American Herping: A Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians in US Zoos
- Thread starter Coelacanth18
- Start date
I the only species I struggled to find were the Bernhard's Mantella, Wyoming Toad, and glass frog. Ultimately, only the glass frog remained unseen though I could see it's silhouette through a leaf. The toad I did need help from a keeper to see, however. The "cave" animals are difficult to see primarily in that they're kept in a small tunnel intended only for children.
During my visit, the Stout Salamanders were very showy despite a sign stating they were off-show
~Thylo
Time to get another shorter post in before the weekend, methinks.
Family Plethodontidae – Lungless Salamanders
The most diverse group of salamanders and newts, the lungless salamanders are found in pockets throughout the world but are most represented in the United States (particularly in the Appalachian Mountains of the east). The family seems almost absent from zoological collections in other parts of the world, but here 22 species came up in the survey. Most of these are only held by one or two facilities each, and it’s worth noting that many are hard to find in their enclosures! Some zoos with several kinds of lungless salamanders are the Smithsonian National Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Knoxville Zoo, and the Shedd Aquarium.
Most of these species are pretty obscure and gallery photos are hard to come by, so I’ll just highlight a couple of the more unusual species followed by a full list at the end.
Texas Blind Salamander (Eurycea rathbuni) – Uncommon
This cave-dwelling salamander is only known from a handful of locations near Austin, Texas. It is neotenous – retaining its gills from the juvenile stage of its life – and feeds on whatever aquatic invertebrates happen to flow into its subterranean ecosystem.
Taken at Audubon Zoo by @geomorph
Conant’s Salamander (Bolitoglossa conanti) – Rare
The only foreign plethodontid in the survey, this vulnerable Honduran salamander is solely exhibited (and bred) at the Toledo Zoo.
The other 19 species in the survey:
Uncommon
Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
Rare
Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus)
Seepage Salamander (Desmognathus aeneus)
Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti)
Dwarf Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus folkertsi)
Northern Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola)
Ocoee Salamander (Desmognathus ocoee)
Blue Ridge Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus orestes)
Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus quadramaculatus)
Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)
Spotted-tail Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga)
Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum)
Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea wilderae)
Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)
Shenandoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)
Yonahlossee Salamander (Plethodon yonahlossee)
Long-tailed Salamander at Smithsonian National Zoo; taken by @Ding Lingwei
Family Plethodontidae – Lungless Salamanders
The most diverse group of salamanders and newts, the lungless salamanders are found in pockets throughout the world but are most represented in the United States (particularly in the Appalachian Mountains of the east). The family seems almost absent from zoological collections in other parts of the world, but here 22 species came up in the survey. Most of these are only held by one or two facilities each, and it’s worth noting that many are hard to find in their enclosures! Some zoos with several kinds of lungless salamanders are the Smithsonian National Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Knoxville Zoo, and the Shedd Aquarium.
Most of these species are pretty obscure and gallery photos are hard to come by, so I’ll just highlight a couple of the more unusual species followed by a full list at the end.
Texas Blind Salamander (Eurycea rathbuni) – Uncommon
This cave-dwelling salamander is only known from a handful of locations near Austin, Texas. It is neotenous – retaining its gills from the juvenile stage of its life – and feeds on whatever aquatic invertebrates happen to flow into its subterranean ecosystem.
Taken at Audubon Zoo by @geomorph
Conant’s Salamander (Bolitoglossa conanti) – Rare
The only foreign plethodontid in the survey, this vulnerable Honduran salamander is solely exhibited (and bred) at the Toledo Zoo.
The other 19 species in the survey:
Uncommon
Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
Rare
Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus)
Seepage Salamander (Desmognathus aeneus)
Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti)
Dwarf Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus folkertsi)
Northern Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola)
Ocoee Salamander (Desmognathus ocoee)
Blue Ridge Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus orestes)
Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus quadramaculatus)
Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)
Spotted-tail Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga)
Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum)
Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea wilderae)
Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)
Shenandoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)
Yonahlossee Salamander (Plethodon yonahlossee)
Long-tailed Salamander at Smithsonian National Zoo; taken by @Ding Lingwei
First off, I want to thank you very much for putting this together. I am a huge reptile fan and really look forward to seeing this all laid out. This would be a great resource for speculative zoo builders. I am especially looking forward to the turtles.
After my Museum of Life and Sciences list, I am also working on a species list for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and I regret not having done that sooner since they have 4 species of lungless salamanders, including Jordan's Salamander, which I noticed is not on your survey.
After my Museum of Life and Sciences list, I am also working on a species list for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and I regret not having done that sooner since they have 4 species of lungless salamanders, including Jordan's Salamander, which I noticed is not on your survey.
