Species Of Bufo Research Articles

Biochemical Taxonomy of South American Amphibians by Means of Skin Amines and Polypeptides

The distribution of various amines and polypeptides of the skin in 90 species of five frog families show general agreement with classifications based on other criteria. In particular, the skin biochemistry generally supports the subgeneric divisions of Leptodactylus based on secondary sex characters; the isolated position of Odontophrynus among the Ceratophryidae indicated by serological evidence is supported; Phyllomedusa differs strongly from other hylid genera in its possession of large amounts of polypeptides; and the presence of bufotenine in Melanophryniscus confirms the assignment of the genus to the Bufonidae. There is great variation within and between species of Bufo in amounts of amines of the skin.

Observations on the metabolism of adrenal and gonadal steroids in Xenopus laevis and Bufo bufo

Histochemical determinations of steroid-3β-ol-dehydrogenase in the adrenals and gonads of two species of Anurans Xenopus laevis and Bufo bufo were carried out after stimulation with ACTH, FSH + LH and FSH. A constant enzyme activity was noted in the adrenals of both species after various stimulations. The strongest effect was noted in the adrenals of Xenopus after ACTH stimulation. The interstitial tissue of the Xenopus testis showed a moderate enzyme activity after FSH and LH stimulation. No activity was noticed in the ovaries of either species or in the testes of Bufo after the stimulations used. The 17-ketogenic hormones were determined after the same hormone treatments from the excretions of animals, using the method of Norymberski. In a part of the experiments, the hormones were fractionated by thin layer chromatography. The total amount of steroid metabolites did not differ significantly after the different stimulations, and fractionating to the 11-oxy- and 11-deoxy components also gave quite similar results in all the experimental groups. The androgenic metabolism of anurans is discussed and compared with that of higher vertebrates.

A COMPARISON OF THE NINHYDRIN POSITIVE AND PHENOLIC SUBSTANCES OF PAROTOID GLAND SECRETIONS OF CERTAIN BUFO SPECIES AND THEIR HYBRIDS

EvolutionVolume 15, Issue 3 p. 352-359 ArticleFree Access A COMPARISON OF THE NINHYDRIN POSITIVE AND PHENOLIC SUBSTANCES OF PAROTOID GLAND SECRETIONS OF CERTAIN BUFO SPECIES AND THEIR HYBRIDS Don Hunsaker II, Don Hunsaker II The University of Texas, Austin, Texas Present address: Department of Zoology, San Diego State College, San Diego, California. The present study was supported by a grant from the University Research Institute of The University of Texas and NSF Grants Nos. G-4956 and G-1233S to Blair.Search for more papers by this authorR. E. Alston, R. E. Alston The University of Texas, Austin, TexasSearch for more papers by this authorW. F. Blair, W. F. Blair The University of Texas, Austin, TexasSearch for more papers by this authorB. L. Turner, B. L. Turner The University of Texas, Austin, TexasSearch for more papers by this author Don Hunsaker II, Don Hunsaker II The University of Texas, Austin, Texas Present address: Department of Zoology, San Diego State College, San Diego, California. The present study was supported by a grant from the University Research Institute of The University of Texas and NSF Grants Nos. G-4956 and G-1233S to Blair.Search for more papers by this authorR. E. Alston, R. E. Alston The University of Texas, Austin, TexasSearch for more papers by this authorW. F. Blair, W. F. Blair The University of Texas, Austin, TexasSearch for more papers by this authorB. L. Turner, B. L. Turner The University of Texas, Austin, TexasSearch for more papers by this author First published: September 1961 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1961.tb03160.xCitations: 2 AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume15, Issue3September 1961Pages 352-359 ReferencesRelatedInformation

A Comparison of the Ninhydrin Positive and Phenolic Substances of Parotoid Gland Secretions of Certain Bufo Species and Their Hybrids

A Comparison of the Ninhydrin Positive and Phenolic Substances of Parotoid Gland Secretions of Certain Bufo Species and Their Hybrids

