;__ff_content({"imprint":{"video":"","text":"<h1><strong>Legal notice<\/strong><\/h1><br \/>\n<p>Frogs &amp; Friends e.V.<br \/><br \/>\nGro\u00dfbeerenstr. 84<br \/><br \/>\n10963 Berlin<br \/><br \/>\nE-Mail: info@frogs-friends.org<br \/><br \/>\nChairman: \u2028Bj\u00f6rn Encke<br \/><br \/>\nE-Mail:\u00a0bjoern.encke@frogs-friends.org<br \/><br \/>\nRegistration court: Amtsgericht Charlottenburg<br \/><br \/>\nRegistry number: 33841 B<\/p><br \/>\n<p>1. Limitation of Liability<\/p><br \/>\n<p>The contents of this website are created with great care. The provider does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the content. Use of this Web site is at your own risk. Contributions express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily the opinion of the provider. The mere use of the website does not create any contractual relationship between the user and the provider.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>2. External Links<\/p><br \/>\n<p>This site contains links to other websites (\u201cexternal links\u201d). These websites are the responsibility of the operator. The provider has made the first connection of the external links to external content to establish whether there are any legal violations. At the time, no violations were found. The provider has no influence on the current and future design and content of the linked pages. The inclusion of external links does not imply that the vendor behind the reference or link content to own. A permanent control of external links is for the provider without concrete evidence of violations. With knowledge of rights violations, such external links will be deleted immediately.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>3. Copyright and Performance Rights<\/p><br \/>\n<p>The information published on this site is subject to German copyright and ancillary copyright. Each of the German copyright and ancillary copyright laws shall require the prior written consent of the provider or their respective owners. This applies especially to reproduction, adaptation, translation, storage, processing and reproduction of contents in databases or other electronic media and systems. Contents and rights of third parties are marked as such. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of content or complete pages is not allowed and punishable. Only the production of copies and downloads for personal, private and non-commercial use is allowed.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>The presentation of this website in external frames is only allowed with written permission.<\/p><br \/>\n<h1><strong>Privacy Policy<\/strong><\/h1><br \/>\n<p>1. Collection and Use of Personal Data<br \/><br \/>\n1.1. This privacy policy informs you about the collection of personal data when you use our website. Personal data means any information that identifies you or can be used to identify you, e.g. name, address, e-mail addresses, user behaviour.<br \/><br \/>\n1.2. The controller pursuant to Article 4 (7) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is<br \/><br \/>\nFrogs &#038; Friends e.V.<br \/><br \/>\nGro\u00dfbeerenstr. 86<br \/><br \/>\n10963 Berlin<br \/><br \/>\nDeutschland<br \/><br \/>\nTelefon: +49 30 921013223<br \/><br \/>\nE-Mail: info@frogs-friends.org<br \/><br \/>\n1.3. If, to provide individual functions of our offer, we make use of any contracted service providers or if we wish to use your data for advertising purposes, we will inform you in detail about the respective processes below. We will also specify criteria for how long we store your data.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>2. Your Rights<br \/><br \/>\n2.1. You are entitled to the following rights towards us regarding your personal data:<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Right to information,<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Right to rectification or deletion,<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Right to restriction of processing,<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Right to object to the processing,<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Right to data portability.<br \/><br \/>\nTo exercise your rights, you can contact the controller using the above contact details.<br \/><br \/>\n2.2. You also have the right to complain to the data protection supervisory authorities about our processing of your personal data.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>3. Objection Against the Processing of Your Data or Withdrawal of Consent<br \/><br \/>\n3.1. If you have consented to the processing of your data, you may withdraw such consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.<br \/><br \/>\n3.2. Where we base the processing of your personal data on the balancing of interests, you may object to such processing. This is the case if it\u2019s processing is not required for fulfilling a contract to which you are a party, but for other purposes, details of which we will provide in the description of those processes below. When exercising such an objection, we ask you to give the reasons why we should not process your personal data in the manner we intend. In the event of your justified objection, we will examine the situation and either cease to process your data, or adjust data processing, or point out to you our compelling legitimate grounds for continuing to process your data.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>4. Collection of Personal Data When You Visit Our Website<br \/><br \/>\n4.1. When you visit our website for information purposes only, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide information to us, we only collect the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. When you visit our website we will collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security (the legal basis being Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR):<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; IP address<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Date and time of the request<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Content of the request (specific page)<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Access status\/HTTP status code<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Website transmitting the request<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Websites accessed by the user&#8217;s system via our website<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Bytes downloaded<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Browser<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Operating system and interface<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Language and version of the browser software.<br \/><br \/>\nThe above data will be stored with anonymised IP addresses in a so-called log file for the duration of 2 weeks, after which it will be deleted.<br \/><br \/>\n4.2. In addition to the aforementioned data, cookies are stored on your computer when you visit our website. Cookies are small text files that your browser stores on your hard drive which transmit certain information back to the party that has set the cookie (in this case, us). Cookies cannot run programs or transfer viruses to your computer. They are widely used in order to make websites function properly as well as to make them more user-friendly and effective.<br \/><br \/>\n4.3. Use of cookies:<br \/><br \/>\n4.3.1. This website uses the following types of cookies; the scope and functionality of which are explained below:<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Transient cookies (see 4.3.2)<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Persistent cookies (see 4.3.3).<br \/><br \/>\nTransient cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. They include, in particular, session cookies. They store a so-called session ID, which allows separate requests of your browser to be assigned to the same session. This will enable us to recoginse your computer when you return to our website. Session cookies also include the cookies that we use to ensure the correct display of our website on the device used by you. Session cookies will be deleted when you log out or close the browser.<br \/><br \/>\n4.3.2. Persistent cookies will automatically be deleted after a specified period of time, which may vary depending on the cookie. You may delete cookies at any time in the security settings of your browser.<br \/><br \/>\n4.3.3. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. However, if you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>5. Contacting us by E-mail<br \/><br \/>\n5.1. When you contact us by e-mail, we will store the data you provide (your e-mail address and &#8211; where applicable &#8211; your name, telephone number and your message) in order to answer your query. Once storage is no longer necessary, we will delete all data collected with regard to your query or we will restrict its processing if statutory retention obligations exist.<br \/><br \/>\n5.2. We process this data to respond to your request or queries. Said processing takes place for the purposes of our legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR), as it enables us to communicate with you in a satisfactory manner.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>6. Donations and Sponsorship<br \/><br \/>\n6.1. You can send us donations via our website. For this we cooperate with the payment service provider Paypal. If you click on the button &#8220;Donate&#8221; you will automatically be redirected to the Paypal Website.<br \/><br \/>\n6.2. The applicable privacy policy of PayPal can be found at https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/us\/webapps\/mpp\/ua\/privacy-full<br \/><br \/>\n6.3. You can acquire a sponsorship. If you send us your postal address by mail to patenschaft@frogs-friends.org we process your data in order to be able to send you the desired products. The legal basis is Article 6 (1) lit. b GDPR. <\/p><br \/>\n<p>7. Newsletter<br \/><br \/>\n7.1. If you consent to receiving our newsletter, we will keep you posted about our new projects.<br \/><br \/>\n7.2. We use the so-called double opt-in procedure for our newsletter subscription. This means that we will send you a confirmation e-mail after receiving your registration. In this e-mail we will ask you to confirm that you do in fact want to receive our newsletter. If you do not confirm your subscription, your e-mail address will not be added to our list. In addition, we will store the IP addresses used for and the time and date of your registration and confirmation. The purpose of this procedure is to be able to prove your registration and, if necessary, to clarify a possible misuse of your personal data. Our legitimate interests result from the aforementioned purpose. The legal basis is Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR.<br \/><br \/>\n7.3. After receiving confirmation from you, we will store your e-mail address and, if voluntarily given, your name, for the purpose of sending you the newsletter. The legal basis is Article 6 (1) lit. a GDPR.<br \/><br \/>\n7.4. With your consent we will track your user behaviour in relation to our newsletter. This means that we can track whether you open the newsletter e-mails we send and how often and on which links you have clicked in the newsletter e-mails we send. We do this to optimise the content of the newsletter and to provide you with information and offers which may be of interest to you. This is a legitimate interest, the legal basis is Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR.<br \/><br \/>\n7.5. You may withdraw your consent and cancel your subscription of our newsletter at any time. Simply click on the appropriate link provided in every newsletter e-mail, or write to us at info@frogs-friends.org or by sending a message to the contact details stated in the imprint.<br \/><br \/>\n7.6. We will delete your consent details, your e-mail address and any other corresponding user data when you withdraw your consent.