Thanks for the additions @Ituri and @Astrotom3000. Inevitably species will be around that weren't in the survey, so people adding in what else they've seen will help fill the gaps. Lungless salamanders in particular are one of those groups that has a lot of species, and there's a lot of unique or almost-unique holdings out there.
Week two, continuing with the American salamanders for today.
Family Ambystomatidae, genus Ambystoma – Mole Salamanders
Everyone loves these large derpy salamanders: different species are common as pets, lab animals, or wild in your backyard.
Tiger Salamanders
Status in US Zoos: Abundant
Many of the Ambystoma are referred to as tiger salamanders due to their stripes, which are often more like spots… or sometimes aren’t present at all (tiger salamanders are a bit variable in pattern). Anyway, these salamanders are abundant in captivity, common not only at major zoos and aquariums but also at smaller zoos, nature centers and science museums. They like to bury themselves in soil, so you may often not see them – or see them covered head to tail in dirt.
Tiger salamanders are a bit complicated taxonomically; as things stand currently 3 species appeared in the survey, and I had to do some geographic sorting to assign species for a lot of them. I adjusted the totals up for the Eastern and Western species to account for their abundance in smaller places like nature centers and museums.
Eastern Tiger Salamander (A. tigrinum) – Very Common*
Western or Barred Tiger Salamander (A. mavortium) – Common*
California Tiger Salamander (A. californiense) – Uncommon
(Signed as) Eastern Tiger Salamanders, with yellow spots/bands
Taken by @Julio C Castro at the Los Angeles Zoo
Western Tiger Salamander (Arizona ssp) with different barring pattern
Taken by @Ituri at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Unconfirmed tiger salamander (likely Western) with little patterning
Taken by @geomorph at the Living Planet Aquarium in Utah
Axolotl (A. mexicanum) – Very Common
This salamander is like the movie Failure to Launch, but with amphibians… in other words, it never progresses to an adult form. Tiger salamanders have external gills as babies, but the axolotl (and some other members of the genus) retains them throughout its life and lives entirely in the water. Once a food source for the Aztecs, its former montane lake habitat has been buried under layers of concrete that is today’s Mexico City; it hangs on by a thread in canals, but it is on the brink of disappearing completely from the wild. While the situation for wild axolotls is grim, large numbers exist in laboratories and in the pet trade where albino and color morphs abound.
Taken by @Julio C Castro at the San Diego Zoo
A similar species in a similar situation – the Anderson’s Salamander (A. andersoni) - is found in a handful of well-known European zoos, but here appears to only be on display at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Other species from Ambystoma:
Uncommon
Spotted Salamander (A. maculatum)
Marbled Salamander (A. opacum)
Rare
Blue-spotted Salamander (A. laterale)
Long-toed Salamander (A. macrodactylum)
Family Ambystomatidae, genus Ambystoma – Mole Salamanders
Everyone loves these large derpy salamanders: different species are common as pets, lab animals, or wild in your backyard.
Tiger Salamanders
Status in US Zoos: Abundant
Many of the Ambystoma are referred to as tiger salamanders due to their stripes, which are often more like spots… or sometimes aren’t present at all (tiger salamanders are a bit variable in pattern). Anyway, these salamanders are abundant in captivity, common not only at major zoos and aquariums but also at smaller zoos, nature centers and science museums. They like to bury themselves in soil, so you may often not see them – or see them covered head to tail in dirt.
Tiger salamanders are a bit complicated taxonomically; as things stand currently 3 species appeared in the survey, and I had to do some geographic sorting to assign species for a lot of them. I adjusted the totals up for the Eastern and Western species to account for their abundance in smaller places like nature centers and museums.
Eastern Tiger Salamander (A. tigrinum) – Very Common*
Western or Barred Tiger Salamander (A. mavortium) – Common*
California Tiger Salamander (A. californiense) – Uncommon
(Signed as) Eastern Tiger Salamanders, with yellow spots/bands
Taken by @Julio C Castro at the Los Angeles Zoo
Western Tiger Salamander (Arizona ssp) with different barring pattern
Taken by @Ituri at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Unconfirmed tiger salamander (likely Western) with little patterning
Taken by @geomorph at the Living Planet Aquarium in Utah
Axolotl (A. mexicanum) – Very Common
This salamander is like the movie Failure to Launch, but with amphibians… in other words, it never progresses to an adult form. Tiger salamanders have external gills as babies, but the axolotl (and some other members of the genus) retains them throughout its life and lives entirely in the water. Once a food source for the Aztecs, its former montane lake habitat has been buried under layers of concrete that is today’s Mexico City; it hangs on by a thread in canals, but it is on the brink of disappearing completely from the wild. While the situation for wild axolotls is grim, large numbers exist in laboratories and in the pet trade where albino and color morphs abound.
