Posts Tagged With: amphibians

There’s a Tiger in the Woods!

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

There’s a Tiger in the Woods!

Did you ever wonder how Lake Salamander got its name? Well it was named after one of its most famous inhabitants! Tiger salamanders live all over the area. Because of their beauty and abundance, it was decided that the lake would be named Lake Salamander!

tiger salamander3

Let’s meet these cute little critters!

Tiger Salamander Fun Facts:

  • Tiger salamanders are found in the middle of North America; from Canada to Mexico.
  • They can grow up to 14″ long (most are around 8″) and weigh up to 4 oz (about the weight of a deck of cards).
  • Tiger salamanders are carnivores! They eat frogs, insects and worms.
  • They are listed as least concern by the IUCN.
  • Tiger salamanders get their name from the stripes on their bodies that resemble the stripes of a tiger.
  • Not all tiger salamanders have stripes though. Some have spots or no markings at all.

tiger salamander

  • They live in deep burrows. Most never leave the burrows except to mate or feed.
  • Tiger salamanders are nocturnal.
  • They lay their eggs in water and in the area where they were born. Sometimes they must travel to reach their birthplace.
  • They are related to the axololt! Their larval stage (not full adult) looks like the axololt- with outside gills.
  • Tiger salamanders can live up to 16 years in the wild.
  • They can regenerate their limbs if lost.

tiger salamander2

 

Tiger salamanders are amazing creatures. Some never reach full adult stage and live their whole lives as larva! Amphibians are so awesome! We’ll be sure to have a class on amphibian live phases at the University in the fall- there is so much to learn! Woohoo!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SAVE THE FROGS DAY!

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

SAVE THE FROGS DAY!

The pond behind us is full of bullfrog tadpoles! YAY!!

The pond behind us is full of bullfrog tadpoles! YAY!!

Today is Save the Frogs Day! One-third of all amphibians are in danger of becoming extinct! So we thought we’d share 7 reasons why frogs are so awesome and therefore in need of protection!

IMG_1326

IMG_1332

IMG_1331

IMG_1329

IMG_1330(1)

IMG_1328

IMG_1327(1)

Now if those aren’t reasons enough to want to protect our frog friends! We don’t know what will convince you!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, frogs, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FUN WITH FROGS- GLASS FROG!

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

FUN WITH FROGS- GLASS FROGS!

We’re meeting our last frog today- Seymour the Glass Frog!  Make sure to play I Spy with us tomorrow on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter! We’ll give you a hint- it’s a frog!

IMG_1157

  • I get my name because the skin on my belly is translucent (see through).
  • You can see a glass frog’s organs through their skin! You can even see my beating heart!
  • Like many of my other frog friends, I am nocturnal.
  • We glass frogs are arboreal and like to call humid rainforests our home. You can find me and many of my cousins in Central and South America.
  • We glass frogs have a claim to fame- one of our species looks like the famous Kermit the frog! It is a honor to represent such a celebrity in the wild!
  • We glass frogs are not very big! We range from 1 inch to 3 inches long!
  • Male glass frogs are territorial. We like our own space.
  • Our big eyes face forward and not to the side like tree frogs!

glass frogglass frog2

 

 

 

 

 

We sure do love glass frogs! Who knew their were species in the world who like to show off their insides? It’s their cute faces that get us the most though!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, frogs, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FUN WITH FROGS- GOLDEN POISON DART FROGS!

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

FUN WITH FROGS- GOLDEN POISON DART FROGS!

Today we’re meeting Goldie the Golden Poison Dart Frog!

IMG_1155

  • I live in a small area of rainforest in South America.
  • I am considered to be the most toxic frog on the planet!
  • Just one frog has enough toxins to kill 10 grown human men.
  • The native people in my rainforest have used my toxin for centuries as poison for their darts! That’s how we poison dart frogs got our name!
  • Due to habitat destruction, I am an endangered species.
  • My bright coloration is called warning coloration. It is an adaptation to ward off predators.
  • Scientists have developed a compound similar to my toxin that is a painkiller used for humans!

golden poison dart frog

Goldie sure is a cool little frog. These small amphibians are brilliant to see, but from a distance! Haha!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, frogs, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FUN WITH FROGS- SPRING PEEPERS!

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

FUN WITH FROGS-SPRING PEEPERS!

FullSizeRender(15)

April is frog month! Woohoo! This week we’re meeting three frogs and then we’re rounding out the week with a great Earth Day celebration!

Today we’re meeting Penny the Peeper!

FullSizeRender(42)

  • My calls usher in spring across the Eastern United States.
  • I am a member of a group of frogs known as chorus frogs.
  • I have pads on my toes that help me grip to surfaces.
  • Those pads help make me an excellent climber!
  • Like all frogs, I am a carnivore.
  • I like to winter in Florida, hahaha! Just kidding, I hide under piles of leaves and logs.
  • In the winter, I allow my body to freeze! Yep, bet you can’t do that!
  • I have a lovely X shaped pattern on my back.
  • You can hear our lovely chorus here!

I am one shy frog and you won’t see me out during the day! But if you’re sitting outside listen for us and our lovely songs of spring!

spring peeper

 

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, frogs, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

AMPHIBIAN DAY AT CAMP!

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Ellie and Edmond ©

AMPHIBIAN DAY AT CAMP!!