<br \/><br \/>\n7.7. We use MailChimp to administer and send our newsletter. MailChimp is a service of The Rocket Science Group LLC and a provider from the USA. The Rocket Science Group has submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https:\/\/www.privacyshield.gov\/EU-US-Framework. When you access the registration site for our newsletter and consent to receiving it, the data you provide will be transferred to MailChimp. In addition, the IP address used for registering as well as the time and place of your registration will be stored. This integration of MailChimp takes place so that we can provide you with the possibility to consent to receiving our newsletter and to therefore the above-mentioned content, as well as to document your consent and, if necessary, to trace how this was granted in the case of any queries. Our interests arise from the aforementioned purpose. The legal basis is Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. The obligation of MailChimp to handle your data according to the GDPR and to take suitable technical and organisational measures for data security has been specified in a data processing agreement. For any further information we kindly ask you to refer to the data protection regulations provided by MailChimp: https:\/\/mailchimp.com\/legal\/privacy\/<\/p><br \/>\n<p>8. Google Analytics<br \/><br \/>\n8.1. This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (&#8220;Google&#8221;). Google Analytics uses &#8220;cookies&#8221;, i.e. text files that are stored on your computer, to help analyse how users use the website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is generally transferred to a Google server in the US and stored there. However, if IP anonymization is enabled on this website, your IP address will first be truncated by Google within European Union member states and other signatories to the Treaty on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transferred to a Google server in the US and truncated there. Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate your usage of our website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide us with other services relating to website and internet usage.<br \/><br \/>\n8.2. The IP address supplied by your browser within the scope of Google Analytics will not be combined with any other Google data.<br \/><br \/>\n8.3. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. However, if you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly. You can also prevent Google from collecting and processing data relating to your use of our website (including your IP address) by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: http:\/\/tools.google.com\/dlpage\/gaoptout?hl=en.<br \/><br \/>\n8.4. This website uses Google Analytics with the extension \u201c_anonymizeIp()&#8221;. As a result, IP addresses are processed in truncated form, so that any personal traceability is ruled out. As far as any data collected can be attributed to you, any such personal reference will be excluded immediately, resulting in this personal data being deleted.<br \/><br \/>\n8.5. The data collected by Google Analytics will be deleted after 14 months.<br \/><br \/>\n8.6. \u00a0We use Google Analytics to analyse and continually improve the use of our website. The resulting insights and statistics help us to provide you, the user, with better and more interesting content and service. For those exceptions where personal data is transmitted to the US, Google has submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https:\/\/www.privacyshield.gov\/EU-US-Framework. The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics is Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR, in as much as our legitimate interests arise from the pursuit of the aforementioned purposes.<br \/><br \/>\n8.7. Third party information: Google Dublin, Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, Fax: +353 (1) 436 1001.<br \/><br \/>\nTerms of Service: https:\/\/www.google.com\/analytics\/terms\/us.html\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\nPrivacy overview: https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/6004245?hl=en<br \/><br \/>\nPrivacy policy: https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy<\/p><br \/>\n<p>9. Matomo Web Analytics (formerly PIWIK)<br \/><br \/>\n9.1. Scope of the processing of personal data. We use the open source software tool Matomo (formerly PIWIK) on our website to analyse the browsing behaviour of our users. The software places a cookie on the user\u2019s computer (see above for more details of cookies). The following data will be saved if individual pages are visited on our website:\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Two bytes of the IP address of the user\u2019s accessing system\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; The accessed website\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; The website from which the user reached the accessed website (referrer)\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; The sub-pages accessed from the website\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; How long the user remained on the website\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; How often the website was accessed<br \/><br \/>\nIn this instance, the software only runs on our servers. The user\u2019s personal data is only stored there. This data will not be forwarded to third parties.<br \/><br \/>\n9.2. The legal basis for processing the user\u2019s personal data is Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\n9.3. Processing the user\u2019s personal data allows us to analyse the browsing behaviour of our users. We are able to compile information about how individual components of our website are used by analysing the collected data. This helps us to constantly improve our website and its user-friendliness. We will not use your data to create user profiles. These purposes justify our legitimate interests in processing data pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. By anonymising the IP address, the interest of users in their protection of personal data is sufficiently taken into account.<br \/><br \/>\n9.4. Duration of storage. The software has been configured in a way that the IP addresses will be truncated. Two bytes of the IP address will be masked (e.g.: 192.168.xxx.xxx). Because of this, the shortened IP address can no longer be assigned to any specific computer.<br \/><br \/>\n9.5. Right to objection and removal (opt-out option). Cookies are stored on the user\u2019s computer and then sent to our page from there. This is why you as a user have full control over the use of cookies. You can deactivate or restrict the transfer of cookies by changing the settings in your Internet browser. Any cookies stored on your computer can be deleted at any time. This can be done automatically. However, if you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly.<br \/><br \/>\nWe offer users the option to opt out of the analytics on our website. As a result, a further cookie will be placed on your system that tells our system not to save the user\u2019s data. Note that you will have to reset the opt-out cookie if for any reason you delete it from your machine.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>Click the following link for more information about the privacy settings for the Matomo software:\u00a0https:\/\/matomo.org\/docs\/privacy\/<\/p><br \/>\n<p>10. Use of Social Media Plug-ins <\/p><br \/>\n<p>10.1. We use the following Social Media Plug-ins: Facebook, Twitter. When you visit our site, the plug-in providers are informed that you have accessed the corresponding website of our online offering. In addition, the data mentioned under point 4.1 of this declaration are transmitted. In the case of Facebook, the IP address is made anonymous immediately after it has been collected, according to the provider in Germany. By activating the plug-in, personal data is transferred from you to the respective plug-in provider and stored there (for US providers in the USA).<br \/><br \/>\n10.2. We have no influence on the data collected and data processing processes, nor are we aware of the full extent of data collection, the purposes of processing, the storage periods. We also have no information on the deletion of the data collected by the plug-in provider.<br \/><br \/>\n10.3. The plug-in provider stores the data collected about you as user profiles and uses these for the purposes of advertising, market research and\/or demand-oriented design of its website. Such an evaluation takes place in particular (also for not logged in users) for the representation of demand-fair advertisement and in order to inform other users of the social network about your activities on our website. You have the right of objection to the creation of these user profiles, whereby you must contact the respective plug-in provider to exercise this right. Through the plug-ins we offer you the possibility to interact with social networks and other users, so that we can improve our offer and make it more interesting for you as a user. The legal basis for the use of the plug-ins is Article 6 (1) 1 lit. f GDPR.<br \/><br \/>\n10.4. This takes place regardless of whether the plug-in provider provides a user account that you are logged in with or whether no such user account exists. If you are logged in to Facebook, your information will be directly associated with your account. If you do not wish to be associated with your profile on Facebook, we recommend you log out before visiting our website.<br \/><br \/>\n10.5. Regarding the purpose and scope of said data collection and further processing and use of this data, as well as your rights and optional settings with regard to the protection of your privacy, please consult the Providers privacy policy:<br \/><br \/>\n10.6. Addresses of the\u00a0 plug-in-providers and URL of their Privacy Policies:<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Facebook Inc., 1601 S California Ave, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA; http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/policy.php; additional information for data collection: http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/help\/186325668085084, http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/about\/privacy\/your-info-on-other#applications and http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/about\/privacy\/your-info#everyoneinfo. Facebook submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https:\/\/www.privacyshield.gov\/EU-US-Framework.<br \/><br \/>\n&#8211; Twitter, Inc., 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, California 94103, USA; https:\/\/twitter.com\/privacy. Twitter submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https:\/\/www.privacyshield.gov\/EU-US-Framework.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>11. Social Media Profiles<br \/><br \/>\nWe maintain a company profile on the following social networks and platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube. We maintain these profiles in order to communicate with our customers, users and interested parties and in order to provide further information about our products and activities. In the case of any messages or contributions we receive on these profiles, we will process your data to enable us to communicate with you. This is a legitimate interest; the legal basis is Article 6 (1) lit f GDPR. No further storage of this communication takes place outside of these networks on our part. The terms and conditions of the platform operators\u00a0 apply. Regarding the purpose and scope of said data collection and further processing and use of this data by the operators of these social platforms, as well as your rights and optional settings with regard to the protection of your privacy, please refer to the respective privacy statements:<br \/><br \/>\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/about\/privacy<br \/><br \/>\nhttps:\/\/help.instagram.com\/519522125107875?helpref=page_content<br \/><br \/>\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/en\/privacy<br \/><br \/>\nhttps:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy?hl=en <\/p><br \/>\n<hr \/><br \/>\n","imprint_title":"Legal notice "},"credits":{"video":false,"text":"<h1><strong>Credits<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong>Frogs &amp; Friends e.V. presents:<br \/>\nA Filmtank GmbH production with the support of the Interactive Media Foundation gGmbh (IMF)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A web documentary by Lena Thiele and Sebastian Baurmann (Miiqo Studios UG)<br \/>\nProducer: Michael Grotenhoff and Saskia Kress (Filmtank GmbH), Diana Schniedermeier (Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH)<br \/>\nIdea and Creative Direction: Lena Thiele (Miiqo Studios UG)<br \/>\nDesign and Art Direction: Sebastian Baurmann (Miiqo Studios UG)<br \/>\nConcept and scientific consultant: Bj\u00f6rn Encke (Frogs &#038; Friends) und Heiko Werning<br \/>\nExecutive Producers: Sebastian Baurmann (Miiqo Studios UG), Thorsten Schwarck und Jonas Witsch (Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH)<br \/>\nTechnical Direction: Sebastian Baurmann (Miiqo Studios UG), Nicolas Bregenzer (We are Blessed Creative GmbH)<br \/>\nTechnical Realisation: Nicolas Bregenzer (We are Blessed Creative GmbH)<br \/>\nIllustration and Animation: Jonas Lieberknecht<br \/>\nScript: Lena Thiele, Heiko Werning<br \/>\nText: Heiko Werning, Lena Thiele, Frank Haala<br \/>\nSound Design: Bernd Schultheis<br \/>\nEditors: Andreas Krauss (Frogs &#038; Friends), Heiko Werning<br \/>\nFilming of Interviews: Bj\u00f6rn Encke<br \/>\nVoice-Over: Petra Wolf (DE), Stephan Buchheim (Dubbing DE), Yvette Coetzee-Hannemann (EN)<br \/>\nAfter Effects: Moritz Degen<br \/>\nSound Editing: Andrew Mottl<br \/>\nEditing: Mihal Kuleba<br \/>\nFootage Research: Andreas Krauss (Frogs &#038; Friends), Heiko Werning<br \/>\n\u201cTailed Frog\u201d Video Material: Matthew Schertz<\/p>\n<p>Special Thanks to: Bj\u00f6rn Encke (Frog &amp; Friends e.V.), Simon Nicolas Stuart, Andrew A. Cunningham, Frank Mutschmann, Mark Oliver R\u00f6del, Axel Kwet, Kriton Kunz, Nora Ambun-Suri, Susann Knakowske and Maria Grotenhoff.