Amphibians

Cape Platanna 
Xenopus gilli

The species can be found only in the southwestern Cape Province in South Africa. The frog'shabitat includes fynbos, which are stained, piquant seepages and in the ponds in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.

The Cape Platanna has smooth skin, strong webbed hind feet and a pointed head. One unusual thing about the Cape Platanna is that it does not have a tongue. This frog measures around 2.3 inches (5.8cm). It is usually dark colored.

The adults eat insects during the summer, but prefer tadpoles and small frogs during the rest of the year.

Breeding begins in July.

The Cape Platanna was discovered in 1927. It is very picky with its habitats and that factor contributes on its decline. Other factors of its decline include: change of vegetation, change of water quality and its interbreeding with a larger, related species called the Common Platanna Xenopus laevis. The Xenopus takes over the Cape Platanna's habitat and also feeds on its tadpoles. Its surviving individuals are being protected and some 300 are in reserve parks. 

Chinese Giant Salamander 
Andrias davidianus

Andrias davidianus

The Chinise Giant Salamander can be found in the north, central, south and southwest China. Itshabitats are those of mountain streams at elevations below 3281 feet (1000m) with plentiful vegetation and shallow water surrounded with caves and pools.

The Chinise Giant Salamander is a Giant; it measures 3.3 feet (1m) and is one of the world's largest salamander. It has a broad head and mouth. It is usually dark colored with light colors underneath and black patches on its upper side. Its four limbs are short and its tail accounts for more than half of its measure. It has a smooth and thick skin.

This salamander eats crabs, shrimps, aquatic insects, fish and frogs. It hunts at night.

Breeding occurs from August to September.

One of the factors of the salamander's decline is the capitalization on medicine and food. This salamander is also being hunted for food, even though it is a protected animal. The numbers in the wild has decreased. Loss of habitats and the pollution of water are also factors of its decline. The protection of this species needs to be more effective and strict to prevent its extinction. 

Desert Slender Salamander 
Batrachoseps aridus

This salamander has two populations, one in the Hidden Palms Canyon and the other in the Guadalupe Canyon. The habitat of this salamander is that of a desert canyon and limestone strata.

The desert slender salamander is a small amphibian; it measures about 4 inches 10.16cm) from its snout to the tip of its tail. It is usually dark brown with spots of gray and gold on the surface and reddish brown underparts. This salamander has four toes on each foot. This salamander is mostly nocturnal.

This amphibian eats ants, small insects and flies.

Breeding occurs from November to January.

This salamander was discovered in 1970. The only major peril of this species is its finite distribution. The existing habitats and populations are being protected and stabilized. 

Houston Toad
Bufo houstonensis

The Houston toad's habitat includes ponds, flooded fields, lakes, roadside ditches and pastures. The Houston toad is currently numerous in the Bastrop County in Texas where there are 1500 individuals.

The Houston toad is brown with black spots covered with warts. The females are larger than the males; the females measuring from 2.1 inches (5.3cm) to 3.1 inches (7.9cm), and the males from 1.8 inches (4.6cm) to 2.7 (6.9cm) inches with the males.

The diet of the adults differs from those of the tadpoles. The adults eat insects such as ants and beetles while tadpoles feed on ants and pine pollen.

Breeding occurs in late January when the temperature is around 57°F (14°C).

The Houston toad was discovered in the late 1940s and was thought to be extinct because of severe droughts in Texas in the 1950s. It was found again in Bastrop State Park in 1965. There are many reasons for the decline of its population: droughts, clearing of its habitats, use ofpesticides, and weather changes. The existing populations are being protected and there is a search for other suitable habitats. 

Japanese Giant Salamander 
Andrias japonicus

The Japanese Giant Salamander can be found in the islands of Kyushu, Honshu, and Shikoku in Japan. This salamander lives on the rivers in the mountainous areas.

The Japanese Giant Salamander, though not as immense as the Chinise Giant Salamander, is one of the largest, measuring almost 5 feet (1.5 m). The Japanese Giant Salamander is usually dark colored with black patches. Its body is flat, its head broad, its legs short and its eyes small. Its skin looks fringed. It is an aquatic and nocturnal amphibian.

This amphibian eats frogs, crustaceans and fishes.

Breeding begins in late August or early September. The breeding takes place in a cave under the surface of the water.

