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This weekend, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium will introduce a unique exhibit highlighting the extraordinary dual lives of amphibians. Showcasing 40 diverse species, including salamanders, frogs, toads, and the enigmatic caecilians, the Amphibians exhibit will remain open until 2017. If a trip to Chicago isn't feasible or you're eager for a sneak peek, explore these vivid, up-close images of the exhibit's standout creatures.
1. American Toad: A Timeless Favorite
These creatures are common across Eastern North America, so you might not even need to visit an aquarium to see them. However, their remarkable traits often go unnoticed: toads don’t drink water but absorb it through their skin. Their defense strategy is equally fascinating—American toads secrete a toxic fluid from their glands that deters predators with its foul taste, ensuring no single predator targets multiple toads.
2. Axolotl: The Aquatic Wonder of Mexico
We recently compiled a comprehensive list of fascinating details about these unique amphibians, which are exclusively native to a system of lakes and canals constructed by the Aztecs near Mexico City. Unlike other amphibians, axolotls spend their entire lives in water.
3. Blue-Legged Mantella Frogs: Nature's Toxic Gem
The vibrant blue-legged mantella frogs, known for their stunning appearance, are facing endangerment, partly due to sapphire mining activities. When threatened, these frogs release a potent toxin through their skin, deterring predators from turning them into a meal.
4. Cricket Frog: The Energetic Leaper
The cricket frog, often smaller than an inch and with a lifespan of less than a year, boasts an extraordinary ability: it can leap over 3 feet, which is more than 60 times its body length. To put this into perspective, if humans could match this feat, we’d be able to jump onto the roof of a 38-story building in a single bound.
5. Fire-Bellied Newt: Nature's Flashing Signal
While all newts release toxins through their skin to deter or incapacitate predators, the fire-bellied newt stands out with its striking red-orange underside. This vivid coloration acts as a natural warning signal, earning the species its fiery name.
6. Golden Mantella Frog: A Burst of Vibrant Hues
Native to Madagascar, these small frogs dazzle with their intensely saturated golden shades, ranging from bright yellow and neon orange to deep ruby red.
7. Green and Black Dart Frogs: Nature's Pest Controllers
These vividly colored frogs originate from Central and South America but were deliberately brought to Hawaii in 1932 to help manage insect populations, where they have thrived ever since.
8. Hellbenders: Known as Mud Devils, Ground-Puppies, or Devil Dogs
As the largest salamander in North America, reaching lengths of up to 20 inches, hellbenders feature deep skin folds that enhance their surface area, allowing them to absorb oxygen through their skin, a trait common among giant salamanders.
9. Southern Leopard Frogs: Active Throughout the Year
These unique frogs thrive in the Southern United States, where the warm climate allows them to remain active year-round and even continue mating during the winter months.
10. Spotted Salamanders: The Fearless Defenders
When faced with danger, the spotted salamander takes a direct approach—headbutting its attacker and whipping its tail to coat the predator with a sticky, toxic substance. Living in dark, moist environments, these salamanders use chemical cues to locate potential mates.
11. Tiger Salamanders: The Versatile Survivors
As the largest terrestrial salamander, the tiger salamander inhabits various regions across North America, unlike hellbenders, which primarily live underwater.
12. Wood Frogs: Masters of Cold Survival
Wood frogs are unique as the sole amphibians inhabiting areas north of the Arctic Circle. To survive freezing temperatures as low as 23 degrees Fahrenheit, they enter a state of suspended animation during winter, with up to one-third of their bodily fluids turning to ice. Remarkably, they revive in spring, aided by specialized proteins that prevent large ice crystals from forming and natural sugars that act as antifreeze to protect their cells.
All facts courtesy Shedd Aquarium; All photos ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez.