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n","credits_title":"Credits","credits_title2":"Picture Credits","text2":"<h1><strong>Picture credits<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong>Chapter 1: Metamorphosis<\/strong><br \/>\nPond Frog Tadpole: Arco Images\/G. Lacz<br \/>\nTree Frog Metamorphosis: Arco Images\/FLPA<br \/>\nYoung Grass Frog: Arco Images\/FLPA<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter 1: The World of Amphibians<\/strong><br \/>\nCommon Coqui I: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nCommon Coqui II &amp; III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nTree Toad I &amp; III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nChacoan Horned Frog I: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nChacoan Horned Frog II: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nChacoan Horned Frog III: Arco Images\/imageBROKER<br \/>\nColorado River Toad III: Heiko Werning<br \/>\nGolden Mantella I &amp; II: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nGolden Mantella III: Arco Images\/FLPA<br \/>\nAfrican Bullfrog I: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nBumblebee Toad III: Axel Kwet<br \/>\nJapanese Giant Salamander I-III: Arco Images\/ Minden Pictures<br \/>\nRed-tailed Knobby Newt III: Arco Images\/FLPA<br \/>\nPurple Frog I: Karthickbala, CC-BY-SA 3.0<br \/>\nMarbled Reed Frog III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nFirebelly Toad I: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nRed Salamander II: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nRed Salamander III: Arco Images\/ Minden Pictures<br \/>\nTaita Hills Caecilian I &amp; II: Alexander Kupfer<br \/>\nMadagascar Tomato Frog III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nTurtle Frog I-III: Arco Images\/AUSCAPE<br \/>\nBlacksmith Tree Frog I-III: Axel Kwet<br \/>\nRedbelly Toad: Axel Kwet<br \/>\nCayenne Caecilian I-III: Axel Kwet<br \/>\nVolcano Clawed Frog I &amp; II: S. Chraiti<br \/>\nVolcano Clawed Frog III: David Massemin<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter 2: The Glass Frog<\/strong><br \/>\nGlass Frog III: Tobias Eisenberg<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter 2: Clearly Special<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Skin\/Camouflage I: Tobias Eisenberg<br \/>\nThe Skin\/Camouflage II: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Skin\/Camouflage III: Kriton Kunz<br \/>\nThe Skin\/Camouflage III: Tobias Eisenberg<br \/>\nThe Skin\/Defense II: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Skin\/Defense III: Arco Images\/ImageBROKER<br \/>\nThe Skin\/Protection I: Arco Images\/FLPA<br \/>\nThe Skin\/Protection III: Arco Images\/NPL<\/p>\n<p>The Eyes\/Nocturnal I-IV: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Eyes\/Toad Eyes I: Arco Images\/FLPA<br \/>\nThe Eyes\/Toad Eyes II &amp; III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Eyes\/Toad Eyes IV: Arco Images\/D. Usher<br \/>\nThe Eyes\/Sensory Apparatus I: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Eyes\/Sensory Apparatus II &amp; III: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nThe Eyes\/Sensory Apparatus IV: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<\/p>\n<p>The Lung\/Gill-Breathing II &amp; IV: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Lung\/Gill-Breathing II: Arco Images\/FLPA<br \/>\nThe Lung\/Gill-Breathing III: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nThe Lung\/Gill-Breathing IV: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Lung\/Skin-Breathing I: Arturo Munoz Saravia &#8211; Bolivian Amphibian Initiative<br \/>\nThe Lung\/Skin-Breathing III: Arco Images\/NPL<\/p>\n<p>The Throat Sac I &amp; II: Arco Images\/NPL<\/p>\n<p>The Tongue I &amp; II: Arco Images\/Rauschenbach<br \/>\nThe Tongue III &amp; IV: Arco Images\/NPL<\/p>\n<p>Toes and Feet I &amp; III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nToes and Feet II &amp; IV: Arco Images\/NPL<\/p>\n<p>The Legs I: Arco Images\/ImageBROKER<br \/>\nThe Legs II: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nThe Legs IV: Arco Images\/AUSCAPE<\/p>\n<p>Reproductive Organs\/Frogspawn II: Arco Images\/FLPA<br \/>\nReproductive Organs\/Frogspawn IV: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nReproductive Organs\/Tadpoles I-IV: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nReproductive Organs\/Extraordinary Strategies I: K. Busse<br \/>\nReproductive Organs\/Extraordinary Strategies II: David Massemin<br \/>\nReproductive Organs\/Extraordinary Strategies III &amp; IV: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter 2: Extreme Habitats<\/strong><br \/>\nBy Perpetual Ice\/Grass Frog I: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nBy Perpetual Ice\/Grass Frog III: Arco Images\/FLPA<\/p>\n<p>Dark Caves\/Olm I: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nDark Caves\/Grotto Olm II: Arco Images\/ImageBROKER<br \/>\nDark Caves\/Grotto Olm III: Sunbird Images<br \/>\nDark Caves\/Texas Grotto Olm I-III: Heiko Werning<\/p>\n<p>Arid Deserts\/Cape Rain Frog I-III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nArid Deserts\/Crucifix Toad I &amp; III: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nArid Deserts\/Crucifix Toad II: Arco Images\/ Minden Pictures<\/p>\n<p>Additional Content\/Wallace Flying Frog II: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter 3: A Species Vanishes<\/strong><br \/>\nAdditional Content\/Golden Toad: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter 3: Most Wanted!<\/strong><br \/>\nCharta Tree Frog: Esteban Alzate, CC-BY-SA 2.5 en<br \/>\nGolden Coqui: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, CC-BY-SA 2.0 en<br \/>\nLewis&#8217; Stubfoot Toad: Brian Gratwicke, CC-BY-SA 2.0 en<br \/>\nDutoit&#8217;s Torrent Frog: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, CC-BY-NC-SA<br \/>\nGolden Toad: Arco Images\/ Minden Pictures<br \/>\nNorthern Darwin&#8217;s Frog: Klaus Busse<br \/>\nQuito Stubfoot Toad: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nGastric-Brooding Frog: Arco Images\/AUSCAPE<br \/>\nAdditional Content\/The corroboree Frog I: Arco Images\/AUSCAPE<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter 3: Habitat Loss<\/strong><br \/>\nDiseases II: Frank Mutschmann<br \/>\nLocality representation and modeling of Dennis R\u00f6dder, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, with data from: Mokhatla, M. M. , D. &amp; G. J. R\u00f6dder Measey ( 2015): Assessing the effects of climate change on distributions of Cape Floristic Region amphibians. &#8211; S Afr J Sci 111 ( 11\/12 ) , Art # 2014-0389<br \/>\nClimate Change II: Anton Potgieter, CC-BY-SA 4.0<br \/>\nClimate Change V: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nAlien Species\/Trout IV: Arco Images\/NPL<br \/>\nPoaching &amp; Hunting\/Chinese Giant Salamander I &#8211; III: Arco Images\/Minden Pictures<br \/>\nPoaching &amp; Hunting\/Giant Ditch Frog I: Arco Images\/Sunbird Images<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n"},"info":{"video":"","text":"<h1><strong>About the Project<\/strong><\/h1><br \/>\n<p>Experience the fascinating world of amphibians in an interactive excursion.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>Everything began with a leap from water onto land. Travel 380 million years back in time and experience the first steps on land and the phenomenon of metamorphosis.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>Today they inhabit almost all of the world. Flying frogs, lungless salamanders, toads in desert sand \u2013 amphibians are true masters of adaptation. Discover their extreme habitats.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>Sadly, over 40% of these fascinating species are endangered. Learn more about the threat factors and find out what you can do to help.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>Frogs &amp; Friends\u2019 mission is to use the possibilities offered by new media to sensitise people to the plight of amphibians and mobilise them to help safeguard their survival. We want to fascinate people by telling exciting stories \u2013 in exhibitions in partner institutions and online. Our society was founded in 2014 and is an initiative of the Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH.<\/p><br \/>\n<p>www.frogs-friends.org<\/p><br \/>\n<hr \/><br \/>\n","info_title":"Project","info_title2":"Sitemap"},"scene3_6":{"video":"","meta_title":"A Species Vanishes","cta":"Conservation Projects","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene3_5":{"video":"","meta_title":"What Can We Do?","headline":"What Can We Do?","subline":"The situation for amphibians sounds serious and threatening. And so it is. <br \/>\r\nBut there are a number of strategies to help secure the amphibians\u2019 survival. <br \/>\r\nScientists all around the world are working on solutions.","items":[{"name":"PD Dr. Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del","beruf":"Curator for herpetology, Museum of Natural History in Berlin","vita":"As an ecologist, he is interested in the conservation of biodiversity and its ecological functions. He heads a work group at the Museum for Natural History in Berlin with the aim of developing a sustainable system to extract frog proteins.","quote":"\"It\u2019s up to us to keep environmental change in check to a degree that amphibians have a chance of survival.\" "},{"name":"Prof. Andrew Cunningham, PhD","beruf":"BVMS Ph.D. Dip. ECZM Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London","vita":"Andrew has worked at the Zoological Society of London since 1988, initially as veterinary pathologist and latterly as Head of the Wildlife Epidemiology group, which investigates disease threats to wildlife conservation globally. He has published over 200 scientific papers and has led several international, multi-disciplinary conservation projects, including the team that discovered the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis as a cause of amphibian declines.","quote":"\"We have to change the laws on transporting wildlife to help stifle the spread of diseases.\""},{"name":"Dr. med. vet. Frank Mutschmann","beruf":"Veterinary specialist for herpetology and parasitology, Berlin","vita":"Frank is working more than 25 years as a veterinarian in the field of amphibian and reptile medicine. He has published a textbook on amphibian diseases, described 2 new amphibian parasites and the first detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Europe. He is leading a specialized laboratory which is dealing with \u201ccold blooded vertebrates\u201d.","quote":"\"There are a number of international conservation projects and many things we can all do in our everyday lives.