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Despite the large number of species - about 2100, the general appearance and structure of tailless amphibians are of the same type: the neck is not expressed, the wide head imperceptibly passes into a short, slightly flattened body; adults have no tail; the hind limbs are 2-3 times longer than the front ones, have an additional section - the tarsus. This structure provides jumping movement. The hind limbs appear first in larvae. The frontal and parietal bones are fused. The ilium is elongated into a long process. The caudal vertebrae are fused into one long bone (urostyle). The tympanic cavity and the eardrum are present.
Copepod frog (Rhacophorus reinwardti). Photography - shop "Nature", St. Petersburg
Fertilization is external, eggs are laid in water (with the exception of certain species that are not found in our country). The clutch of eggs looks like a lump (frog, tree frog) or cords (toad, garlic); in toads, eggs are collected in small groups. Larvae are tadpoles that quickly transform (metamorphose) into the adult stage, leaving the reservoir.
The most primitive tailless (suborder Amphicoela) have biconcave (amphitic) fish-type vertebrae, have short ribs, and retain the rudiments of the tail muscles.
Representatives of the Opisthocoela suborder have opisthocoelous vertebrae (convex in front, concave in back), short ribs, and a small tongue. The mucus secreted by the cutaneous glands of toads contains the poisonous secretion of phrinolecin, which causes an acute burning sensation when it comes into contact with the oral mucosa. The combination of a poisonous secret with a warning coloration leads to the fact that predators usually do not touch toads.
Green Mantella (Mantella viridis)
Garlic insects, which are representatives of the suborder Anotnocoela, are common in Asia, Europe and North America. No ribs; vertebrae are often procelial (concave in front, convex in back). They lead a terrestrial twilight and nocturnal lifestyle, hiding in burrows during the day, which they dig in soft soil, under stones and in other shelters. Species of the suborder Procoela are characterized by procelial vertebrae and complete reduction of ribs.
Caucasian cross (Pelodytes caucasicus). Photo by Mücahit ÇAKMAK
Toads (Bufonidae) are distributed throughout the world, except for the circumpolar regions, and unites about 650 species. They feed mainly on flying insects; large individuals also grab small vertebrates: juveniles of fish, small frogs and tadpoles, young snakes and even chicks of near-water birds and small mouse-like rodents. About 400 species of copepod frogs (Rhacophoridae) are common in the tropics of Asia and Africa. Most are arboreal. In species of the genus copepod frogs - Rhacophorus, membranes are well developed between the fingers of the front and hind limbs. Jumping from branch to branch, this frog spreads its fingers as much as possible, flattens its body and plans; sometimes jumps up to 10-12 m long were noted.
Red-backed false toad (Pseudophryne coriacea)
The order Tailless amphibians is divided into 5 suborders, uniting 10 families. At present, about 2000 species in 256 genera are known. The division into suborders (Amphicoela, Opisthocoela, Anomocoela, Procoela, Diplasiocoela) is based on the peculiarities of the articulation of the vertebrae in the trunk.
Taxonomy of the order Tailless amphibians (Anura):
Family: Brachycephalidae Günther = Short-headed, short-headed
Family: Bufonidae Gray, 1825 = (Real) toads
Family: Centrolenidae Taylor = Glass frogs
Family: Dendrobatidae Cobollops, 1865 = Birch
tongues
family: Heleophrynidae Noble = frog ghost
family: Hemisidae Cope = frog-pigs
family: Hylidae Gray, 1825 = tree frogs, tree frogs
family: Hyperoliidae Laurent = jumper
Occupation: Acanthixalus Laurent = prickly drevesnitsy
View: Acanthixalus spinosus = African prickly drevesnitsa
Rod: Afrixalus Laurent = Bananas
Genus: Callixalus Laurent = Colored Jumpers
Family: Leiopelmatidae Mivart, 1869 = Smooth Legged
Family: Leptodactylidae Werner, 1896 = Whistlers
Genus: Ceratophrys Wied-Neuwied, 1824 = Slingshots, Horned Frogs, Ethan orn
Species: Ceataratoph [slingshot]
family: Microhylidae Günther = microhylidae, mikrokvakshi
family: myobatrachidae Schlegel, 1850 = myobatrachidae
Occupation: Rheobatrachus Liem, 1973 = caring frog gastric-brooding frog
View: Rheobatrachus silus Liem, 1973 = Conky gastric-brooding frog, caring frog
family: Pelobatidae Bonaparte, 1850 = Garlids
Family: Pelodytidae Bonaparte = Crosses
Family: Pipidae Gray, 1825 = Pipes
Family: Pseudidae Fitzinger = Psevdisy
Family: Ranidae Gray, 1825 = (Real) of the frog
family: Rhacophoridae Hoffman, 1932 = rhacophoridae
family: Rhinodermatidae Duméril et Bibron, 1841 = rhinodermatidae
family: Mantellidae Boulenger = Mantella
Genus: Mantella = Mantella
View: Mantella bernhardi = Bernhard's Mantella
Kind: Mantella betsileo = Bronze Mantella
Kind: Mantella laevigata = Arboreal Mantella
Kind: Mantella crocea = Yellow Mantella
Kind: Mantella viridis = Green Mantella
Kind: Mantella aurantiaca = Golden Mantella
Kind: Mantella pulchra =
Mantella bar = Mantella variegated
Species: Mantella expectata = Mantella blue-footed
View: Mantella haraldmeieri = Mantell Haroldmeira
Family: Bombinatoridae Gray, 1825 = Bombinovye
Genus: Bombina Oken = Bombina
View: Bombina maxima = Bombina large
type: Bombina orientalis = Bombina Far
View: Bombina variegata = Bombina zheltobryuhaya
View: Bombina bombina = Bombina krasnobryuhaya
family: Rhinophrynidae Günther = Nosed toads
Family: Sooglossidae Noble, 1931 = Seychelles frogs
Literature:
1. Keys to amphibians and reptiles of the fauna of the USSR. Textbook. manual for students of biol. specialties ped. in-tov. M., "Education", 1977.415 p. with ill.; 16 l. silt
2. N.P. Naumov, N.N. Kartashev. Zoology of vertebrates. Inferior chordates, jawless, fish, amphibians. Moscow "High School", 1979
