A Natural History of Amphibians

Evidence of facultative scavenging by Southern Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala) larvae

“…The consumption of carrion on behalf of R. sphenocephala larvae suggests that the larval diet of this taxon is broader than previously described, reaching beyond the confines of strict algivory (Tipton et al 2012;Dodd 2013). Anuran larvae, in general, are often characterized as microphagous, feeding on small organisms such as algae, bacteria, and protozoans (Stebbins and Cohen 1995). However, a growing body of literature demonstrates that anuran larvae from a diversity of families will consume carrion present in aquatic environments (Smith 2005;Street et al 2013;Alvarez et al 2021).…”

Saving a Giant Salamander

“…Because Hellbenders are fully aquatic and respire almost entirely through their skin (Guimond and Hutchison 1973), they easily can be affected by stream inputs from pesticides, herbicides, agriculture, and erosion. Additionally, Hellbenders are long-lived (30+ years) and pollutants likely accumulate and remain in their tissues for many years (Stebbins and Cohen 1995). In Unger's (2003) study, Hellbenders from Georgia and North Carolina occupied streams in national forests, whereas the Hellbender sites in Missouri are surrounded predominantly by land used for agriculture.…”

Daytime Amphibian Surveys in Three Protected Areas in the Western Great Lakes

“…Amphibian populations were chosen as a GlKn Vital sign for several reasons. many species of amphibians need both aquatic and terrestrial habitats for life cycle completion, and therefore provide a biological link between land and water and the stressors of each (stebbins andCohen 1995, semlitsch 2000). Concordantly, amphibians are important components of both forest and wetland ecosystems.…”

“…Concordantly, amphibians are important components of both forest and wetland ecosystems. Amphibians often occur at high density and therefore occupy an important position in food webs while potentially dominating energy transfer between terrestrial and aquatic habitats (stebbins and Cohen 1995, Welsh and Droege 2001, Gibbons et al 2006. Finally, amphibians are sensitive to a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic stressors (Alford and Richards 1999, boone et al 2007, Davidson and Knapp 2007, and the worldwide decline of amphibian species diversity and abundance is well-documented (Wake 1991, Green 1997, lannoo 2005.…”