Ask a Herpetologist:Ask a Herpetologist:(Frequently Asked Questions)
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1. What is the difference between a frog and a toad?
Actually, there is no technical difference, since these are simply common names and not taxonomic categories. Not all species with the word “frog” in their name belong to the same group of amphibians, and the same is true for “toads.” For example, true frogs (Family Ranidae), and treefrogs, chorus frogs, and cricket frogs (Family Hylidae), are completely different groups, as are true toads (Family Bufonidae), spadefoot toads (Family Pelobatidae or Scaphiopodidae), and narrowmouth toads (Microhylidae). True frogs generally have smooth, slick skin, long legs, good jumping ability, and lay eggs in clusters. True toads have relatively rough, warty skin, chunky bodies with short hind legs, modest hopping ability, and lay eggs in long chains, clusters, or singly. Chorus frogs, cricket frogs, treefrogs, spadefoot toads, narrowmouth toads, and other groups of tailless amphibians exhibit different suites of characteristics that only partially conform with the characteristics of true frogs or true toads.
2. How do those large egg masses laid by some amphibians fit inside the body of the female?
Amphibian eggs are surrounded by a jellylike material that absorbs water from the environment and expands after being laid, so an egg mass you find in a pond may be much larger than the amphibian that laid it. The jelly provides a buffered environment and helps protect the eggs and embryos from predators and pathogens. For amphibians that lay eggs on land (none in Colorado), the jelly also helps prevent desiccation as the embryos develop.
3. Do amphibians have to be in water?We often associate amphibians with ponds, lakes, and other aquatic habitats, but many of them spend most of their lives on land and shun standing or flowing water as adults. In Colorado, only leopard frogs, cricket frogs, and non-native bullfrogs spend a lot of their time in the water as adults. The adult stages of tiger salamanders, spadefoot toads, true toads, canyon treefrogs, chorus frogs, wood frogs, and narrowmouth toads are primarily land-dwellers for most of the year, though they do require access to moisture and all of them do enter the water when breeding. The larval stages of all Coloradan amphibians are exclusively aquatic.
4. How do frogs and toads call?
To produce their breeding calls, frogs and toads close their nostrils and mouth and force air from their mouth cavity into their lungs. They also force air into their vocal sac(s), one or two of which open into the mouth cavity. The vocal sac inflates like a small balloon. Sound production occurs as the amphibian compresses its body wall and forces air from the lungs and across the vocal cords, causing them to vibrate. The inflated vocal sac acts as a resonator that helps transmit sound from the vibrating vocal cords into the surrounding air (or, in some cases, water).
5. What's the difference between a salamander and a lizard?
Salamanders and lizards have the same general shape to their bodies, but they are not closely related. A salamander is an amphibian, and a lizard is a reptile. Salamanders have moist skin and never have scales, and lizards have dry skin and always have scales
6. How do I tell the difference between a venomous snake and a harmless one?
In Colorado, the only venomous snakes are rattlesnakes
(including the massasauga). These have a broad triangular head, a narrow neck,
pupils that form a vertical slit in bright light (as in a cat), a small, deep,
infrared-sensitive pit on each side of the face between the snout and the eye,
and a rattle at the end of the tail. Rattlesnakes may rattle loudly when
approached, and often assume a defensive coiled posture, but sometimes they’re
silent and/or crawl away from a person. If the rattle has broken at the base,
the snake will have a blunt-tipped tail rather than a slender one that tapers to
a point. When molested or approached, some harmless snakes vibrate their tail
and produce sounds resembling those made by a rattlesnake. Bullsnakes (gopher
snakes) sometimes resemble rattlesnakes, especially when they spread their jaws
(giving the head a triangular shape), vibrate their tail, produce a rattling
hiss, and strike at people who get too close. If you study the snake photographs
in this website and cautiously observe suspicious snakes from a distance (for
example, through binoculars), you should be able to tell if it’s a rattlesnake
or not. If at all in doubt, assume it’s a rattlesnake and stay away.