Taken by @Julio C Castro at the San Diego Zoo
A similar species in a similar situation – the Anderson’s Salamander (A. andersoni) - is found in a handful of well-known European zoos, but here appears to only be on display at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Other species from Ambystoma:
Uncommon
Spotted Salamander (A. maculatum)
Marbled Salamander (A. opacum)
Rare
Blue-spotted Salamander (A. laterale)
Long-toed Salamander (A. macrodactylum)
I don't know if you wished to include every zoo that has at least 15 species of reptiles and or or amphibians, but I noticed that the Roger Williams Park Zoo was not included, and they have exactly fifteen on display by my count.
They are:
- Komodo dragon
- radiated tortoise
- Australia snake-necked turtle
- red-footed tortoise
- emerald tree boa
- Brazilian rainbow boa
- collared tree runner
- yellow-banded poison dart frog
- dyeing poison dart frog
- green anaconda
- Aldabra giant tortoise
- sulcata tortoise
- timber rattlesnake
- northern copperhead
- black ratsnake
That was not my intention, no... but I appreciate the sentiment.
The North Carolina Zoo had Mabee's Salamander (Ambystoma mabeei) at one point, but that was before COVID-19.
Very interesting collection! I will be keeping my eyes posted on this thread. Thank you for your incredible work! #SLAY
Family Salamandridae – “True” Salamanders and Newts
I’m not sure why other salamanders don’t get to be the “true” ones, but whatever. Many of these species are from Eurasia rather than North America, although several of the more common ones are native. The survey found 19 species in total, many of which are vulnerable or endangered. I’m going to split this into a two-poster: three genera today (including the natives), then a few other notable species tomorrow.
Genus Cynops – Firebelly Newts
Status in US Zoos: Uncommon
Fire-bellied newts hail from East Asia and have red or orange bellies. At least five species are kept in American zoos, none of which are widely held:
Chuxiong Fire-bellied Newt (C. cyanurus)
Sword-tailed Newt (C. ensicauda)
Fuding Fire-bellied Newt (C. fudingensis)
Chinese Fire-bellied Newt (C. orientalis)
Japanese Fire-bellied Newt (C. pyrrhogaster)
Japanese and Chuxiong are common in Japanese zoos and aquariums, while Chinese are fairly common in Europe. In the United States they are frequently sold as pets also.
Chinese Firebelly Newt
Taken at Singapore Zoo by @ronnienl
Genus Notophthalmus – Eastern American Newts
All three members of this North American genus can be found in captivity here.
Eastern (Red-spotted) Newt (N. viridescens) – Prevalent
A common newt from the Eastern states; also frequently kept and bred as an aquarium pet.
Taken at Smithsonian National Zoo by @Andrew_NZP
Black-spotted Newt (N. meridionalus) – Uncommon
Found only in northern Mexico and coastal Texas, several large and small facilities hold this species – all in Texas, as far as I could find.
Taken at Fort Worth Zoo by @jbnbsn99 (photo over 10 years old)
Other Notophthalmus species:
Striped Newt (N. perstriatus) – Rare
Genus Taricha – Pacific Newts
Species: California Newt (T. torosa) – Uncommon and Rough-skinned Newt (T. granulosa) – Rare
This genus is notable for having rough-looking skin. The two species in the survey are native to California and the Pacific Northwest respectively, and the only holders I found were in their respective local areas.
California Newt
Taken at Turtle Bay Exploration Park by @Great Argus
I’m not sure why other salamanders don’t get to be the “true” ones, but whatever. Many of these species are from Eurasia rather than North America, although several of the more common ones are native. The survey found 19 species in total, many of which are vulnerable or endangered. I’m going to split this into a two-poster: three genera today (including the natives), then a few other notable species tomorrow.
Genus Cynops – Firebelly Newts
Status in US Zoos: Uncommon
Fire-bellied newts hail from East Asia and have red or orange bellies. At least five species are kept in American zoos, none of which are widely held:
Chuxiong Fire-bellied Newt (C. cyanurus)
Sword-tailed Newt (C. ensicauda)
Fuding Fire-bellied Newt (C. fudingensis)
Chinese Fire-bellied Newt (C. orientalis)
Japanese Fire-bellied Newt (C. pyrrhogaster)
Japanese and Chuxiong are common in Japanese zoos and aquariums, while Chinese are fairly common in Europe. In the United States they are frequently sold as pets also.