\""},{"name":"Simon Nicolas Stuart, PhD","beruf":"Chair IUCN Species Survival Commission","vita":"Simon was the Senior Species Scientist for both IUCN and Conservation International. He served as programme head of the IUCN Species Programme, and as Acting Director General of IUCN. He completed the Global Amphibian Assessment putting the global phenomenon of amphibian declines and extinctions on the map.","quote":"\"Governments need to be held accountable. And science needs to be better supported.\""}],"zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"Hope for the Spray Toad","text":"The Kihansi spray toad only lived in the immediate vicinity of a single waterfall in the mountains of Tanzania. It has a particularly spectacular reproductive biology: in completely atypical fashion for toads, they perform internal fertilisation, after which they do not deposit eggs, but instead give birth to live tadpoles. As a hydroelectric dam project dried out the waterfall to such an extent that the toad almost died out, an artificial sprinkler system was developed. Sadly, it stopped working for a while, and the toads were extirpated in open nature. However, zoos had established a breeding stock and succeeded in breeding the animals. Since 2012, the toads are being resettled in their original habitat, which has been made inhabitable for them again. That means there\u2019s something we can do to help fight amphibian extinction!","bilder":[{"video":true,"caption":"Interview Simon Stuart, Ph.D."},{"video":false,"caption":"The Kihansi spray toad was saved from extinction thanks to breeding programmes in zoos"},{"video":false,"caption":"Saved from extinction: Kihansi spray toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis"}]}]},"scene3_4":{"video":"","meta_title":"Threat Factors","headline":"Threat Factors","subline":"Frogs are in decline on a global scale. There are a number of causes for this. But there\u2019s always one common denominator: humans.","0_headline":"Habitat Loss","0_subline":"(wird nicht verwendet)","0_text":"The greatest threat to amphibians is the destruction of their habitats. An important example for this is the global decline of rainforests. They are home to particularly high number of amphibians that can\u2019t adapt to disturbed biotopes and disappear along with the forest.","0_items":[{"label":"Central America"},{"label":"Brazil"},{"label":"Central Africa"},{"label":"Southeast Asia"}],"0_legende":[{"label":"2000 years ago","farbe":"5"},{"label":"Today","farbe":"1"}],"0_bilder":[{"video":true,"caption":"Simon Nicolas Stuart and Dr. Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del on the issue of habitat loss as a threat factor"},{"video":false,"caption":"In recent years, more and more of the rainforest on Borneo is being cleared to make way for palm oil plantations"},{"video":false,"caption":"Slash-and-burn in the Amazon basin to grow more soy as cattle feed \u2013 no more room for frogs"},{"video":false,"caption":"This white-lined leaf frog (Phyllomedusa vaillanti) lives in the Amazonian rainforests"},{"video":false,"caption":"This Amazonian poison dart frog (Ranitomeya amazonica) also depends on the rainforest as its natural habitat"}],"0_labelvideo1":"Interview","0_labelvideo2":"Habitat Loss","0_labellegende":"Rainforests worldwide","1_headline":"Diseases","1_subline":"TBD (wird nicht verwendet)","1_text":"The enigmatic chytrid fungus is probably the most important cause of the mysterious disappearance of entire frog species from seemingly intact habitats. Its global spread continues unabated. And now a second \u2018killer fungus\u2019 that attacks salamanders has emerged.","1_items":[{"label":"Canada"},{"label":"South America"},{"label":"Australia"},{"label":"Oceania"}],"1_legende":[{"label":"> 800","farbe":"1"},{"label":"> 600","farbe":"2"},{"label":"> 400","farbe":"3"},{"label":"> 200","farbe":"4"},{"label":"> 200","farbe":"5"},{"label":"Negative","farbe":"6"}],"1_bilder":[{"video":true,"caption":"Prof. Andrew A. Cunningham on the issue of chytridiomycosis as a global threat factor"},{"video":false,"caption":"Histological section of frog skin infected with the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis"},{"video":false,"caption":"The chytrid fungus is believed to be responsible for the sudden mass deaths occurring in many frog populations"},{"video":false,"caption":"The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans could become a real threat to the European fire salamander and other amphibians"}],"1_labelvideo1":"Interview","1_labelvideo2":"Diseases","1_labellegende":"Spread of chytridiomycosis (No. of localities with a positive finding)","2_headline":"Climate Change","2_text":"Our climate is changing, the average global temperature is rising. As a result, local climates are changing. Many amphibians will be faced with worse or completely unsuitable climatic conditions in their habitats.","2_startvideo":"none","2_items":[{"video":true,"caption":"Prof. Andrew A. Cunningham and Simon Nicolas Stuart on the issue of climate change as a threat factor"},{"video":false,"caption":"The giant rain frog, Breviceps gibbosus, has adapted to specific desert climates"},{"video":false,"caption":"Changes, for instance longer dry periods, could quickly become a threat to it"},{"video":false,"caption":"A giant rain frog dug up from the sandy ground"},{"video":false,"caption":"Rain frogs (such as this Breviceps adspersus) bury themselves in the sand to escape the dry desert climate"}],"2_sub_headline_1":"Habitat for the rain frog in 2016","2_sub_text_1":"The climate of the future: Its getting tight for the rain frog!<br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\nLocality representation and modeling of Dennis R\u00f6dder, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, with data from: Mokhatla, M. M. , D. & G. J. R\u00f6dder Measey ( 2015): Assessing the effects of climate change on distributions of Cape Floristic Region amphibians. - S Afr J Sci 111 ( 11\/12 ) , Art # 2014-0389","2_sub_label_1":"Habitat in 2016","2_sub_headline_2":"Current climatic suitability of habitats","2_sub_text_2":"Current climatic suitability of habitats for the cape rain frog in the South African Cape Province Red = highly suitable climate, yellow = moderately suitable climate, green = marginally suitable climate, blue = mostly unsuitable climate.","2_sub_label_2":"Suitability in 2016","2_sub_headline_3":"Climate models for predicting climate change","2_sub_text_3":"Models can be used to project what the climate might look like in the future. These two \u2018predictions\u2019 for 2080 are based on scenarios A2a and B2a as published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). A2a is currently regarded as the most realistic scenario. As shown here, habitats suitable for the cape rain frog are in dramatic decline. In the probable scenario A2a, the changes in the local climate would make the current home of the entire northern population almost uninhabitable for this frog. ","2_sub_label_3":"Suitability in 2080 - Scenario A2A and ","2_sub_headline_4":"Climate models for predicting climate change","2_sub_label_4":"B2A","2_labelvideo1":"Interview","2_labelvideo2":"Climate Change","2_labellegende":"Legend","2_eignung":"Climate suitability","2_kilometer":"Kilometres","2_gering":"Low","2_gut":"Good","3_headline":"Alien Species","3_subline":"TBD (Wird nicht verwendet)","3_text":"Invasion of alien species \u2013 for many amphibians this isn\u2019t science fiction, but life-threatening fact. All over the world, there are species that humans introduced into habitats where they don\u2019t belong. Local amphibians are often completely at their mercy with no natural defenses.","3_items":[{"label":"Cane toad","wissname":"Bufo marinus","headline":"Cane toad \u2013 Attack of the killer toads","text":"Cane toads were introduced in sugar cane plantations by humans as a biological pest control agent. Unlike in their natural habitat in Central or South America, there were no local predators that could withstand their poison. And so the toads have spread unimpeded, gobbling up anything that stands in their way.  Even other amphibians.","bilder":[{"caption":"The advance of the voracious cane toads in Australia and elsewhere seems almost unstoppable"},{"caption":"This Australian laughing kookaburra has caught a cane toad; many Australian predators are unprepared for their poison and die of it"},{"caption":"Cane toads produce an effective toxin in their skin glands that spells doom for many would-be predators"}]},{"label":"Trout","wissname":"Salmo trutta","headline":"Trout \u2013 This food fish has an appetite of its own","text":"Trouts are widely eaten and fished, so they have been introduced all over the world. Even in waters that previously lacked large predators. Tadpoles and newt larvae are tasty little appetisers for them. This makes them a serious threat for many amphibians.","bilder":[{"caption":"As a popular food fish, the trout was introduced in bodies of water all around the world"},{"caption":"Anglers love trout \u2013 trout love tadpoles"},{"caption":"The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae) has been brought to the brink of extinction by the voracious appetite of trout"},{"caption":"In Australia, the Spencer\u2019s river tree frog has suffered massive population declines caused by trout"}]},{"label":"Red swamp crayfish","wissname":"Procambarus clarkii","headline":"Red swamp crayfish \u2013 A fishing bait strikes back","text":"The little swamp crayfish aren\u2019t just a vital ingredient in Louisiana\u2019s Cajun cuisine, they\u2019re also a popular fishing bait used all over the world. Unfortunately, they are particularly partial to frogspawn and even attack fully grown amphibians.","bilder":[{"caption":"Pretty, but dangerous: the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii"},{"caption":"From the swamps of Louisiana to one of the most widespread crayfish in the world"},{"caption":"When swamp crayfish are introduced into their habitat, the larvae of the orange-bellied newt (Taricha torosa) have no chance of survival"}]},{"label":"Amur sleeper","wissname":"Perccottus glenii","headline":"Amur sleeper \u2013 A Soviet relic threatens Europe","text":"The Amur sleeper was a valuable staple of the Soviet fishing industry and was bred in huge numbers. But now this aggressive fish has advanced all the way into Europe, where it destroys entire amphibian broods and even attacks adult frogs and newts.","bilder":[{"caption":"Amur sleeper, Perccottus glenii"},{"caption":"A big mouth and an attitude to match: the Amur sleeper even attacks fully grown amphibians"},{"caption":"The Amur sleeper has been proven to have a negative effect on the population of pool frogs (Rana lessonae)"}]},{"label":"American bullfrog","wissname":"Rana catesbeiana","headline":"American bullfrog \u2013 A big mouth with an unhealthy appetite","text":"It\u2019s one of the largest frogs in the world, which makes it a popular dish for humans. But it was also used for pest control. This bullfrog is a nightmare for other amphibians because it displaces native species in masses. ","bilder":[{"caption":"American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana"},{"caption":"The global demand for frog legs has caused the easily breedable bullfrog to spread all over the world"},{"caption":"Due to its size and very high population densities, the bullfrog is displacing indigenous amphibians"}]}],"3_startvideo":"Prof. Andrew A. Cunningham on the issue of adventive species as a threat factor","3_labelvideo1":"Interview","3_labelvideo2":"Alien Species","4_headline":"Poaching & Hunting","4_subline":"TBD (wird nicht verwendet)","4_text":"In many countries, amphibians are still on the menu or are caught and killed for their medicinal or purported sexual benefits. In some countries such as China, this has decimated some species and even driven them to the brink of extinction.","4_items":[{"label":"The Indus Valley bullfrog","headline":"Indus Valley bullfrog \u2013 When it left, disease spread","text":"It used to be hunted and globally exported as \u2018frog legs\u2019 to such an extent that its population collapsed. This caused mosquitoes to spread rampantly, and malaria infections skyrocketed. Since then, it has been placed under protection. Now the East Asian bullfrog, also known as the \u2018Chinese edible frog\u2019, has taken its place as a global delicacy.","bilder":[{"caption":"Indus Valley bullfrog, Hoplobatrachus tigerinus"},{"caption":"For a long time, the Indus Valley bullfrog was the most important global \u2018supplier\u2019 of frog legs"},{"caption":"Today, millions of East Asian bullfrogs (Hoplobatrachus rugolosus) are sold for global consumption"}]},{"label":"The crowned bullfrog","headline":"Crowned frog \u2013 Hope for Africa","text":"The crowned bullfrog lives south of the Sahara, where it is regularly caught and eaten. While it hasn\u2019t yet been officially listed as an endangered species, frog catchers have greatly reduced its population. A project by Frogs & Friends is designed to help sustainably breed crowned bullfrogs in rice fields.","bilder":[{"caption":"Crowned bullfrog, Hoplobatrachus occipitalis"}]},{"label":"The California red-legged frog","headline":"California red-legged frog \u2013 A frog caught up in the Gold Rush","text":"Gold miners in California in 1849 didn\u2019t just look for precious metals but also had to search for food. The common red-legged frogs were heavily hunted, and by 1875, they were already regarded as rare in San Francisco. Today, they are protected as an endangered species.","bilder":[{"caption":"Californian red-legged frog, Rana draytonii"},{"caption":"The Gold Rush brought hungry settlers to California. The red-legged frogs were a popular source of food."