Mating Call in the Speciation of Anuran Amphibians

Analysis of the mating call is useful for the study of evolutionary problems in anuran amphibians because characteristics of the call are chiefly related to the functions of attracting a mate and of species identification in breeding congresses. Use of the sound spectrograph in recent years has made possible the measurement and objective comparison of calls. Variations in call occur among individuals in local populations and between the calls of the same individual under different conditions. Frequency and repetition rate tend to increase with increased environmental temperature and to decrease with increased body size. The call may vary in relation to sexual excitement. The variation in call of a single Hyla versicolor recorded on nine different nights and the variations among 17 Pseudacris streckeri recorded from a breeding population on a single night are discussed. Variations not explainable in terms of environmental or ontogenetic factors or degree of sexual excitement are deemed to have a genetic basis. Patterns of geographic variation in call are discernible in species which have been investigated. In Pseudacris nigrita, on present information the call races tend to correspond to subspecies described on morphological bases. In Hyla versicolor, the relationships of three call races seem best explained by the hypothesis of secondary interbreeding after Pleistocene separation of three segments of the population. Each species of anuran has a call that differs from the call of every other species. Groups of species within a genus, however, show basic similarities in call structure, which, with other evidence, are indicative of evolutionary relationship. Species groups in the genera Scaphiopus, Bufo, and Hyla of the United States are suggested on the basis of call structure and other evidence. Various allopatric and sympatric species pairs are discussed in relation to their bearing on the question of purely geographic speciation versus geographic separation with subsequent reinforcement of isolation mechanisms. Some allopatric species (Pseudacris streckeri-P. ornata, Scaphiopus holbrooki-S. hurteri) show little differentiation in call. Others (Hyla femoralis-H. arenicolor and various members of the Bufo americanus species group) show strong differentiation. Some allopatric species show as much differentiation in call as do sympatric species. Among sympatric species, Acris gryllus and A. crepitans, along with previously reported species pairs, show reinforcement of call differences where they occur together. Some sympatric species pairs (Bufo compactilis-B. cognatus, Hyla cinerea-H. gratiosa, Hyla versicolor-H. phaeocrypta) have strongly differentiated calls but show no evidence of reinforcement where they occur together. The evidence from the allopatric and sympatric species pairs is interpreted as indicating that speciation has occurred either through the evolution of effective isolation mechanisms under geographical isolation or through reinforcement of partially effective mechanisms after ranges have become sympatric. The mating call is weak or lacking in some anuran species. All instances of this in the United States are found in far western species of Bufo, Rana and Ascaphus and in which the identification function of call may be relatively unimportant because of the scarcity of species there. Natural hybridization sometimes occurs between species with well differentiated calls. All well authenticated natural hybrids among U. S. toads involve crosses between Bufo woodhousei with representatives of the B. americanus group or with B. valliceps. This indicates that call differences are not necessarily sufficient to prevent interspecific hybridization when other isolation mechanisms are weakened or eliminated. Hybrids are also known in Scaphiopus. The calls of hybrids between closely related species are intermediate in character between those of the parental species. The calls of hybrids between two distantly related species (Bufo woodhousei and B. valliceps) are imperfect and tend to resemble the calls of the male (B. valliceps) parent.

Intensity of Reproductive Isolation between Sympatric and Allopatric Populations of Bufo americanus and Bufo fowleri

Hybrid crosses were conducted between different geographical representatives of the two partly sympatric species of toads, Bufo americanus and Bufo fowleri, to test the applicability of two evolutionary tenets; namely, Muller's contention that the initial signs of reproductive isolation originate as by-products of adaptation, and the postulate, first advanced by Dobzhansky and Koller, that reproductive isolation should be stronger between two species in the area of cohabitation than in the noncontiguous localities. The experimental results of the various intercrosses have indicated that genetical differentiation in certain geographically separated populations of toads has been associated with the early development of isolating mechanisms, and that no positive correlation exists between the territorial adjacency of the two species and the degree of reproductive isolation between them. In particular, crosses between sympatric populations of the two Bufo species from North Carolina, where natural hybridization occurs with some frequency, were far more successful than crosses between certain allopatric populations of the two species. A partial hybrid inviability has been demonstrated in crosses between B. fowleri from Louisiana (where only fowleri occurs) and B. americanus from North Carolina. However, there were no traces of hybrid incompatibility in crosses between B. americanus from Wisconsin (where only americanus occurs) and B. fowleri from North Carolina.

