Today we have a very special creature feature about toads!
How much do you know about amphibians? Can you describe what makes them different from reptiles? Could you name the three groups of amphibians? Would you like to meet a real, live Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius)?
Toads are a cool group of animals, and this species in particular has the distinction of being incredibly toxic (reminder: always wash your hands before AND after handling amphibians!).
THE BASICS:
Amphibians have moist skin that they use to take up water and also oxygen from their environment! They are also "ectothermic," meaning they cannot regulate their body temperature internally, and have to use their environment to warm up or cool off (Also know, though inaccurately, as "cold-blooded." Amphibians have what we call a "complex" life cycle, meaning they start as one thing (like a tadpole) and then change into something else (like a frog) over their lifetime. Amphibians have to lay their eggs in water.
There are 3 groups of amphibians: frogs (& toads), salamanders, and caecilians.
VOCABULARY:
ECTOTHERMIC means that the body temperature is controlled by the outside environment (like laying on a rock in the sun to warm up). The opposite of this is ENDOTHERMIC, which is what we are - our bodies do all the work to keep us the right temperature, and we never need to lay in the sun (unless we want to).
ESTIVATION is a kind of deep sleep, or dormancy (like hibernation) that happens because of heat.
TOXIN, in this case, means poison. Poison is something that, when eaten, makes you sick.
***
This production is brought to you by the University of Arizona's Community and School Garden Program and Penny the cat (even though she was hiding behind the couch for this one).
Thanks to the Thomas R. Brown Foundation, Cox Communications, and the Roche Foundation for their support.
20 авг 2020