Chinese Firebelly Newt
Taken at Singapore Zoo by @ronnienl
Genus Notophthalmus – Eastern American Newts
All three members of this North American genus can be found in captivity here.
Eastern (Red-spotted) Newt (N. viridescens) – Prevalent
A common newt from the Eastern states; also frequently kept and bred as an aquarium pet.
Taken at Smithsonian National Zoo by @Andrew_NZP
Black-spotted Newt (N. meridionalus) – Uncommon
Found only in northern Mexico and coastal Texas, several large and small facilities hold this species – all in Texas, as far as I could find.
Taken at Fort Worth Zoo by @jbnbsn99 (photo over 10 years old)
Other Notophthalmus species:
Striped Newt (N. perstriatus) – Rare
Genus Taricha – Pacific Newts
Species: California Newt (T. torosa) – Uncommon and Rough-skinned Newt (T. granulosa) – Rare
This genus is notable for having rough-looking skin. The two species in the survey are native to California and the Pacific Northwest respectively, and the only holders I found were in their respective local areas.
California Newt
Taken at Turtle Bay Exploration Park by @Great Argus
It's just a taxonomic / nomenclatural term relating to the first genus for the group to be described. So Ranidae are "true frogs" (because of Rana), Bufonidae are "true toads" (because of Bufo), Salamandridae are "true salmanders" (because of Salamandra), etc etc.
Salamandridae, Part II
Another day, more newts. You're welcome.
Kaiser’s Spotted Newt (or Luristan Newt) (Neurergus kaiseri) – Prevalent
The most common species from Salamandridae in the survey, this brightly-colored newt is almost exclusively held by major AZA zoos and aquariums – as part of a captive breeding program at some point, according to this 2010 article: Forgotten Species: the fiery Luristan Newt
It is found only in a few mountain streams in Iran, and is endangered due to illegal harvesting for the pet trade.
Taken at Sedgwick County Zoo by @Ituri
Emperor Newt (Tylototriton shanjing) – Uncommon to Prevalent
A large red and black newt from the Chinese highlands. Also called Mandarin newt or Chinese crocodile newt.
Taken at Bronx Zoo by @JigerofLemuria
Iberian Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) and Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) – both Uncommon
These two European species are (unsurprisingly) much more common on their home continent than here, but are present in small numbers here too. There are several subspecies of Fire Salamander, but the only one I found that was listed at subspecies level was an S. s. bernardezi at the Saint Louis Zoo.
Iberian Ribbed Newt / Taken at Sedgwick County Zoo by @Ituri
Fire Salamander / Taken at the Maritime Aquarium by @ThylacineAlive
Other "true" newts and salamanders found in the survey:
Uncommon
Anderson’s Crocodile Newt (Echinotriton andersoni) – black and pebbly, like a crocodile
Rare
Kweichow Crocodile Newt (Tylotriton kweichowensis)
Laos Warty Newt (Laotriton laoensis)
Anatolia Newt (Neurergus strauchii)
Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus)
Next week we'll finish up salamanders and move on to other amphibians.
Another day, more newts. You're welcome.
Kaiser’s Spotted Newt (or Luristan Newt) (Neurergus kaiseri) – Prevalent
The most common species from Salamandridae in the survey, this brightly-colored newt is almost exclusively held by major AZA zoos and aquariums – as part of a captive breeding program at some point, according to this 2010 article: Forgotten Species: the fiery Luristan Newt
It is found only in a few mountain streams in Iran, and is endangered due to illegal harvesting for the pet trade.
Taken at Sedgwick County Zoo by @Ituri
Emperor Newt (Tylototriton shanjing) – Uncommon to Prevalent
A large red and black newt from the Chinese highlands. Also called Mandarin newt or Chinese crocodile newt.
Taken at Bronx Zoo by @JigerofLemuria
Iberian Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) and Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) – both Uncommon
These two European species are (unsurprisingly) much more common on their home continent than here, but are present in small numbers here too. There are several subspecies of Fire Salamander, but the only one I found that was listed at subspecies level was an S. s. bernardezi at the Saint Louis Zoo.
Iberian Ribbed Newt / Taken at Sedgwick County Zoo by @Ituri
Fire Salamander / Taken at the Maritime Aquarium by @ThylacineAlive
Other "true" newts and salamanders found in the survey:
Uncommon
Anderson’s Crocodile Newt (Echinotriton andersoni) – black and pebbly, like a crocodile
Rare
Kweichow Crocodile Newt (Tylotriton kweichowensis)
Laos Warty Newt (Laotriton laoensis)
Anatolia Newt (Neurergus strauchii)
Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus)
Next week we'll finish up salamanders and move on to other amphibians.
Highly Aquatic Salamanders
Today is the last day of salamanders, and will be a grab-bag of highly aquatic groups.
Amphiumas (Family Amphiumidae, genus Amphiuma)
Status in US Zoos: Uncommon
Found in the southeastern US, these salamanders with very small limbs are often mistaken for eels or snakes. They are nocturnal hunters, hiding in mud and aquatic vegetation during the day. All three species are held in American zoos, though all are Rare – Three-toed and Two-toed are held by a small handful of places each, while One-toed I’ve only confirmed on display at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Three-toed Amphiuma (A. tridactylum)
Two-toed Amphiuma (A. means)
One-toed Amphiuma (A. pholeter)
Two-toed Amphiuma (A. means) / taken at Cincinnati Zoo by @Ding Lingwei
Sirens (Family Sirenidae)
Also found wild in the American Southeast; unlike amphiumas, the sirens lack hindlimbs altogether. They are also more common than amphiumas in American collections with about twice as many holders. Half of these are Greater Siren (Siren lacertina), with most of the rest being Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia). A couple of zoos also hold dwarf sirens (Pseudobranchus spp).
Uncommon
Greater Siren ((S. lacertina)
Lesser Siren (S. intermedia)
Rare
Southern Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus axanthus)
Northern Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus striatus)
Greater Siren (S. lacertina)
Taken at Cincinnati Zoo by @Moebelle (above) and @TinoPup (below)
Family Proteidae
Genus Necturus - Mudpuppies (or Waterdogs)
Status in US Zoos: Uncommon
Large, fully aquatic salamanders from eastern North America. They have external gills and are the second largest salamanders on the continent after the hellbender. Unlike their larger relative, they appear to be fairly uncommon in US collections – though it’s possible they lurk uncounted in local nature centers. Due to the difficulty in confirming species for some of the holders – and the taxonomy being muddy (pun intended) – I combined all listings from the genus. I can confirm that at least the following two species are around:
Common Mudpuppy (N. maculosus)
Western/Gulf Coast Mudpuppy (N. beyeri)
The European cave-dwelling Olm (Proteus anguinus) is a member of the same family, though I found no evidence of them being kept in American collections.
Common Mudpuppy (N. maculosus)
Taken at WWT Slimbridge (United Kingdom) by @Maguari
Gulf Coast Waterdog (N. beyeri)
Taken at ABQ Biopark Zoo (Albuquerque) by @Giant Eland
And with that our first group of amphibians is complete! In the next post (either tomorrow or Wednesday) we'll move on to the real meat and potatoes of Class Amphibia: the frogs.
Today is the last day of salamanders, and will be a grab-bag of highly aquatic groups.
Amphiumas (Family Amphiumidae, genus Amphiuma)
Status in US Zoos: Uncommon
Found in the southeastern US, these salamanders with very small limbs are often mistaken for eels or snakes. They are nocturnal hunters, hiding in mud and aquatic vegetation during the day. All three species are held in American zoos, though all are Rare – Three-toed and Two-toed are held by a small handful of places each, while One-toed I’ve only confirmed on display at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Three-toed Amphiuma (A. tridactylum)
Two-toed Amphiuma (A. means)
One-toed Amphiuma (A. pholeter)
Two-toed Amphiuma (A. means) / taken at Cincinnati Zoo by @Ding Lingwei
Sirens (Family Sirenidae)
Also found wild in the American Southeast; unlike amphiumas, the sirens lack hindlimbs altogether. They are also more common than amphiumas in American collections with about twice as many holders. Half of these are Greater Siren (Siren lacertina), with most of the rest being Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia). A couple of zoos also hold dwarf sirens (Pseudobranchus spp).
Uncommon
Greater Siren ((S. lacertina)
Lesser Siren (S. intermedia)
Rare
Southern Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus axanthus)
Northern Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus striatus)
Greater Siren (S. lacertina)
Taken at Cincinnati Zoo by @Moebelle (above) and @TinoPup (below)
Family Proteidae
Genus Necturus - Mudpuppies (or Waterdogs)
Status in US Zoos: Uncommon
Large, fully aquatic salamanders from eastern North America. They have external gills and are the second largest salamanders on the continent after the hellbender. Unlike their larger relative, they appear to be fairly uncommon in US collections – though it’s possible they lurk uncounted in local nature centers. Due to the difficulty in confirming species for some of the holders – and the taxonomy being muddy (pun intended) – I combined all listings from the genus. I can confirm that at least the following two species are around:
Common Mudpuppy (N. maculosus)
Western/Gulf Coast Mudpuppy (N. beyeri)
The European cave-dwelling Olm (Proteus anguinus) is a member of the same family, though I found no evidence of them being kept in American collections.