7. What should I do if I am bitten by a snake?
Take a deep breath and don’t panic. First, it may be a harmless species, so try to determine if it is actually a rattlesnake. A rattlesnake bite will usually leave two well-defined puncture marks, and there will be immediate, lasting pain. Bites by harmless snakes often leave rows of small punctures or scratches, and the pain, if any, won’t be worse than any other small cut. If the snake is indeed a rattlesnake, stay calm and minimize exertion, but get to a hospital emergency room or other medical or police facility as soon as possible. Meanwhile, call 911 for medical assistance.
If bitten by a rattlesnake:
Do not apply a tight, constricting tourniquet.
Do not cut the bite area.
Do not ice the bite area.
Do not attempt to suck out the venom with your mouth.
Do not give alcohol to the bitten person.
8. I bought a turtle from a pet store and want to release it into a pond. Is that a good idea?
No, you should not release captives or non-native species into the wild. Released captives may not be able to survive (get food, find shelter, or escape from predators) if released into a new habitat. Of more serious concern, released non-native species may detrimentally affect native wildlife and ecosystems by preying on, competing with, or interbreeding with indigenous species, and native species that have been held in captivity may harbor parasites, pathogens, or diseases that could harm wild populations. It’s best not to buy or adopt amphibians or reptiles as pets unless you’re sure you can make a long-term commitment to caring for them.
However, if you have a pet and can no longer keep it, consider asking a reputable pet store if they can take it, or try contacting your local Humane Society, SPCA, or other animal-care organization to see if they can place it for adoption.
9. Do lizards shed their skins like snakes?
Snakes periodically shed their skin all at once, generally in one piece. The skin loosens around the mouth first, and the layer to be shed generally peels back and turns inside out as the snake crawls forward and rubs against objects in the habitat. Lizards shed in patches and can look very ragged for a few days. In both snakes and lizards, it is only the dead, superficial layer of the skin that is shed, not the whole skin. Shedding exposes the new, glossy outer layer of skin that develops shortly before the old worn layer is shed.
10. I hear that the tail of lizards can break off and regrow. Is that true?
Some lizards can lose their tail when a predator grabs them. The nerves and muscles in the tail continue to operate, and a detached tail wiggles for up to several minutes. The wiggling tail may distract the predator and give the lizard a chance to escape. It's not a free escape for the lizard, though, which has to expend resources to regrow the tail. Also, tail loss makes a lizard less efficient at running and keeping its balance. A regrown tail looks different than and is not quite as effective as the original. Never try to catch a lizard by the tail.
11. Can turtles come out of their shells?
Turtles and tortoises cannot crawl out of their shells because their spine and ribs are solidly fused to the bones that make up the shell.
12. I’ve heard that some amphibian populations are declining and some amphibians have deformities. Where can I find out more information about this?
There are many websites with the latest
information on amphibian declines and deformities. Check out
http://www.frogweb.gov/
for one example.
13. Are any amphibians and reptiles in Colorado threatened or endangered?
14. How can I send a question?
Ask the Colorado State Herpetologist: Tina Jackson
Sources:
Geoffrey A. Hammerson, Research Zoologist
Colorado Natural Heritage Program. 2003. Statewide Species and
Natural Community Tracking List [online]. Fort Collins, CO. Available at
http://www.cnhp.colostate.edu.
Center for
Global Environmental Education. 1999. Thousand Friends of Frogs
[online].
Hamline University Graduate School of Education, St. Paul, MN.
Available at http://cgee.hamline.edu/frogs/index.html.
National Biological Information Infrastructure. 2001. FrogWeb:
Amphibian Declines and Deformities [online]. Available at
http://www.frogweb.gov.
San Diego Natural History Museum. 1998. Herpetology: FAQs [online].
San Diego, CA. Available at
http://www.sdnhm.org/research/herpetology/.