frogs in the family Batrachylidae. The sole species, Chaltenobatrachus grandisonae, used to be included Atelognathus, which is considered the sister taxon of Chaltenobatrachus.
Eupsophus calcaratus is a species of frog in the family Alsodidae. It is endemic to Patagonia. It has one of the broadest distributions of any Chilean frog.
Nanorana minica is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in northern India and in western and eastern Nepal. It is a fairly common species found in subtropical montane forest and streams. It is threatened by habitat loss through the localized clearance of forest. Tadpoles of this N.minica has been reported to overwinter in the streams. Stream flow management and subsequent habitat modification by check dams is one of the threats the species is facing and check dams have been found to influence the overwintering tadpoles' behavior, habitat use patterns and morphometric traits.
Calyptocephalella is a genus of frogs in the family Calyptocephalellidae. It is represented by a single living species, Calyptocephalella gayi, commonly known as the helmeted water toad, Chilean helmeted bull frog or wide-mouth toad. Additionally, there are a few extinct species that only are known from Late Cretaceous and Paleogene fossil remains from Patagonia in South America and in the Antarctic Peninsula. The helmeted water toad living today is aquatic to semi-aquatic, and found in deep ponds and reservoirs in central Chile and possibly adjacent west-central Argentina.
Pelobates syriacus, the eastern spadefoot or Syrian spadefoot, is a species of toad in the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from Eastern Europe to Western Asia.
The Alsodidae are a small family of frogs from South America between Patagonia and southern Brazil. It contains 30 species in three genera. This family, along with several other families, used to be included in the family Leptodactylidae. It was then a subfamily in the family Cycloramphidae, before being recognized as a family first in 2011.