The Effects of Posterior Pituitary Extracts on Water Balance in Bufo Carens and Xenopus Laevis, together with some General Considerations of Anuran Water Economy

ABSTRACT The effects of pitressin and pitocin on water balance in Bufo carens and Xenopus laevis have been investigated. Bufo carens is most sensitive to pitressin, and shows an increased water uptake together with a well-marked anti-diuretic response. Xenopus reacts equally to the two extracts by an increase in water uptake, but there is no anti-diuresis. The effects of pitressin and pitocin in causing lymph accumulation and resorbtion of fluid from the bladder have been studied in Bufo regularis. Pitressin has the greater effect, and there are indications of seasonal variations in the magnitude of the response. The normal rates of water uptake of B. regularis, B. carens and Xenopus laevis have been measured. The two species of Bufo take up water rapidly, but Xenopus does so much more slowly. After desiccation the water uptake of Bufo regularis increases very considerably. This does not occur in Xenopus. There is a large weight increase after injection of posterior pituitary extracts in Bufo regularis and B. carens, but not in Xenopus laevis. The findings of other workers on the magnitude of the weight increase after posterior pituitary injections are summarized. The results are discussed in relation to the identity of the active principles of the anuran posterior pituitary and to the biological significance of the responses.

Anuran Remains from the Miocene of Florida, with the Description of a New Species of Bufo

IN THE course of removing matrix from mammalian fossils collected in the Thomas Farm deposits of northern Florida, a number of fragmentary and dissociated anuran remains have been recovered. Through the kindness of Dr. Paulo E. Vanzolini and Dr. A. S. Romer, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Massachusetts, I have been allowed to examine these specimens. I am indebted to them for this courtesy, and am further indebted to Dr. Vanzolini for other valuable aid in the preparation of this report. I also wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Edward H. Taylor, of the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, for making available comparative skeletal material and for numerous helpful criticisms. The recovered remains consist primarily of fragmentary limb bones, with some pectoral and pelvic girdle elements and a few vertebrae. At least two, and probably three or more, forms are represented, but only one of these can be characterized with any degree of exactness. A great majority of the specimens in the collection appear to belong to a single form; these specimens resemble very closely the corresponding elements in Recent members of the genus Bufo. Despite the absence of cranial elements showing certain of the commonly used diagnostic characters of the genus, this similarity is so marked, and comparisons with skeletons of a wide variety of other living genera so consistently show differences of one sort or another, that there can be little question that this fossil form is an early member of the genus Bufo, to which may be assigned the name,

The Distributional Implications of Temperature Tolerances and Hemoglobin Values in the Toads Bufo marinus (Linnaeus) and Bufo bocourti Brocchi

