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The Top 10 Weirdest Creatures |
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Written by Staff Writer
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Jan 21, 2008 at 04:50 PM |
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The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has selected 10 of the most unusual and threatened amphibians, like this Malagasy rainbow frog, to launch its EDGE programme. This highly decorated frog inflates itself when under threat, and can climb vertical rock surfaces.
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The amphibians have been assessed according to how Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) they are. One of the world’s most bizarre is the Sagalla caecilian, a limbless creature with sensory tentacles on the sides of its head.
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The EDGE programme aims to protect the world’s forgotten species, including the Chinese giant salamander, which can grow up to 1.8 (6ft) in length. It evolved independently from all other amphibians, more than 100 million years before Tyrannosaurus rex.
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This purple-pigmented frog was first described only in 2003, because it spends most of the year buried up to 4m (13ft) underground.
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One species of ghost frog is found only in the traditional human burial grounds of Skeleton Gorge in Table Mountain, South Africa.
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Found in Mexico, these highly endangered lungless salamanders breathe through their skin and mouth lining.
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This blind Olm salamander has transparent skin and lives underground. It hunts for its prey by smell and electrosensitivity, and can survive without food for 10 years.
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A close relative of Darwin’s frog (Rhinoderma darwinii, above), the Chile Darwin’s frog has never been photographed alive and has not been officially seen since 1978 – it may now be extinct. The fathers protect the young by sheltering them in their mouths.
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There are approximately 6,200 known species of amphibian, although there may be yet more undiscovered species. This Betic midwife toad evolved from all others more than 150 million years ago. The males carry the fertilised eggs wrapped around their hind legs.
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Gardiner’s Seychelles frog is perhaps the world’s smallest frog, with adults growing up to just 11mm in length - the size of a drawing pin. Amphibians are declining as a result of a range threats including habitat destruction, pollution, climate change and disease.
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