},{"caption":"Heavy settlement of its habitat, such as here in San Francisco, caused it to become even further endangered"}]},{"label":"The Chinese giant salamander","headline":"The Chinese giant salamander \u2013 Victim of economic circumstance","text":"It is known as a delicacy and believed to have medicinal properties. The economic boom in China has caused demand for its (expensive) meat to shoot up rapidly. Despite being legally protected, it still continues to be consumed by the country\u2019s elite.","bilder":[{"caption":"Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus"},{"caption":"Giant salamanders continue to be caught for the black market and sold at high prices"},{"caption":"A number of breeding farm projects have been set up to help produce giant salamanders for the market."}]},{"label":"The giant ditch frog","headline":"Giant ditch frog \u2013 Under siege from all sides","text":"It has always been hunted for food, but in recent years, this species has come to face a number of new threats: the chytrid fungus has caused dramatic population decline, a volcano eruption destroyed important biotopes, and it continues to caught for consumption.","bilder":[{"caption":"Giant ditch frog, Leptodactylus fallax, also known as \u2018mountain chicken\u2019"},{"caption":"Mountain rainforest on Dominica, home to the giant ditch frog"},{"caption":"2006 volcano eruption on Montserrat; this caused the destruction of important biotopes for the mountain chicken"}]}],"4_startvideo":"Simon Nicolas Stuart on the issue of poaching & hunting as a threat factor","4_labelvideo1":"Interview","4_labelvideo2":"Poaching & Hunting","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene3_3":{"video":"","meta_title":"Interview on Threat Factors","name1":"Prof. Andrew A. Cunningham, PhD","beruf1":"BVMS Ph.D. Dip. ECZM Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London","vita1":"Andrew has worked at the Zoological Society of London since 1988, initially as veterinary pathologist and latterly as Head of the Wildlife Epidemiology group, which investigates disease threats to wildlife conservation globally. He has published over 200 scientific papers and has led several international, multi-disciplinary conservation projects, including the team that discovered the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis as a cause of amphibian declines.","quote1":"\u201cIn the past hundred years, we humans have changed the earth beyond recognition.\u201d","name2":"Simon Nicolas Stuart","beruf2":"Ph.D. Cantab. Chair, IUCN Species Survival Commission","vita2":"Simon was the Senior Species Scientist for both IUCN and Conservation International. He served as programme head of the IUCN Species Programme, and as Acting Director General of IUCN. He completed the Global Amphibian Assessment putting the global phenomenon of amphibian declines and extinctions on the map. ","quote2":"\u201cAmphibians in particular are suffering under the current changes.\u201d","name3":"Prof. Andrew A. Cunningham, PhD","beruf3":"BVMS Ph.D. Dip. ECZM Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London","vita3":"Andrew has worked at the Zoological Society of London since 1988, initially as veterinary pathologist and latterly as Head of the Wildlife Epidemiology group, which investigates disease threats to wildlife conservation globally. He has published over 200 scientific papers and has led several international, multi-disciplinary conservation projects, including the team that discovered the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis as a cause of amphibian declines.","quote3":"\u201cIt\u2019s as if a storm were sweeping the earth, a storm of all these changes. If everything comes together, we\u2019ll experience the loss of entire species.\u201d","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene3_2":{"video":"","meta_title":"Most Wanted!","label":"Legend","legend1":"Anurans (frogs)","legend2":"Caudates (salamanders)","legend3":"Caecilians","headline":"Most Wanted!","subline":"About 165 amphibian species have become extinct in the past hundred years, while another 250 have gone missing. And the same fate is in store for many others. These 10 species seem to have vanished but researchers are still searching for them.","items":[{"label":"Golden toad","area":"Costa Rica","text":"This is where everything started. Year by year, the once-common animals began to vanish right from under the eyes of researchers. The last specimen was seen in 1989, even though their habitat seemed to be completely intact. By then, it had become clear that something strange was going on.","wissname":"Incilius periglenes","lat":"9.7489170","lng":"-83.7534280","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Golden toad, Incilius periglenes"}]},{"label":"Gastric-brooding frog","area":"Australia","text":"Its reproductive biology was spectacular: the gastric-brooding frog just swallowed its tadpoles. Even though its habitat in the mountains of Northeastern Australia seems to be completely undisturbed, it has evidently become extinct. The last specimen was spotted in 1985. Now there are plans to clone it back into existence.","wissname":"Rheobatrachus silus","lat":"-26.7","lng":"152.883333","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Gastric-brooding frog, Rheobatrachus silus"}]},{"label":"Quito stubfoot toad","area":"Ecuador","text":"In the 1980s, this pretty stubfoot toad was a very common sight in the damp Andean highlands surrounding Chimborazo. The effects of the chytrid fungus are probably to blame for the rapid disappearance of the species, which hasn\u2019t been seen again since 1988 despite an intensive search.","wissname":"Atelopus ignescens","lat":"-1.469302","lng":"-78.81694","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Quito stubfoot toad, Atelopus ignescens"}]},{"label":"Yunnan lake newt","area":"China","text":"The only known habitat for the Yunnan lake newt is the Dianchi Lake in the Southern Chinese province of Yunnan. This habitat was heavily polluted by industrial waste water from the nearby city of Kunning. Despite an intensive search, this animal hasn\u2019t been spotted since 1984.","wissname":"Cynops wolterstorffi","lat":"24.880095","lng":"102.832892","filter":"2","bilder":[{"caption":"Yunnan lake newt, Cynops wolterstorffi"}]},{"label":"Northern Darwin's Frog","area":"Chile","text":"While its southern relative broods the tadpoles in its throat sac until metamorphosis sets in, the Northern Darwin's Frog only kept them there until they had grown bigger. Then it deposited them in streams. However, since 1980, all attempts to locate this important \u2018link\u2019 in the evolution of amphibian reproduction have been in vain.","wissname":"Rhinoderma rufum","lat":"-34.894398","lng":"-71.997139","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Northern Darwin's Frog"}]},{"label":"Lewis' Stubfoot Toad","area":"Panama","text":"They lived in great numbers by the streams of the Cordillera de Talamanca-Chiriqui in Panama and Costa Rica. They were extremely varied, from yellow to cyan or mottled in black, red and white. At a length of 5 cm, the females were larger than the 3.5 cm-long males. The last animals were spotted towards the end of the 1990s.","wissname":"Atelopus chiriquiensis","lat":"8.5379810","lng":"-80.7821270","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Lewis' Stubfoot Toad, Atelopus chiriquiensis"}]},{"label":"Golden Coqui","area":"Puerto Rico","text":"They were the only representatives of the large family of southern frogs to give birth to live young. These golden-yellow, only 2 cm-long frogs lived in phytotelmata in the mountain rainforest in the Sierra de Cayey on Puerto Rico. The last living specimen was spotted in 1981.","wissname":"Eleutherodactylus jasperi","lat":"18.114683","lng":"-66.032942","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Golden Coqui, Eleutherodactylus jasperi"}]},{"label":"Charta tree frog","area":"Colombia","text":"This pretty tree frog lived by streams in the cloud forests of the Colombian Cordillera Oriental at altitudes between 1,600 and 2,400 metres. It attached its egg clutches to leaves so that the tadpoles would drop into the water underneath. The last of these frogs was seen in 1987.","wissname":"Hyloscirtus denticulentus","lat":"7.280931","lng":"-72.96805","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Charta tree frog, Hyloscirtus denticulentus"}]},{"label":"Pseudophilautus adspersus","area":"Sri Lanka","text":"Only two specimens of this shrub frog were ever spotted, the last time was in 1886. After that, this species that presumably lived in the highlands of Sri Lanka was never seen again.","wissname":"Pseudophilautus adspersus","lat":"6.954399","lng":"80.782401","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Pseudophilautus adspersus, historical drawing from 1882"}]},{"label":"Dutoit's Torrent Frog","area":"Kenia","text":"This ancient frog had already split off from the other amphibians 5 million years before the death of the dinosaurs. It lived by the mountain rivers of Mount Elgon. Its tadpoles attached themselves to rocks in the rapids. No more living specimens have been spotted since 1962.","wissname":"Petropedetes dutoiti","lat":"1.149292","lng":"34.541762","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Dutoit's Torrent Frog, Petropedetes dutoiti"}]}],"zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"The Next Victim?","text":"High up in the Southern Australian Alps lies the home of the bright black and yellow-coloured Corroboree frogs (Pseudophryne corroboree), which only measure a mere three centimetres. Its warning colour advertises its effective skin poison. It inhabits a tiny area in Kosciuszko National Park. Despite being listed as a protected species, the population of these tiny frogs has collapsed by 99 % over the past years. In 2014, only about 50 animals were still left living in the wild! The cause: the infamous chytrid fungus has spread into the south of Australia, decimating the population. Conservationists are trying to save the animals. Corroboree frogs are being bred in captivity in zoos, and some of their spawn is being returned to their natural habitat. A race against time with an uncertain outcome. ","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"The corroboree frog, Pseudophryne corroboree"},{"video":false,"caption":"The chytrid fungus has reached the Kosciuszko National Park in Southern Australia"},{"video":false,"caption":"The corroboree frog is an iconic frog in Australia and was honoured with a postal stamp"}]}]},"scene3_1":{"video":"","meta_title":"A Golden Toad","zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"A Golden Toad","text":"The golden toad was a relatively slender toad, measuring about 5 cm. There was a pronounced difference between the genders. The females weren\u2019t just around a centimetre longer and bulkier than the males, their colour difference was so pronounced that