Amphibians are most notably characterized by their glandular skin, which they shed regularly and ingest routinely. It is advisable to handle amphibians only with protective gloves to avoid damaging their skin. These animals absorb water readily across the skin as a means of maintaining hydration. They also easily absorb drugs and anesthetics that are applied directly to the skin. Investigators ...

Documentation of the species recorded in biodiversity and inventory projects frequently involves preparation of voucher specimens, which are extremely important for the credibility of such studies (see Chapter 5). In addition, these specimens and their accompanying field notes are valuable sources of scientific information used in systematic, biogeographic, evolutionary, and ecological studies....

Ultraviolet lighting is integral for the growth and maintenance of many reptile and amphibian species. But providing an adequate source of light can be challenging. Many disease processes seen by veterinarians are attributed to ultraviolet lighting deficiencies. In mammals, disease due to excess ultraviolet lighting has been noted, and some veterinarians feel this may be a potential issue in re...

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Urodele amphibians are highly regenerative animals. After partial removal of the brain in urodeles, ependymal cells around the wound surface proliferate, differentiate into neurons and glias and finally regenerate the lost tissue. In contrast to urodeles, this type of brain regeneration is restricted only to the larval stages in anuran amphibians (frogs). In adult frogs, whereas ependymal cells...

The complete nucleotide sequence (17,005 bp) of the mitochondrial genome of the caecilian Typhlonectes natans (Gymnophiona, Amphibia) was determined. This molecule is characterized by two distinctive genomic features: there are seven large 109-bp tandem repeats in the control region, and the sequence for the putative origin of replication of the L strand can potentially fold into two alternativ...

Evolutionary hypotheses for ageing generally predict that delayed senescence should evolve in organisms that experience lower extrinsic mortality. Thus, one might expect species that are highly toxic or venomous (i.e. chemically protected) will have longer lifespans than related species that are not likewise protected. This remarkable relationship has been suggested to occur in amphibians and s...