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Archive for the ‘Amphibians’ Category

Frogs

28 May

red-eyeThere are nearly 4,000 types of frogs, including toads, which are in the frog family, in almost every part of the world. The only place that there are no frogs and have never been any types of frogs is Antarctica because it is too cold all year long. There are about 80 types of frogs in the United States. Most of the different types of frogs can be found in the tropics because it is a warm and wet environment.There are nearly 4,000 types of frogs, including toads, which are in the frog family, in almost every part of the world.

Bright colored frog are poisonous

blue-darthere different types of frogs can be told apart in many different ways. The biggest difference is between frogs and toads in North America. Frogs are skinnier than toads and their skin is smooth and looks slimy. Toads have wider bodies and their skin is drier and rough and warty. In some tropical places the toads look very much like frogs, though, so you can’t always tell them apart this way.

Frogs aren’t all green. Some types of frogs are yellow, brown, orange, red, black, or a combination of these colors. Some frogs even change colors. The patterns on each type of frog are different, too. Some frogs have no patterns at all and are just a solid color and otthers have very cool markings on them.

The different frog types can sometimes be told apart by the calls that they make. No, they won’t call you on the phone if you give them your number, but they do call out for different reasons, and each type of frog has a different type of call. Only male frogs make calls, females do not. Some frogs have a croak that you are used to hearing about, but some types of frogs bark like a dog and some chirp like a bird. Some types of frogs whistle and some groan. There are lots of different sounds that frogs make when they call, but only a few reasons that they will call out.

yellow-bandedMale frogs will call out to the female frogs to let them know that they are ready to mate and so the female frogs can find them. Frogs will call out to other frogs to let them know that the area they are sitting in belongs to them and to keep other frogs away. Frogs will also call out to warn away other animals, especially the ones that will eat them.

Different types of frogs will have different skeletons and different teeth formations. These things help to give the frogs their different shapes and looks. Some frogs have different skeletons and teeth but look very similar on the outside so they are hard to tell apart, and unless you are a frogologist (which is actually called a herpetologist) you probably won’t get close enough to study the teeth or bones of a frog.

 
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Posted in Amphibians, Frog

 

Crocodile

28 Aug

alligator-vs-crocodile-1

Crocodiles And Alligators

The difference between alligators and crocodiles are :

Crocodiles and alligators are quite different. Alligators have a very broad, wide snout, and crocodiles have a narrower snout and jaw. Also crocodiles often have a lower tooth that juts out noticeably, while an alligator’s fourth tooth is hidden.

Where do they live?

Crocodiles are a cold-blooded species, and require an average temperature of approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit to survive. This being the case, they are found on warmer continents that have swampy or humid conditions for at least part of the season.

The American alligator lives almost exclusively in the lower southeast regions of North America, from the Carolinas to Texas. The caiman, a smaller species of crocodiles, populate a large section of southern Mexico, Central and South America. The Chinese alligator lives in the lower Yangtze valley in China. The American crocodile is scattered throughout the Everglades and Florida Keys, and in Mexico and Central America. The African Nile crocodile is one of the most notorious, often growing as large as 16 to 20 feet in length. Southeast Asia has the Indo-Pacific crocodile, which lives in Indonesia, to the Philippines, and Australia.

What and How Do They Eat

Crocodiles are pure carnivores and ambush their prey by stealth. They swim either under water or skim quietly along the top of the water until they are within striking range, when they then explode upon the prey, grabbing it in their massive jaws and dragging it under water to drown. What they eat depends upon the species and where they are located. A crocodiles diet can consist of fish, turtles, rodents, birds, both small and large mammals, other reptiles and insects or young or immature crocodiles or alligators. Also, many species can exist on one large meal for over six months to a year. They store their food energy in fat cells, and draw from these in-between meals. Crocodiles will often “roll” with large prey to rip off chunks of flesh, before swallowing.

Appearance and Traits

All crocodiles have webbed feet, which are a defined mark to their life in water. They also have very tough, or armored skin, which is actually an overlapped set of scales. These scales help to protect the salt-water crocodiles and alligators from the harsh salinity of the sea. The eyes and nostrils are set up high on the head and snout to allow it to keep its main body submerged while still being able to breathe and view their surroundings with ease. Crocodiles have a vertical pupil that allows them to hunt effectively at night.

Crocodiles have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Their jaws are enormously powerful, but only on the downward bite, which give the croc that infamous “snap,” like a spring-loaded hinge. Their teeth continue to grow their entire life. If they lose or break one off, another will soon grow to replace it. They also “shed” their teeth periodically, whether or not there’s been damage.

Their broad, heavily muscled tail assists them in swimming smoothly and quickly. Even though they have short legs, they can move surprisingly fast on dry land. Alligators and crocodiles can live up to fifty years of age on average.

Like snakes, crocodiles lay eggs. Some species build nests of debris and earth, while others excavate holes for their offspring. All species lay their eggs on land, near water but well above the water line. The eggs hatch anywhere from two to three months after being layed. Although the mother may lay as may as fifty eggs, few of the baby crocodiles will survive to adult hood. They are prey for many other animals, from birds to fish.

Crocodile Death Roll

When crocodiles catch their meal or in a fight on land or in water. They roll them selves and helps them to kill the prey or enemy. Go to http://www.youtube.com and type untamed and uncut-crocodile death roll.

 
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Posted in Amphibians, Crocodile