Common Mudpuppy (N. maculosus)
Taken at WWT Slimbridge (United Kingdom) by @Maguari
Gulf Coast Waterdog (N. beyeri)
Taken at ABQ Biopark Zoo (Albuquerque) by @Giant Eland
And with that our first group of amphibians is complete! In the next post (either tomorrow or Wednesday) we'll move on to the real meat and potatoes of Class Amphibia: the frogs.
Order Anura – Frogs and Toads
Yes, the gloomy winter days of newts and salamanders are behind us… and to celebrate the coming of spring, we’ll move on to hoppier topics!
Okay, I’ll stop. For now.
To start off frogs with a bang, we’ll begin with perhaps the most colorful group of them all.
Family Dendrobatidae – Poison Dart Frogs
Everyone is probably familiar with this group, and has seen at least a couple species if you’ve been to a zoo. Over 75% of facilities in the survey (excluding native-only collections) had at least one species, and nearly every major zoo keeps them. They are a diverse group of small, brightly-colored tropical frogs that are (in many cases at least) not particularly hard to care for or breed, making them ideal for zoos. Interestingly, their toxins come from their diet – meaning captive-bred specimens are not poisonous (and wild-caught specimens lose their toxicity over time).
The survey found 29 species in American collections. Each species often has multiple locales, populations with distinct sizes and colorations. Unfortunately, in most cases I have little to no information on what locales American zoos have. I’ve got a lot on PDFs, so I’ve spread them out into three posts. Today I'll just cover the most abundant genus.
Dendrobates
These are considered the hardiest frogs of the family, easy to breed in captivity and widely available in the pet trade; therefore, it makes sense they would be abundant in zoos as well. In fact, of the 4 species that appeared in the survey 3 of them had 50+ holders, making them the top 3 most common amphibians overall. They are fairly large when compared to other types of dart frogs, with most around 1-2 inches or so in length (although the size can vary a lot within species).
Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus) – Abundant
From Central America (and now also Hawaii
), the second most common species in the entire survey, and one of only 2 species in the entire survey to be found in over 50% of the 137 surveyed zoos.
Taken at Zoo Atlanta by @geomorph
Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) – Abundant
The second most common amphibian in the survey, tinctorius is a highly variable species from northeast South America. Most of you will be familiar with one eye-catching locale of this species, the Blue Poison Dart Frog (pictured below) which is a rich blue usually with black spots. These frogs are often incorrectly signed as Dendrobates tinctorius azureus or even Dendrobates azureus, when in fact current taxonomy indicates it is just a locale of Dyeing. Roughly 2 in 3 tinctorius holders have the Blue variant, sometimes in addition to other types.
Blue "azureus" Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Taken at Los Angeles Zoo by @Julio C Castro
A different form of Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Taken at Australia Zoo by @WhistlingKite24
Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates leucomelas) – Abundant
Also called the Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog. Slightly less abundant than the previous two species – but still one of the most common amphibians in American collections – this yellow-and-black dart frog is also from northern South America. Although it is called "Yellow-banded", the patterning is variable and it sometimes looks more spotted than banded.
Taken at Bronx Zoo by @MagicYoung
Other Dendrobates:
Yellow-striped Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates truncatus) – Rare
Yes, the gloomy winter days of newts and salamanders are behind us… and to celebrate the coming of spring, we’ll move on to hoppier topics!
Okay, I’ll stop. For now.
To start off frogs with a bang, we’ll begin with perhaps the most colorful group of them all.
Family Dendrobatidae – Poison Dart Frogs
Everyone is probably familiar with this group, and has seen at least a couple species if you’ve been to a zoo. Over 75% of facilities in the survey (excluding native-only collections) had at least one species, and nearly every major zoo keeps them. They are a diverse group of small, brightly-colored tropical frogs that are (in many cases at least) not particularly hard to care for or breed, making them ideal for zoos. Interestingly, their toxins come from their diet – meaning captive-bred specimens are not poisonous (and wild-caught specimens lose their toxicity over time).
The survey found 29 species in American collections. Each species often has multiple locales, populations with distinct sizes and colorations. Unfortunately, in most cases I have little to no information on what locales American zoos have. I’ve got a lot on PDFs, so I’ve spread them out into three posts. Today I'll just cover the most abundant genus.