DURING the course of some 20 years of herpetological investigations in Guatemala, I have been impressed by the faunal break that is so obvious in the neighborhood of the 1500 m. contour. I have been led, in fact, to recognize two major herpetological assemblages in the country, highlanders as opposed to lowlanders, the common boundary of which approximates that isopleth. During 1947, efforts were made to examine several physiological qualities in two species of Bufo, typical of this vertical pattern, that might account for their zonal restrictions. Though increasing altitude carries many environmental implications, decreasing temperature and reduced partial oxygen pressure of the atmosphere seemed especially suggestive as limiting factors, and investigations into two physiological qualities associated with these conditions, temperature tolerances and hemoglobin values, were undertaken. Because of their high degree of tolerance to environmental conditions within their respective ranges, their abundance, and their geographic and systematic isolation one from the other, the lowland Bufo marinus (Linnaeus) (s.l.) and the highland Bufo bocourti Brocchi were selected for study. Bufo marinus, or some variant thereof, is distributed throughout the American tropics from the United States to Argentina. It is tolerant to environments that run the gamut from tropical rain forest to desert. Its upper limit in Guatemala is about 1500 m. Bufo bocourti, in contrast, is known only from the plateaus of Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, where it, too, shows a high degree of tolerance to local microenvironments. Its vertical limits extend from 1700 m. to possible 3600 m. Since both species are essentially nocturnal, the following discussion will consider their physiological functions in relation to nocturnal environmental conditions. Throughout this paper temperatures are given in degrees centigrade, elevations in meters, weights in grams, and lengths in millimeters. I take this opportunity to express my thanks to Mr. A. L. Bump, manager of the Tiquisate Division of the United Fruit Company in Guatemala, and to his staff, especially the company veterinarian, Dr. Marion Cox, for the many courtesies shown me during my sojourn in the Tiquisate region. Doctors Lee R. Dice and Charles F. Walker, both of the University of Michigan, have offered me many suggestions and aided me with literature connected with this study, and Dr. Charles M. Bogert of the American Museum of Natural History has reviewed my data critically. For their constructive criticisms I am sincerely grateful. Dr. Cecil C. Craig of the University of Michigan aided in the statistical analysis of the data con. tained herein. Financial support for my studies in Guatemala during 1947 was supplied by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies.

Testicular ova inUraeotyphlus narayani seshachar

Ova in the testis of amphibia have been reported by a number of workers both normally as well as during implantation experments. In the toads, however, they have been more frequently found than in other Amphibia. The development of the Bidder's organ in many species of Bufo is probably the culmination of this faculty to develop ova by the male. The development of the Bidder's organ and its probable function have formed the subjects of numerous memoirs to which that of witschi (1933) is probably the latest contribution helping to elucidate many obscure points in regard to this peculiar organ.

The Morphology of the Bufonid Head.

Summary.A study of the cranial anatomy of the entire head of Bufo melanostictus, Bufo parietalis, and Nectophryne misera, and the anterior region of the head of Bufo hololius and Bufo beddomii, reveals the following interesting facts:— The anterior extension of the gl. nasalis medialis through the fenestra nasobasalis into the anterior region of the cranium, to occupy a position in between the gl. intermaxillaris, is noticed in B. melanostictus. The gl. nasalis medians do not penetrate through the fenestra naso‐basalis in B. parietalis, B. hólólius, B. beddomii, and N. misera. The septomaxillary sends a limb into the plica in the region of the anterior nares in the Bufonid examples studied; the limb of the bone appears in the plica posterior to the anterior narial opening in N. misera. The eminentia olfactoria is elevated in all the species of Bufo studied; the eminentia is not elevated in N. misera. The sphenethmoid is bony in B. melanostictus, B. beddomii, and N. misera; in B. hololius it is cartilaginous, and in B. parietalis the bony sphenethmoid possesses cartilaginous areas. The palatine is present in all the species of Bufo examined, while in N. misera it is absent. The processus basalis is small in all the forms examined. It is merely a lateral extension of the oticus cartilage, and posterior to the oticus connection of the crista; the basal process also unites with the otic capsule to form a “pseudobasal” connection. The frontoparietals have united mesially in N. misera; in the examined species of Bufo and in N. misera the fronto‐parietals unite with the prootic bone. Posteriorly the prootic is indistinguishable from the exoccipital. Of the plectral apparatus a large pars externa, a bony pars media, and a large pars interna are seen. A pars ascendens plectri—a commissural cartilage between pars externa and crista parotica—is noticed in all. The operculum is sickle‐shaped and depends from the otic capsule. In N. misera the quadrate cartilage is feebly invaded by the quadrato‐ maxillary. The complete absence of the “bursa angularis oris” of Fuchs (1931) (the “Mundwinkeldrüse” of de Villiers) is noteworthy.