The Japanese Giant Salamander was legally protected since 1952. The loss of its habitat is one of the threats the Japanese Giant Salamander is facing. The captive breeding and the establishment of artificial nests to selected rivers have been effective. 

Mallorcan Midwife Toad 
Alytes (baleaphryne) muletensis

The Mallorcan midwife toad can be found only in the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca, Spain. The estimated number of the Mallorcan midwife toad is 50 breeding pairs.

Also called the ferreret, the Mallorcan midwife toad is white in color with olive patterns. The toad has large eyes and more slender than its related species.

The Mallorcan midwife toad eats insects and other invertebrates.

The Mallorcan midwife toad is unusual in that instead of the female, the male carries the eggs. After carrying the eggs on its hind legs for a while, the male then places the eggs in favorable water in the end of July.

The Mallorcan midwife toad, originally named Baleaphryne muletensis, was widely scattered in Mallorca until 2000 years ago; this was deduced from fossils of the Pleistocene age. The decline of the species is caused by loss of habitat, predators, and loss of vegetation. The species is being protected and other toads are being bred in hope of increasing the population. 

Santa Cruz Long-Toed Salamander 
Amnystoma macrodactylum croceum

The requirements for the salamander's habitat are: a pond with aquatic plant life and with abundant vegetation. The salamander can be found in the Monterey and Santa Cruz counties in California where it has several different populations.

This subspecies has a thick body and measures about 3 inches (7.6cm). It possesses a broad head and a blunt snout. It is usually dark colored with light spots. As its name suggests, the toes of this salamander are long and slim.

The amphibian feeds on insect larvae, eggs, vegetation, and insects.

The salamanders arrive at their breeding sites in November and breeds during January and February.

The salamander was discovered in 1954 and its decline is caused mainly by the loss of its habitat. Artificial ponds have been constructed to preserve the surviving populations. Unless the habitats of these amphibians are protected, these salamanders may not survive for very long. 

Southern Gastric Brooding Frog 
Rheoba trachus silus

The amphibian can be found only in southeastern Queensland, Australia. There are no known living populations, even though some are found in rain forests streams.

The color of the Southern gastric brooding frog varies from greenish brown to black, with a yellow undersurface. It is a small amphibian, measuring 2 inches (5cm).

The Southern Gastric Brooding Frog, also known as the platypus frog, eats insects.

The female can breed after two years. A very interesting fact about the reproduction of gastric brooding frog is that the female's stomach changes into a uterus and later ejects froglets through her mouth.

When the gastric brooding frog was discovered in 1973, it was abundant. The decline began in 1979. There has been no reports in the wild since 1981. The reasons for the species' sudden decline are unknown. 

Texas Blind Salamander 
Typhlomolge rathbuni

The Texas Blind Salamander can be found in the San Marcos Pool of the Edwards Aquifer in Hays County, Texas. This salamander favors good water quality and water temperature under 70°F (21.1°C).

The Texas Blind Salamander is fascinating in that one can see its inner organs because of its whitish-transparent skin. This salamander is aquatic and lives in caves. Its external gills are red and its body is small and slender. It has a large head, slender legs and a long tail.

This amphibian eats invertebrates such as shrimps, amphipods, and smails.

Breeding occurs throughout the year.

The Texas Blind Salamander was discovered in 1896. Its decline began in the 1960s due to overcollecting and the diminishing of water quality. Efforts are being made to prevent thepollution of water in the Edward's Aquifer. 

Wyoming Toad
Bufo hemiophrys baxteri

The Wyoming toad can be found only in a lake and at the wet meadows in Laramie, Wyoming.

The color of the Wyoming toad can vary. The color of the toad can either be gray, green or brown with dark splotches. It has a spotted belly and an upper body with warts. The Wyoming toad is small, measuring about 2.2 inches (5.6cm).

The breeding starts in May until June. The favorable places of breeding are those with shallow water and abundant vegetation.

The Wyoming toad eats other invertebrates such as ants and beetles.

The Wyoming toad was discovered in 1946. Its population started to decline in the 1970s. The current estimate of the population of the Wyoming toad is 100 adults. The reasons for the decline are ambiguous. Some of the reasons suggested for the decline are the following: the use of pesticides, increase of predators, change of water quality, erratic weather changes and diseases. The existing population and its habitat is being protected. There is a search for other populations and favorable habitats.