Fauna Fabula: Unreal Animals in the Real World

allcreatures:

Won’t Lose Her Marbles. Photograph courtesy S.D. Biju.

A previously unknown caecilian from India watches over her clutch of eggs in the lab of University of Delhi amphibian biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju. Biju and his team were surprised to discover that females of this newly named species, Chikila fulleri, remained protectively coiled around their developing offspring for up to three months. “The mother is guarding the eggs for almost 95 days without eating anything,” Biju said. “Always the mother is with her eggs.” Such levels of maternal care are rarely seen in amphibians, the study team noted.

Pictures: New Amphibians Without Arms or Legs Discovered

Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) - Requested by Anonymous

A neotenic salamander, closely related to the Tiger Salamander. It is also called ajolote (which is also a common name for different types of salamander). The species originates from numerous lakes, such as Lake Xochimilco underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs. Some have indeed been found restoring the less vital parts of their brains. They can also readily accept transplants from other individuals, including eyes and parts of the brain—restoring these alien organs to full functionality. In some cases, axolotls have been known to repair a damaged limb as well as regenerating an additional one, ending up with an extra appendage that makes them attractive to pet owners as a novelty.

As of 2010, wild axolotls are near extinction due to urbanization in Mexico City and polluted waters. 

(Source: Wikipedia)

Glass Frog or Crystal Frog (Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum)

The frog is named for its skin which is translucent to the point that internal organs and surfaces immediately behind the frog can be seen. The reason for this is lack of pigmentation. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist mountains and rivers. It is threatened mostly by habitat loss, although conservation programs have begun to help save this interesting creature.

This frog is about the size of a fingernail.

Turtle Frog (Myobatrachus gouldi)

The Turtle Frog is a fossorial (burrowing) species, and probably the most fossorial of all Australian frogs. They even call and mate underground, where the eggs are laid in the moist sand and develop directly into frogs.

Purple Frog, Pignose Frog or Doughnut Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis)

The chubby, seven-centimetre-long, purple amphibian with a pointy snout was found hopping around in the Western Ghats, a range of hills in western India. Its head appears too small for its body and it looks more like a squat, grumpy blob than a living creature. 

Caecilians

The caecilians are an order of amphibians that superficially resemble earthworms or snakes. They mostly live hidden in the ground, which makes them one of the least known orders of amphibians. All extant caecilians and their closest fossil relatives are grouped as the clade Apoda. They are mostly distributed in the tropics of South America, Africa, and South Asia. The diet of caecilians is not well-known.

Scolecomorphus vittatus

Cobra Bobo (Schistometopum thomense)

Boulengerula taitanus

Boulengerula boulengeri

Imbabura Treefrog (Hypsiboas picturatus)

Hypsiboas picturatus is a species of frog in the Hylidae family. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Olm, or Proteus (Proteus anguinus)

A blind amphibian endemic to the subterranean waters of caves of the Dinaric karst of southern Europe. It lives in the waters that flow underground through this extensive limestone region including waters of the Soča river basin near Trieste in Italy, through to southern Slovenia, southwestern Croatia, and Herzegovina. It is also occasionally called the “human fish” by locals because of its skin color, similar to that of white people, as well as “cave salamander” or “white salamander.”In Slovenia it is also known by the name močeril, which translates as “the one that burrows into wetness.”

Surinam Toad (Pipa Pipa)

Surinam toads, also called star-fingered toads, are members of the frog genus Pipa, within the family Pipidae. They are native to northern South America. Like other pipids, these frogs are almost exclusively aquatic. The appearance of the toad is somewhat like a leaf. It is almost completely flat, and colored in a mottled brown. Feet are broadly webbed with the front toes having small, star-like appendages.

(Source: Wikipedia)