it\u2019s hard to believe they even belonged to the same species. While the males shone in a bright golden-yellow colour, the females had green and cream-coloured mottled skin with red patches. Their species had a very small range of less than 10 square kilometres in the extremely damp and cool cloud forest in the mountains of Costa Rica. The animals spent most of the year hidden away underground. They only emerged at the beginning of the rainy season, coming together to mate by small pools of water, where the females would deposit clutches of 200-400 eggs. The species presumably became extinct in 1989.","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"Golden Toad, Incilius Periglenes"}]}]},"scene3_0":{"video":"","meta_title":"A Species Vanishes","subline":"They watched the dinosaurs come and go. But now their populations are shrinking dramatically all over the world. Amphibian species are vanishing off the face of the earth. One of them is the beautiful golden toad. Its plight is representative of the threat facing an entire class of animals.","zusatzinhalt":""},"ch3":{"video":"","meta_title":"A Species Vanishes"},"scene2_5":{"video":"","meta_title":"Clearly Special","cta":"Continue to chapter 3","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene2_4":{"video":"","meta_title":"Extreme Habitats","headline":"Extreme Habitats","subline":"Amphibians have always remained dependent on water. Even so, they have conquered almost all of the earth\u2019s habitats. From Deserts to Eternal Ice.","items":[{"headline":"By perpetual ice","subline":"High mountain ranges and polar regions","text":"As poikilothermic animals, most amphibians live in the warmer parts of the world. But thanks to astonishing special adaptations, some species have made it all the way into the coldest regions beyond the polar circle or into high mountain areas.","bilder":[{"headline":"Wood frog: high up in the north","text":"The wood frog freezes solid in the winter and is alive and well when it thaws again in the spring. That way, it defies the harsh conditions of its home in Alaska, Canada and the Northern contiguous United States. Up to 1\/3 of its body fluids can freeze to ice crystals, the rest is protected by a naturally produced cryoprotectant. ","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Just like science fiction: the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) thaws"},{"video":false,"caption":"The wood frog can survive at temperatures of -5 \u00b0C"},{"video":false,"caption":"No North American frog has ventured further north"}]},{"headline":"Common frog: beyond the polar circle","text":"Its ability to defy even long winters and to become active in the iciest of springs has allowed the common frog to become the most successful frog in the world, at least in terms of its range. It has even spread beyond the polar circle and is found in an area ranging from Europe to Eastern Siberia.","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Common frogs (Rana temporaria) are the first amphibians to start their reproductive cycle in any given year"},{"video":false,"caption":"Its cold-resistance makes it possible: in Switzerland, the common frog is found at altitudes of up to 2,600 metres in the Alps"},{"video":false,"caption":"Even ice and snow can\u2019t stop the common frog"}]},{"headline":"Alpine salamander: in cold mountains","text":"The Alpine salamander climbs high up into the Alps, reaching altitudes of up to 2,800 metres, and is even found above the tree line. In order to survive in cold high mountain ranges where water is in short supply, it gives birth to live-born young after a long gestation period of two to three years, making it independent of streams.","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Alpine salamander (Salamander atra)"},{"video":false,"caption":"To avoid the danger of frozen egg clutches, the Alpine salamander gives birth to live offspring"},{"video":false,"caption":"Its special adaptations have helped the Alpine salamander make itself at home in the high mountains"}]}]},{"headline":"Dark caves","subline":"Deep underground","text":"Living deep within caves means surviving without light. But even these extreme habitats couldn\u2019t deter amphibians. The advantage of a life in eternal darkness: there is little in the way of competition by other species.","bilder":[{"headline":"Olm: endangered oddity","text":"The olm only lives in a few cave regions in Southeastern Europe. Due to its tiny range, it\u2019s highly endangered. This completely aquatic amphibian retains its gills for its entire life, but also breathes through its lungs. In the eternal darkness of the caves, it doesn\u2019t need eyes and any skin colouration would also be pointless.","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Olm (Proteus anguinus)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Caves in the Dinaric karst are home to the olm"},{"video":false,"caption":"Who needs colours or eyes?"}]},{"headline":"At the source of life: Texas blind salamander","text":"It lives thousands of kilometres away on a different continent, and yet the Texas blind salamander is very similar to the European olm. No wonder: both of them live out of the reach of daylight. A habitat that encourages certain adaptations such as blindness and colourlessness by its very nature.","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni)"},{"video":false,"caption":"The Texas blind salamander is exclusively found in the headwaters area of the Edwards Aquifer in the hills of Texas"},{"video":false,"caption":"The San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana) is also exclusive to the same headwaters area, but lives outside of the underground source itself"}]},{"headline":"From light to dark: grotto salamander","text":"The only blind cave salamander that undergoes a complete metamorphosis. And that isn\u2019t all: the grotto salamander\u2019s larvae still have functioning eyes, and so they are also found at the edges of underground lakes, where some light still shines in. The adults, on the other hand, are blind and live in eternal darkness.","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Larva of a grotto salamander (Eurycea spelaea)"},{"video":false,"caption":"The grotto salamander only lives in a few cave systems in the Ozark region of Missouri (USA)"},{"video":false,"caption":"These animals feed off of bat guano and invertebrates attracted by it"}]}]},{"headline":"Arid deserts","subline":"Under the blazing sun","text":"No habitat seems less suitable for water-dependent amphibians than the desert. Regardless, frogs have ventured into the hottest and driest regions in the world. But they are only rarely seen there.","bilder":[{"headline":"Frogs underground","text":"\u201cSome frogs live in extremely arid regions. Some even form cocoons. Many of them spend most of their lives underground. These kinds of species are found in Africa or in Australia, for example.\u201d","slide":[{"video":true,"caption":"Statement Simon Nicholas Stuart, Ph.D."}]},{"headline":"Cape rain frog: in the South African desert","text":"The Cape rain frog lives in arid regions in Southern Africa, hidden in the sandy ground. It only emerges after rainfalls in order to mate. As the females are much larger, the males can\u2019t grasp them during amplexus the way other frogs can. Therefore, the females secrete a type of glue on their backs that they use to help the males stick to them.","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Cape rain frog (Breviceps adspersus)"},{"video":false,"caption":"If they\u2019re disturbed, Cape rain frogs emit very cute calls"},{"video":false,"caption":"Cape rain frogs spend most of their life buried in the sand"}]},{"headline":"Western spadefoot toad: shoveling their way into the desert soil","text":"A naturally moisture-loving amphibian such as the Western spadefoot toad living in the dry parts of California would be ill-advised to spend too much time above ground. So it buries itself. To do so, it uses a sharp-edged, hard horny projection on its hind feet, with which it digs its way backwards into the ground as if it were using a spade.","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Western spadefoot toad (Spea hammondii)"},{"video":false,"caption":"The horned \u2018spades\u2019 on the bottom of the feet"},{"video":false,"caption":"Habitat of the Western spadefoot toad in the Californian desert photo by: H. Werning"}]},{"headline":"Crucifix toad: far down under","text":"The crucifix toad lives in the Australian desert, where it spends most of the year buried one metre deep. Following rainfalls, it suddenly emerges and performs its reproductive duties in puddles on the dry clay. It has to be quick about it, before everything dries up again. The entire development only takes two weeks. ","slide":[{"video":false,"caption":"Crucifix toad (Notaden nichollsi)"},{"video":false,"caption":"The entire development from egg to froglet is undergone within two weeks in puddles that develop after rainfalls"},{"video":false,"caption":"The crucific toad is very common in Australia"}]}]}],"zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"A Frog for Evolutionary Theory","text":"Alfred Russel Wallace almost went down in scientific history as the father of the theory of evolution instead of Charles Darwin. Because while working at the same time as Darwin, Wallace observed a flying frog on Borneo, which was a completely unknown phenomenon at the time. With greatly enlarged webbing between their toes, these frogs can form a kind of parachute and glide through the air over long distances from tree to tree \u2013 an adaptation to the specific \u2018giant rainforest trees\u2019 habitat allowing the frogs to avoid contact with the ground and all of its predators and to quickly escape potential high-altitude predators by just flying away. These extreme adaptations are an especially clear illustration of the mechanisms of evolution: specific habitat \u2013 specific adaptations.","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"The Wallace\u2019s flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus), which is perfectly adapted to its specific environment, almost put the great naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace on the right track to developing the theory of evolution"},{"video":false,"caption":"Covering great distances, the Wallace\u2019s flying frog can fly through the rainforest canopy"},{"video":false,"caption":"Rainforest trees as an extreme habitat: flying frogs have specialised on life in the airy heights of the Bornean rainforest"}]}]},"scene2_3":{"video":"","meta_title":"Interview on extreme adaptations","name":"Simon Nicolas Stuart, PhD","beruf":"Chair IUCN Species Survival Commission","vita":"Simon was the Senior Species Scientist for both IUCN and Conservation International. He served as programme head of the IUCN Species Programme, and as Acting Director General of IUCN. He completed the Global Amphibian Assessment putting the global phenomenon of amphibian declines and extinctions on the map.","quote":"Amphibians are found almost all over the world. <br \/>\r\nThey even live in oases or sand dunes, which are probably the last places you\u2019d expect.","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene2_2":{"video":"","meta_title":"Clearly Special","headline":"Clearly Special","subline":"The amphibian body is the result of millions of years of adaptation to a wide variety of habitats<br \/>\r\nDiscover their insides!","items":[{"headline":"The skin","subline":"Camouflage, defense, protection \u2013 an amphibian\u2019s skin is an indispensable multitool. It\u2019s also of interest to humans.","groups":[{"label":"Camouflage","text":"Seen from above, the glass frog has a bright-green colour. This means it\u2019s perfectly integrated into the colour scheme of its environment, the evergreen rainforest. Some frogs have perfected their camouflage even further. ","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"The glass frog is perfectly camouflaged on green leaves"},{"video":false,"caption":"The La Palma glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium valerioi) is almost completely transparent and hard to make out in front of this background"},{"video":false,"caption":"When it sits on moss, the mossy frog (Theloderma corticale) is practically invisible"},{"video":false,"caption":"Perfectly camouflaged: the tree frog Hyla marmorata"}]},{"label":"Defense","text":"Bright colours instead of muddy brown tones \u2013 that\u2019s going to attract attention! And that\u2019s exactly what it\u2019s supposed to do. Some amphibians produce highly effective toxins in their skin and use their bright colouration to warn predators of this defense system. These substances can also be useful for humans, for example as medicine \u2013 or as a weapon.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) uses its black and yellow colours to warn predators: careful, poisonous!"},{"video":false,"caption":"Amazonian indigenous peoples use the skin toxins of the golden poison golden frog (Phyllobates terribilis) to poison their hunting darts"},{"video":false,"caption":"An extract from the skin poison of the phantasmal poison frog (Epipedobates tricolor) has proven very effective as an analgesic"},{"video":false,"caption":"Pacific newts of the Taricha genus use their yellow underbelly to warn predators of their poison \u2013 one of the most dangerous known toxins"}]},{"label":"Protection","text":"As semi-aquatic creatures, amphibians use their skin to maintain their moisture balance. Therefore, it has to be permeable. But if necessary, it can also develop a waterproof protective layer. Or repel sunlight.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"If its habitat dries up, the Budgett\u2019s frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis) can bury itself in the ground for months covered by a protective layer of skin"},{"video":false,"caption":"The waxy monkey frog (Phyllomedusa sauvagei) secretes its own natural sunscreen"},{"video":false,"caption":"Chiromantis xerampelina uses a trick to make its skin waterproof"},{"video":false,"caption":"The skin of the common reed frog (Hyperolius viridiflavus) contains particles that reflect sunlight"}]}]},{"headline":"The lung","subline":"Whether on land or underwater \u2013 amphibians always need to be able to breathe. To accomplish this, they have a variety of means at their disposal.","groups":[{"label":"Gill-breathing","text":"Amphibians originate from water. Not just from an evolutionary standpoint, but also over the course of their lives. That\u2019s the reason tadpoles and salamander larvae have gills that they use to extract oxygen from the water just like fish.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Tadpoles breathe through gills"},{"video":false,"caption":"The exterior gills of salamander larvae (pictured here: Alpine newt, Ichthyosaurus alpestris) are easy to spot"},{"video":false,"caption":"The grotto salamander (Eurycea spelaea) breathes through gills for its entire life"},{"video":false,"caption":"The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) never undergoes a complete metamorphosis and continues to breathe through its gills"}]},{"label":"Lung-breathing","text":"During metamorphosis, amphibian larvae shift their breathing apparatus from gills to lungs. That way, they can breathe the oxygen in the air when they transition onto land.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Although it spends most of its life underwater, the Japanese fire-belly newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster) breathes through lungs rather than gills"},{"video":false,"caption":"The big moment: the Copan brook frog (Duellmanohyla soralia) switches its breathing from gills to lungs for the transition onto land"},{"video":false,"caption":"Caecilians have a complex lung structure. They move around by inflating their lungs. Therefore, they can only breathe while standing still"},{"video":false,"caption":"Common frogs (Rana temporaria) hibernate underwater. During this time, they only breathe through their skin"}]},{"label":"Skin-breathing","text":"The soft amphibian skin is not just permeable to moisture, but also facilitates gas exchange. For many amphibians, this is responsible for a large part or even the majority of their oxygen intake \u2013 others breathe exclusively through their skin!","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"The wrinkly skin of the Titicaca water frog (Telmatobius culeus) is a highly effective breathing apparatus"},{"video":false,"caption":"The lungless Mexican climbing salamander (Bolitoglossa mexicana) exclusively breathes through its skin"},{"video":false,"caption":"Jack of all trades: the lesser siren (Siren intermedia) can breathe through its lungs, gills and skin"}]}]},{"headline":"The tongue","subline":"All amphibians are hunters that feed on all types of small creatures. Most species have a highly specialised tongue that plays a decisive role in this. Amphibians have also developed a wide variety of hunting tactics. ","groups":[{"label":"The tongue","text":"The tongue is attached to the lower jaw and rests in a folded-back position in the frog\u2019s mouth. It flicks out at high velocity to catch prey. The sticky tongue attaches itself to the prey and draws it back into the mouth, where it\u2019s swallowed whole. ","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Attack of the catapult tongue: the common frog (Rana temporaria) catching a fly"},{"video":false,"caption":"Tree frogs (Hyla arborea) can\u2019t project their tongues very far \u2013 so they have to get closer to their prey"},{"video":false,"caption":"The amphibian tongue is attached to the lower jaw and rests in a folded-back position in its mouth, seen by this common toad (Bufo bufo)"},{"video":false,"caption":"When it opens its mouth to catch prey, the tongue is catapulted out to capture its victim"}]}]},{"headline":"Toes and feet","subline":"Suction pads, paddles, spades \u2013 amphibian feet have adapted to very different tasks, thereby developing a variety of different forms.","groups":[{"label":"Toes and feet","text":"Most amphibians have feet and toes. Many species living near or in water have webbed toes to help them swim. Climbing frogs, on the other hand, are often aided by suction pads. Some ground-dwelling or burrowing species even have claws. ","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Tree frogs (pictured here: Hyloscirtus lindae) have suction pads on their toes that they can use to move vertically or on smooth surfaces"},{"video":false,"caption":"Species living near or in the water have webbed toes as seen here on this Suriname toad (Pipa pipa)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Flying frogs have especially well-developed webbed toes that they can use as parachutes"},{"video":false,"caption":"The common frog (Rana temporaria) has powerful toes on its front feet to keep hold of the female during amplexus"}]}]},{"headline":"The legs","subline":"Frogs are known for their long leaps. This is made possible by special adaptations in their powerful hind legs, allowing them to perform astonishing athletic feats. ","groups":[{"label":"The legs","text":"Frogs have quite extraordinary jumping abilities. There are some species that can cover a distance about fifty times their own length in a single leap. This is made possible by the specialised musculoskeletal apparatus in their hind legs as well as the redistribution of propulsive forces to the back of the body.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"The goliath frog (Conraua goliath) isn\u2019t just the largest frog in the world, it can also jump the farthest: up to five metres in a single leap!"},{"video":false,"caption":"Frog triple jump: Mascarene grass frogs of the Ptychadena genus can cover a distance of up to ten metres in three jumps"},{"video":false,"caption":"Northern cricket frogs of the Acris genus can jump up to a height of more than 60 times the length of their own body!"},{"video":false,"caption":"The striped rocket frog (Literia nasuta) can leap a distance of up to 42 times its own length"}]}]},{"headline":"The eyes","subline":"Frogs have excellent eyesight. Their eyes are their most important sensory organ. Blind caecilians and some newts have other qualities.","groups":[{"label":"Nocturnal","text":"Many nocturnal frogs sleep during the day, for example attached to a leaf like this red-eyed tree frog. The eyes are drawn in and tightly closed. At nightfall, they suddenly reveal their full beauty.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"The eyes of the red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) provide it with excellent eyesight, even late at night"},{"video":false,"caption":"When asleep during the daytime, the eyes are closed using a semi-transparent nictitating membrane"},{"video":false,"caption":"When night falls, the frog awakens"},{"video":false,"caption":"The red eye in all its nocturnal glory"}]},{"label":"Toad eyes","text":"Toads are hideous? No way! Just look into their eyes.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Rococo toad (Rhinella schneideri)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Common toad (Bufo bufo)"}]},{"label":"Sensory apparatus","text":"Amphibians that live underwater, as well as tadpoles and larvae of other species, have an important additional sensory organ, which they need in order to compensate for the limited visibility in murky water. The lateral line organ can detect the most minute changes in water currents.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Their lateral line organ helps spotted leaf frog (Phasmahyla guttata) tadpoles get their bearings underwater"},{"video":false,"caption":"The African dwarf frog (Hymenochirus boettgeri) uses its lateral line organ to find its way in murky waters"},{"video":false,"caption":"The caecilian Ichtyophis apparently uses the sensory tentacles in its mouth region as its primary orientation device"},{"video":false,"caption":"The giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) uses sensory nodes on its head and body to detect even the slightest differences in water pressure"}]}]},{"headline":"The throat sac","subline":"During frog concerts, many species use their throat sac as a vocal sac. It projects their calls in every direction.","groups":[{"label":"The throat sac","text":"Frogs often amplify their calls using their vocal sacs. They do so by filling their throat sac with air to inflate it. This not only creates a larger resonance chamber, but the sound waves are also dispersed more evenly in every direction. After all, frog males need a good way to locate a female.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"The Indian frog Raorchestes bombayensis with an inflated vocal sac"},{"video":false,"caption":"Bizarre spectacle: the call of a Texas toad (Bufo speciosus)"}]}]},{"headline":"Reproductive organs","subline":"Frogs pursue a great number of very different reproduction strategies, which can be grouped into 39 basic types.","groups":[{"label":"Frogspawn","text":"Almost all frogs lay eggs. But different frog species pursue a wide variety of strategies when it comes down to safely depositing and protecting their spawn.","groups":[{"video":true,"caption":"Interview with PD Dr Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del on the wide variety of amphibian reproduction strategies"},{"video":false,"caption":"The \u2018classic\u2019 way: common frogs (Rana temporaria) spawning"},{"video":false,"caption":"The common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) carries its spawn around on its back"},{"video":false,"caption":"In the reproductive cycle of rain frogs (Eleutherodactylus), the froglets develop up until metamorphosis while within the egg"}]},{"label":"Tadpoles","text":"While quite a few frogs are direct developers, where the entire larval development takes place within the egg, most species\u2019 larvae spend some time as free-swimming tadpoles. ","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Free-swimming tadpoles of the European tree frog (Hyla arborea) with backlighting"},{"video":false,"caption":"The Puerto Cabello tree frog (Flectonotus pygmaeus) keeps its spawn safe in a skin pouch until the tadpoles are big enough"},{"video":false,"caption":"The tadpoles of the red-backed poison frog (Ranitomeya reticulata) are carried to a suitable body of water by the male"},{"video":false,"caption":"Tadpoles exist in all shapes and colours: seen here is the larva of the hourglass tree frog (Dendropsophus ebracctus)"}]},{"label":"Extraordinary strategies","text":"With the huge variety of available reproduction strategies, some frogs have completely different ways of doing things. They have developed highly individual strategies that in many cases are unique to a certain species.","groups":[{"video":false,"caption":"Darwin\u2019s frog (Rhinoderma darwinii) males safely carry their tadpoles around in their throat sac until metamorphosis"},{"video":false,"caption":"The Suriname toad\u2019s tadpoles grow while embedded in a skin layer on the back of the female. They hatch as fully formed toadlets"},{"video":false,"caption":"The marsupial frog Gastrotheca ovifera carries its offspring around in a dorsal skin sac until they fully develop into froglets."