FullSizeRender(13)

We’re off in search of salamanders and newts around Lake Salamander today at camp! Grab your canoe and let’s go exploring campers! We’re hoping to spot the Rough Skinned Newt!

E & E lake

Fun Facts:

  • The Rough Skinned Newt is an amphibian. Other amphibians also include frogs, toads and salamanders.
  • Rough skinned newts have rough, bumpy skin as implied by their name.

rough skinned newt

  • They are extremely toxic. They produce a strong toxin that can cause death if eaten. It can also be absorbed through the skin if you have an open cut or wound.                                          IMG_3331
  • They are brownish-black in color with yellow to orange bellies.
  • Rough skinned newts are nocturnal.
  • They can live as long as 12 years!
  • The common garter snake is the rough skinned newt’s only predator. The snakes have developed immunity to their toxin.

rough skinned newt2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow! Who knew a cute little newt could be so poisonous? Well we think they are pretty awesome! We think this animal is best seen and not eaten!

IMG_3333

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: True

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SAVE THE FROGS DAY!

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Ellie and Edmond ©

SAVE THE FROGS DAY!

We’re celebrating frogs today! We usually would share some fun frog facts with you, but we learned of this excellent frog the other day and decided to feature it on Save The Frogs Day! Come meet the frog that is often called the Jaba the Hut of frogs! Hahaha!

WAXY MONKEY FROG!

waxy monkey tree frog3

Range/Habitat: South America/dry scrub forests

Juxtaposer Image(3)

 

 

 

 

 Diet: Insectivore: insects

Length:  2-3 inches

 Conservation Status: least concern

waxy monkey tree frog2

Fun Facts:

  • Females are larger than males.
  • They are also called the painted monkey frog or grasping frog.IMG_0782
  • Waxy monkey frogs hunt at night and bask in the sun during the day.
  • Waxy monkey frogs walk rather than jump in the trees where they live.
  • They get their name from the waxy coating on their skin that help keeps them from drying out.
  • Waxy tree frogs make a nest for their eggs with a leaf that they fold over.

waxy monkey tree frog

 

 

 

 

 

We love these amazing an odd looking frogs! They are a great species to help us Save The Frogs Day! Amphibians have been on the earth for millions of years and many ecosystems would not survive without them! Our frog friends are very important! GOOOOO FROGS!!! Can you answer Ellie’s trivia question? (answer below)

IMG_0783

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: True

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

SCIENCE WORD OF THE WEEK!

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Ellie and Edmond ©

SCIENCE WORD OF THE WEEK!

swow herpetology

Happy Monday and welcome to the University today! We hope you are having a great day! I’m excited to share this week’s word with you! We’re learning another field of study word! Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Today’s word is Herpetology: herpetology is the branch of biology that studies amphibians and reptiles. A herpetologists can study all of these or just amphibians or just reptiles. There area around 6,500 species of amphibians on earth and 9,500 species of reptiles! That makes for a huge amount of animals that can be studied! If you were a herpetologist what animal would you study?

turtletortoise

toad

snakesalamander

frog

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, reptiles, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

SALAMANDER, SALAMANDER…

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Ellie and Edmond ©

SALAMANDER, SALAMANDER…

We just love amphibians! Frogs, salamanders, newts… we could talk about these funny little creatures all day long! Today we wanted to introduce you a salamander that is very toxic! We just looked from a bit of distance!

e & e wetlands

MEET THE FIRE SALAMANDER!

fire salamander

Range/Habitat: Europe/forests, woodlands, mountains

Diet:  Carnivore: slugs, insects, worms

Length: 7-11”

Conservation Status: Common

fire salamander2

 

Fun Facts:

  • Fire Salamanders have warning coloration. Their bright yellow or orange spots warn predators that they are poisonous.
  • They have poisonous glands behind the eyes and on other parts of their body. They secret toxins when threatened.
  • They are amphibians. They live part of their lives in water and part of it on land.
  • Fire salamanders often hide under moss, leaves, limbs and stones.
  • They are nocturnal (active at night).
  • Fire salamanders spend the winter underground.
  • They are known to have long life spans, up to 55 years old! Hello, grandpa salamander!

fire salamander3

Fire salamanders are a great little amphibian! They sure are pretty with their shiny black bodies and bright yellow spots! Like other amphibians, salamanders can indicate if their habitat is healthy. They need very specific, non polluted habitats to survive. Scientists often count amphibian populations to see if a habitat is doing ok! Cool!

 

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CREEPY ANIMALS WEEK- DAY 4!!

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Ellie and Edmond ©

CREEPY ANIMALS WEEK- DAY 4!

e & e wetlands

Who’s excited to meet another creepy animal? We think this amphibian is kind of cute with their warty skin! But watch out, these toads are quiet toxic just like their rough skinned newt friends!

THE MARINE TOAD!

 

Range/Habitat: Central-South America/ wetlands, rivers, lakes

Diet: Carnivore: ants, beetles, invertebrates

Length: 4-6”

Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

  • Marine toads are also known as cane toads.
  • Marine toads are world’s largest toads.
  • They have a tough warty skin.
  • Marine toads are nocturnal (active at night).
  • They are very hardy and can survive in many different habitats.
  • Marine toads have large glands that secret a very toxic poison.

Marine toads are big bad dudes! They will eat almost anything too! We do think it’s best if we just let them hang out by themselves, you know with their toxic skin and all!

 

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blog at WordPress.com.

%d bloggers like this: