Creature Feature #389: Knocking Sand Frog

I was going to draw a Koi, then realised I had more-or-less covered them with "Carp". So here, instead, is my amphibian for K.

The Knocking Sand Frog of Africa, was first discovered in 1973. Following a period of heavy rainfall, large numbers appear in the Kruger National Park. He is named for his distinctive call, which one must conclude from his name, sounds rather like someone knocking. He favours sandy soils, and inhabits disturbed areas. He breeds in temporary waterbodies, presumerably after the floods. Information seems to be pretty skint, mostly the same wikipedia article (which doesn't indicate if his discovery is linked to the heavy rainfall mentioned above), but I shall delve further into detail tomorrow, if possible.

I have started designing trading cards with these creatures, and have the vaguest idea for a game, but no real concept of the game plan as of yet. It is tremendously fun to create them though!

Here's my favourite so far, the kingfisher:

The yellow logos indicate his diet - fish and insects, with the green one indicating his "type" (small bird).
I suppose I should add amphibians to that diet chart, and reptiles... Hrm, some of the omnivores will likely fit anywhere! For simplicities sake, we'll stick with fish and insects for now. Of course, this means that the frogs might end up not being eaten by _anything_.

Perhaps there should be bonus points for players that create the longest food chain!

Creature Feature #308: Hellbender

The Hellbender is a giant salamander from North America, where he inhabits fast flowing streams. The swiftly flowing water is essential for oxygenation. Although he retains gill slits and has lungs, he also obtains oxygen through capillaries in his side frills. He is solitary in nature, and relative sedantary. His main diet consists of small fish and crustaceans and his flattened shape allows him to crawl beneath rocks and protect himself from predators.

Creature Feature #283: Great Crested Newt

The Great Crested Newt is a relatively large amphibian, with the female being longer than the male. Predatory in nature, his main diet consists of worms, insects, slugs and snails, although they will also dine on other amphibians and cannibalism is not infrequent. He uses his strong sense of smell to hunt, but also has pressure sensitive cells on his head, that can pinpoint the movement of prey within the water. During breeding season, the male grows the dramatic crest, which he uses to attract the females, first returning to the pool in which he hatched. After mating, she will lay up to 300 eggs, placing each on the underside of an underwater leaf.

Creature Feature #232: Ferreret

The Ferreret, or Mallorcan Midwife Toad, is endemic to Mallorca, where it has now disappeared from much of the island. Like all Midwife toads, the male carries the developing eggs. These are strung around his legs like garlands, and he keeps them moist. The habitat of the Ferreret is very dry, and often the only moisture available is small rain-filled puddles. Once he finds a suitable body of water: a cattle trough, large puddle, or river pool, he deposits the eggs and they hatch spontaneously. Considered extinct, he was rediscovered in 1977 and now captive breeding populations have been established.

Creature Feature #191: Edible Frog

The Edible Frog is a common European frog, named for the role he plays in the food industry, specifically frog legs. He is not a natural species, but in fact a hybrid between two other species: the Pool Frog and the Marsh Frog. These species hybridise naturally and are fertile, but when Edible Frog hybrids breed with one another, the offspring are often malformed. He is spread throughout Europe and active during the day. His main diet consists of insects and other arthropods, but he has been known to engage in cannibalism and will even eat small birds.

Creature Feature #152: Dart Frog

The Dart Frog gets his name from the poison he secretes, which was once used by the indigeneous people of the Amazon to tip their darts. Only four species are actually used for this purpose, and the toxicity of the frogs ranges from fairly minimal (as in this Imitating Dart Frog) to lethal (the Golden Poison Frog, possibly the most toxic living animal). This poison is secreted though the skin and protects the frog against predation. To further advertise this poison, the Dart Frog is brightly coloured. These toxins may be related to their diet of various poisonous arthropods: such as ants, centipedes and mites, in which the various toxins are not synthesized but instead become concentrated. Like all of the world's frogs, the Dart Frogs are under threat from chytrid fungus, a widespread and lethal disease that could see frogs vanishing forever.

Creature Feature #94: Caecilian

These bizarre amphibians are well adapted for a subterrestrial existence. They entirely lack limbs and their eyes are small and covered with skin, protecting them from dirt. Almost blind, vision is limited to light/dark perception. The head is sturdy with a pointed snout designed to push its way through soil. The body is very muscular: he can anchor his hind quarters in place, force his head forward, and pull the rest of his body up in waves. This fellow is one of the Ichthyophiidae Family and is one of the more primitive caecilians. 

The breeding habits of caecilian are rather strange and variable. Many species (75%) are vivaparous (give birth to live young); others, like the Ichthyophiidae, lay eggs and then guard them until they hatch. Some begin life as semi-aquatic larvae, others metamorph in the egg. One species develops an extra layer of highly nutritious skin, which the larvae peel off with their teeth.

Creature Feature #93: Cane Toad

Native to Central and South America, the Cane Toad is a large, terrestrial amphibian. His name is derived for the purpose he was put to - released amongst the sugar cane, he would make a meal of any pests that might damage it without, himself, damaging the cane. He was introduced to Australia, amongst other countries, as an agent of biological control. A fast breeder, the Cane Toad is also toxic, which can be fatal to any predators that might eat him. These two traits have made his colonisation of foreign climes a swift success and he is now rated amongst the top#100 most Invasive Species.

Creature Feature #45: Barking Tree Frog

The largest native tree frog of the USA, the Barking Tree Frog can be found from Southern Delaware to Florida, particularly near coastal areas. His name comes from his loud and strident barking call. Sometimes he will chorus with other frogs of the same, or related, species.  He is most active at night, and spends his days buried beneath sand, if it is too hot, or up in the trees. During mating season he utters a repetitive single-syllable call and the female chooses her mate on the basis of his vocal prowess.

Creature Feature #32: Axolotl

This amphibian rather resembles the juvenile form of a salamander, but it actually exhibits neoteny - meaning it reaches breeding maturity without attaining an “adult” form. It lacks the hormone that stimulates the thyroid to produce the transformation.

Although a popular pet, the axolotl is almost extinct in the wild. Originally found in two lakes of Mexico, one has now been drained completely and the other reduced to a series of canals running near Mexico City. There is every likelihood that soon only captive axolotls will remain.

Other interesting features of the bizarre creature are its ability to regenerate limbs. They are quite vicious little beggars, and when kept in the same aquarium will fight, often biting each others arms or legs off. These will regrow over a period of months, and sometimes the original injury will also heal, leaving the critter with additional limbs. They can also accept transplants easily and are bred to be studied in the lab.