Dendrobates
These are considered the hardiest frogs of the family, easy to breed in captivity and widely available in the pet trade; therefore, it makes sense they would be abundant in zoos as well. In fact, of the 4 species that appeared in the survey 3 of them had 50+ holders, making them the top 3 most common amphibians overall. They are fairly large when compared to other types of dart frogs, with most around 1-2 inches or so in length (although the size can vary a lot within species).
Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus) – Abundant
From Central America (and now also Hawaii
), the second most common species in the entire survey, and one of only 2 species in the entire survey to be found in over 50% of the 137 surveyed zoos.Taken at Zoo Atlanta by @geomorph
Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) – Abundant
The second most common amphibian in the survey, tinctorius is a highly variable species from northeast South America. Most of you will be familiar with one eye-catching locale of this species, the Blue Poison Dart Frog (pictured below) which is a rich blue usually with black spots. These frogs are often incorrectly signed as Dendrobates tinctorius azureus or even Dendrobates azureus, when in fact current taxonomy indicates it is just a locale of Dyeing. Roughly 2 in 3 tinctorius holders have the Blue variant, sometimes in addition to other types.
Blue "azureus" Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Taken at Los Angeles Zoo by @Julio C Castro
A different form of Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Taken at Australia Zoo by @WhistlingKite24
Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates leucomelas) – Abundant
Also called the Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog. Slightly less abundant than the previous two species – but still one of the most common amphibians in American collections – this yellow-and-black dart frog is also from northern South America. Although it is called "Yellow-banded", the patterning is variable and it sometimes looks more spotted than banded.
Taken at Bronx Zoo by @MagicYoung
Other Dendrobates:
Yellow-striped Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates truncatus) – Rare
Poison Dart Frogs, continued
Phyllobates
In the wild this genus contains the most potent toxins of the group, and are the only poison dart frogs whose toxins are actually known to be used by indigenous tribes to poison arrows. These toxins are called batrachotoxins; rare in the natural world, they irreversibly open the sodium channels in nerve cells leading to continuous muscle contraction (and therefore, paralysis and heart failure). Again however, captive-bred animals are non-toxic. There are 5 species in the genus, and all of them appeared in the survey.
Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) – Very Common
The fourth-most common dart frog in American zoos, this endangered Colombian frog is usually bright yellow; however, there is a mint-green variant in captivity as well that at least one surveyed holder had. They are the largest poison dart frog, getting over 2 inches in length.
Taken at Los Angeles Zoo by @Julio C Castro
Black-legged Poison Dart Frog (P. bicolor) – Prevalent
Also called the Bicolored Poison Dart Frog. These frogs look similar to Goldens; in addition to the (usual) color difference on the lower half of the body, they are also smaller.
Taken at National Aquarium in Baltimore by @fkalltheway
Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates vittatus) – Prevalent
Probably most well-known for how hard it is to spell correctly (or should be…). Native to Costa Rica.
Taken at Tulsa Zoo by @Coelacanth18
Other Phyllobates (both Rare):
Lovely Poison Dart Frog (P. lugubris)
Kokoe Poison Dart Frog (P. aurotaenia)
Oophaga
The English translation of this genus is “egg eater”, and in the private trade species from this genus are referred to as “obligates” because their tadpoles are obligatory egg-eaters (feeding on unfertilized eggs in the same clutch). This feeding strategy makes them some of the more difficult dart frogs to breed in captivity.
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) – Prevalent
The only non-rare obligate in American zoos, a particular variant of this species – Blue Jean – is frequently imported from its wild habitat in Costa Rica. It is so named due to having the same color legs as a fan of denim.
Taken at Smithsonian National Zoo by @ThylacineAlive
Other Oophaga (all Rare):
Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (O. histrionica)
Lehmann’s Poison Dart Frog (O. lehmanni)
Pichincha/Diablito Poison Dart Frog (O. sylvatica)
Phyllobates
In the wild this genus contains the most potent toxins of the group, and are the only poison dart frogs whose toxins are actually known to be used by indigenous tribes to poison arrows. These toxins are called batrachotoxins; rare in the natural world, they irreversibly open the sodium channels in nerve cells leading to continuous muscle contraction (and therefore, paralysis and heart failure). Again however, captive-bred animals are non-toxic. There are 5 species in the genus, and all of them appeared in the survey.
Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) – Very Common
The fourth-most common dart frog in American zoos, this endangered Colombian frog is usually bright yellow; however, there is a mint-green variant in captivity as well that at least one surveyed holder had. They are the largest poison dart frog, getting over 2 inches in length.