Absence of One Eye in a Frog

All of the above specimens were captured alive. Had we been provided with a collecting pistol, we might have collected many more specimens of the two small species of Sceloporus and Holbrookia texana. The Marnock hill is very rocky and in many places is covered by growths of cedar, scrubby deciduous trees and shrubs, opuntias, and other flora. A number of goats get most of their subsistence on its slopes and summit and it is surprising that it is still inhabited by so many species of small native animals. In the sheep regions in western Texas, the wooly grazers have destroyed much of the smaller fauna through retarding the growth of vegetation, and killing snails and reptiles with their hoofs. Along Helotes Creek, I have at different times collected or noticed specimens of Eumeces brevilineatus Cope, Sceloporus spinosus floridanius Baird, Leiolepisma laterale Say, Cnemidophorus sexlineatus gularis Baird and Girard, Natrix sipedon transversa Hallowell, Natrix rhombifera Hallowell, Storeria dekayi Holbrook, Thamnophis proximus Say, Pseudacris ornata Holbrook, Acris gryllus Le Conte, Rana catesbeiana Shaw, R. pipiens Schreber, at least two large species of Bufo, and other species which I do not now recall. Water turtles are numerous in the creek. Considering the nearness of the large and populous city of San Antonio, the fauna of the Helotes neighborhood, as regards number of species, seems singularly undisturbed by the flight of the past forty years. BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, WACO, TEXAS.

The Original Descriptions of Bufo fowleri and Bufo americanus

Type from Songdo, Korea (Chosen), Field Museum of Natural History, No. 11417, collected by L. H. Snyder, 1930, adult female. Diagnosis.-Distinguished from other species of Bufo in northeastern Asia by the shortness and width of the parotoid glands, by the long and relatively slender limbs, and by the complete concealment of the tympanum. Description of type.-Snout transversely and vertically truncate with a median groove above; canthus rostralis well defined, loreal region slightly concave; nostrils close to the tip of the snout; interorbital space flat, nearly twice as wide as the upper eyelid; no long ridges on head; tympanum indistinguishable; parotoid glands nearly as broad as long, not much swollen, their length contained more than eight times in that of the body; limbs slender, heels meeting when limbs are placed at right angles to axis of body; fingers very slightly webbed, the first and second equal in length; two large palmar tubercles; web of toes deeply emarginate; inner and outer metatarsal tubercles subequal, rounded; tarsal fold barely indicated by partially confluent series of tubercles; some of the subarticular tubercles double; back covered with nearly uniform small warts with an indistinct A-shaped series between the shoulders and a well defined dorsolateral row on each side; under surfaces granular; color (in alcohol) grayish brown above, lighter on the sides and beneath, without distinct markings. Measurements of type.-Length from snout to vent 56.1 mm.; greatest width of head 19.6 mm.; arm 35.4 mm.; leg from anus 72.2 mm.; tibia 22.7 mm.; parotoids 7.3 and 6.4 mm. in length and 6.6 and 5.2 mm. in width.

On some New Haemogregarines from British East Africa

At the beginning of 1917 Professor V. Dogiel kindly handed over to me, for scientific treatment, a series of blood-films taken from different Amphibia, Reptilia, and Mammalia by the Expedition of Professors V. Dogiel and I. Sokolov to British East Africa in 1914. The films were examined by me for blood parasites, with the result that, of 27 animals, two different species of Bufo and two snakes proved to be infected. The blood parasites were represented by haemogregarines exclusively. The blood-films had been fixed on cover-slips by the dry method, and preserved in that condition for nearly three years. Altogether, I had at my disposal only 24 slips with blood-films taken from the peripheral blood of the infected animals.

LXII.—On a new species of Zamenis and a new species of Bufo from Egypt

(1893). LXII.—On a new species of Zamenis and a new species of Bufo from Egypt. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 12, No. 72, pp. 439-440.

On a new species of Bufo from Texas

On a new species of Bufo from Texas

Description of a new Species of Bufo from Japan.

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of LondonVolume 51, Issue 1 p. 139-175 Description of a new Species of Bufo from Japan. G. A. BOULENGER F.Z.S., G. A. BOULENGER F.Z.S.Search for more papers by this author G. A. BOULENGER F.Z.S., G. A. BOULENGER F.Z.S.Search for more papers by this author First published: January 1883 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1883.tb06647.xCitations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume51, Issue1January 1883Pages 139-175 RelatedInformation