Taken at Los Angeles Zoo by @Julio C Castro
Black-legged Poison Dart Frog (P. bicolor) – Prevalent
Also called the Bicolored Poison Dart Frog. These frogs look similar to Goldens; in addition to the (usual) color difference on the lower half of the body, they are also smaller.
Taken at National Aquarium in Baltimore by @fkalltheway
Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates vittatus) – Prevalent
Probably most well-known for how hard it is to spell correctly (or should be…). Native to Costa Rica.
Taken at Tulsa Zoo by @Coelacanth18
Other Phyllobates (both Rare):
Lovely Poison Dart Frog (P. lugubris)
Kokoe Poison Dart Frog (P. aurotaenia)
Oophaga
The English translation of this genus is “egg eater”, and in the private trade species from this genus are referred to as “obligates” because their tadpoles are obligatory egg-eaters (feeding on unfertilized eggs in the same clutch). This feeding strategy makes them some of the more difficult dart frogs to breed in captivity.
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) – Prevalent
The only non-rare obligate in American zoos, a particular variant of this species – Blue Jean – is frequently imported from its wild habitat in Costa Rica. It is so named due to having the same color legs as a fan of denim.
Taken at Smithsonian National Zoo by @ThylacineAlive
Other Oophaga (all Rare):
Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (O. histrionica)
Lehmann’s Poison Dart Frog (O. lehmanni)
Pichincha/Diablito Poison Dart Frog (O. sylvatica)
P. terribilis is the fourth most common dart frog? That's interesting, as anecdotally I commonly see the same four species in zoos, three of them are the Dendrobates species aforementioned, but the fourth is Anthony's Poison Dart Frog (E. anthonyi). I would've expected as such that anthonyi is more common in zoos than terribilis, although perhaps it's just due to what collections I've happened to visit.The fourth-most common dart frog in American zoos, this endangered Colombian frog is usually bright yellow; however, there is a mint-green variant in captivity as well that at least one surveyed holder had. They are the largest poison dart frog, getting over 2 inches in length.
Taken at Los Angeles Zoo by @Julio C Castro
Anthony's is the fifth most common. They're pretty close - the survey found 31 holders for Golden, 26 for Anthony's - so it's very possible that simply by geographic coincidence you see more of the latter than the former.
Anthony's (and the remaining dart frogs) will be covered next post, in case anyone was wondering.
Poison Dart Frogs, continued
Phyllobates
In the wild this genus contains the most potent toxins of the group, and are the only poison dart frogs whose toxins are actually known to be used by indigenous tribes to poison arrows. These toxins are called batrachotoxins; rare in the natural world, they irreversibly open the sodium channels in nerve cells leading to continuous muscle contraction (and therefore, paralysis and heart failure). Again however, captive-bred animals are non-toxic. There are 5 species in the genus, and all of them appeared in the survey.
Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) – Very Common
The fourth-most common dart frog in American zoos, this endangered Colombian frog is usually bright yellow; however, there is a mint-green variant in captivity as well that at least one surveyed holder had. They are the largest poison dart frog, getting over 2 inches in length.
Taken at Los Angeles Zoo by @Julio C Castro
Black-legged Poison Dart Frog (P. bicolor) – Prevalent
Also called the Bicolored Poison Dart Frog. These frogs look similar to Goldens; in addition to the (usual) color difference on the lower half of the body, they are also smaller.
Taken at National Aquarium in Baltimore by @fkalltheway
Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates vittatus) – Prevalent
Probably most well-known for how hard it is to spell correctly (or should be…). Native to Costa Rica.
Taken at Tulsa Zoo by @Coelacanth18
Other Phyllobates (both Rare):
Lovely Poison Dart Frog (P. lugubris)
Kokoe Poison Dart Frog (P. aurotaenia)
Oophaga
The English translation of this genus is “egg eater”, and in the private trade species from this genus are referred to as “obligates” because their tadpoles are obligatory egg-eaters (feeding on unfertilized eggs in the same clutch). This feeding strategy makes them some of the more difficult dart frogs to breed in captivity.
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) – Prevalent
The only non-rare obligate in American zoos, a particular variant of this species – Blue Jean – is frequently imported from its wild habitat in Costa Rica. It is so named due to having the same color legs as a fan of denim.
Taken at Smithsonian National Zoo by @ThylacineAlive
Other Oophaga (all Rare):
Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (O. histrionica)
Lehmann’s Poison Dart Frog (O. lehmanni)
Pichincha/Diablito Poison Dart Frog (O. sylvatica)
Where keeps Phyllobates lugubris and aurotaenia?
~Thylo