},{"video":false,"caption":"The Western Nimba toad (Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis) is the world\u2019s only viviparous frog."}]}]}],"zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"Cold-Blooded","text":"Amphibians are poikilotherms. Unlike birds or mammals, they can\u2019t maintain their body temperature at a certain heat level on their own. This saves a lot of energy, but makes them highly dependent on environmental conditions. To keep their body temperature within an ideal range for their physiology, they have to hide in cooler places when it\u2019s hot outside. If it turns too cold, they reduce their metabolic activity, which in extreme cases drops close to zero. In wintertime during torpor, frogs display next to no vital functions. This also saves a lot of energy and is part of the amphibian formula for success. On the other hand, their relatively low thermal tolerance makes them highly susceptible to changes in the climate. \r\nSpecies adapted to cooler climates have trouble dealing with higher temperatures and even die quickly if it gets too warm. Conversely, many tropical species can\u2019t survive lower temperatures. ","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"African sedge frogs such as this Hyperolius marmoratus often attach themselves to plants exposed to the blazing sun during the day. Therefore, they are able to tolerate even very high temperatures"},{"video":false,"caption":"Many caudates such as this lungless salamander Plethodon albagula from the lower mountain ranges in the Southeastern United States cannot handle high temperatures"},{"video":false,"caption":"The Riobamba marsupial frog (Gastrotheca riobambae) lives high up in the Ecuadorian Andes and is adapted to cool temperatures"}]}]},"scene1_3":{"video":"","meta_title":"Interview metamorphosis","name1":"PD Dr. Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del","beruf1":"Curator for herpetology, Museum of Natural History in Berlin","vita1":"As an ecologist, he is interested in the conservation of biodiversity and its ecological functions. He heads a work group at the Museum for Natural History in Berlin with the aim of developing a sustainable system to extract frog proteins.","quote1":"Amphibians live in two different worlds, in water and on land. Metamorphosis is most likely the key to amphibians\u2019 success.","name2":"Dr. med. vet. Frank Mutschmann","beruf2":"Veterinary specialist for herpetology and parasitology, Berlin","vita2":"Frank has worked as a veterinarian in the field of amphibian and reptile medicine for over 25 years. He published a book on amphibian diseases, described two new amphibian parasites and was the first to discover the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Europe.","quote2":"During the transition onto land, they occupied ecological niches and adapted to new sources of food and new habitats.","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene1_7":{"video":"","meta_title":"End screen","cta":"Continue to chapter 2","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene1_6":{"video":"","meta_title":"The World of Amphibians","label":"Legend","legend1":"Anurans (frogs)","legend2":"Caudates (salamanders)","legend3":"Caecilians","headline":"The World of Amphibians","subline":"From the first steps to global diversity. With over 7600 known species, amphibians have conquered the entire world with the exception of the polar regions and the oceans. Discover their diversity.","items":[{"label":"Red salamander","area":"South Eastern USA","text":"This salamander truly deserves its name! Its bright red colour warns predators of its highly potent skin poison. It lives in cool forests. The 10-20 cm-long animals have no lungs and only breathe through their skin. They catch their prey using their lightning-quick catapult tongue.","wissname":"Pseudotriton ruber","lat":"38.12322","lng":"-77.1844","filter":"2","bilder":[{"caption":"Red salamander, Pseudotriton ruber"},{"caption":"A red salamander in its habitat in Georgia"},{"caption":"Striking warning colour: red salamanders are poisonous"}]},{"label":"Bullfrog","area":"Southeastern USA","text":"The calls of this huge 20 cm-long frog are extremely loud and really sound a lot like a bull\u2019s. Bullfrogs originally lived in freshwater habitats in the Southeastern United States, but have been introduced into many other regions. This has caused considerable damage to the local environments due to their voracious appetite.","wissname":"Rana catesbeiana","lat":"35.4991788056","lng":"-100.2895858056","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana"},{"caption":"The bullfrog makes a loud, bovine call"},{"caption":"The bullfrog has become a problem as an invasive species"}]},{"label":"Colorado River toad","area":"Southwestern USA","text":"This is the toad that has become infamous for \u2018toad licking\u2019. It produces hallucinogenic skin poisons which can induce states of intoxication and are therefore often abused for drug trips. These very large 19 cm-long toads generally live in the desert regions around the lower reaches of the Colorado River.","wissname":"Incilius alvarius","lat":"31.3886","lng":"-111.0917","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Colorado River toad, Incilius alvarius"},{"caption":"The Colorado River toad is famous for its hallucinogenic poison"},{"caption":"Colorado River toads are pretty huge"}]},{"label":"Red-eyed tree frog","area":"Central America","text":"During the daytime, this 8 cm-long tree-dweller from the Central American rainforest can be found sticking to leaves with its eyes drawn in. When night falls, it elegantly and silently climbs through the canopy using its giant photosensitive red eyes. It spawns its eggs onto leaves hanging above a pond or puddle for the hatching tadpoles to drop into.","wissname":"Agalychnis callidryas","lat":"15.6327784","lng":"-89.6534150","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Red-eyed tree frog, Agalychnis callidryas"},{"caption":"The red eyes are its characteristic feature"},{"caption":"The red-eyed tree frog is an excellent climber"}]},{"label":"Strawberry poison frog","area":"Central America","text":"It\u2019s hard to believe that the differently coloured varieties of this tiny 2 cm-long poison dart frog all belong to the same species. Only some of them are strawberry-coloured, others are yellow or green, some have blue streaks or black spots, others don\u2019t.  The females produce eggs that they feed to their tadpole offspring for weeks.","wissname":"Oophaga pumilio","lat":"9.2833","lng":"-83.0333","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio"},{"caption":"There are many varieties of the strawberry poison frog"},{"caption":"All in blue: strawberry poison frogs can look like this, too"}]},{"label":"Common Coqui ","area":"Puerto Rico","text":"These plain brown frogs, measuring only 3-5 cm, are rarely seen, but their whistling calls can be heard throughout the Caribbean night. Whistling frogs, or coqu\u00eds, are direct developers. They deposit their spawn in wet hiding places, then the tadpoles develop inside the gelatinous eggs all the way through to metamorphosis and hatch as fully formed froglets.","wissname":"Eleutherodactylus coqui","lat":"17.9552777778","lng":"-66.1703055556","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Common Coqui whistling frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui"},{"caption":"The coqu\u00ed is really a tiny creature"},{"caption":"Common Coqui whistling frog tadpoles develop straight into a froglet while still in the egg"}]},{"label":"Dyeing dart frog","area":"French Guayana","text":"This dart frog, relatively large at 5 cm, has an effective skin poison used to ward off its enemies. Its bright colours are a warning sign, ranging from bright blue to greenish-white or yellow, with a variety of patterns. It hides its spawn on land, then the male carries the tadpoles to suitable body of water on its back.","wissname":"Dendrobates tinctorius","lat":"3.9166667","lng":"-56.1666667","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Dyeing dart frog, Dendrobates tinctorius"},{"caption":"The dyeing dart frog comes in many different colours"},{"caption":"The blue \u2018azureus\u2019 is also a dyeing dart frog"}]},{"label":"Cayenne caecilian","area":"Northern Brazil","text":"The approx. 50 cm-long eel-like Cayenne caecilians live in rivers in the Amazon region. These completely aquatic, blind predators can sense the underwater shock waves given off by their prey. Cayenne caecilians are viviparous. The larvae are fed through a specially developed mucous membrane in their mother\u2019s body.","wissname":"Typhlonectes compressicauda","lat":"-3.4106861111","lng":"-60.2603166667","filter":"3","bilder":[{"caption":"Cayenne caecilian, Typhlonectes compressicauda"},{"caption":"Cayenne caecilians are completely aquatic"},{"caption":"Despite their impaired vision, Cayenne caecilians can sense their prey photo by: Axel Kwet"}]},{"label":"Blacksmith tree frog","area":"Eastern Brazil","text":"At 10 cm in length, the blacksmith tree frog is one of the largest of its kind. It lives in the Atlantic rainforest. Its call is loud and metallic \u2013 hence its name. The males use the sharp spines on their forefeet to wage fierce fights. The tadpoles mature in specially burrowed mud holes until the time comes for them to swim out into open water.","wissname":"Hypsiboas faber (Hyla faber)","lat":"-27.07293","lng":"-48.93333","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Blacksmith tree frog, Hypsiboas faber"},{"caption":"Blacksmith tree frog couple during amplexus"},{"caption":"A blacksmith tree frog guarding the nest it built for the tadpoles"}]},{"label":"Cane toad","area":"Tropical America","text":"In its native home, the tropical Central and South American lowlands, the cane toad is a perfectly adapted part of the ecosystem. It has a good reputation due to its voracious appetite for local pests. Unfortunately, it was also introduced into other regions, where the giant poisonous toads (22 cm!) have no natural enemies and cause considerable damage.","wissname":"Rhinella marina","lat":"0.7500138889","lng":"-75.2316611111","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Cane toad, Rhinella marina"},{"caption":"On the advance: cane toads during amplexus"},{"caption":"The cane toad is one of the largest toads in the world"}]},{"label":"Bumblebee toad","area":"Argentina","text":"Bumblebee toads are really only about the size of a bumblebee. These tiny amphibians live in wet grasslands with rocks, from which they only emerge when it rains. Their upper bodies are camouflaged, but when threatened, they perform the so-called \u2018unkenreflex\u2019, arching their bodies to present their red bellies. They do this to warn predators of their highly effective poison.","wissname":"Melanophryniscus stelzneri","lat":"-27.4666667","lng":"-58.8166667","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Bumblebee toad, Melanophryniscus stelzneri"},{"caption":"South American redbelly toads are well-camouflaged on their top side"},{"caption":"The unkenreflex, displayed here by a closely related redbelly toad"}]},{"label":"Chacoan horned frog","area":"Argentina","text":"This large, almost completely round frog (diameter of approx. 12 cm) looks as if its mouth takes up half of its body. These animals burrow themselves into the ground of the Chacoan dry forest and lie in wait for passing prey, which they ambush at lightning speed. After rainfall, they explosively shoot their spawn into the puddles that have formed.","wissname":"Ceratophrys cranwelli","lat":"-23.442503","lng":"-58.443832","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Chacoan horned frog, Ceratophrys cranwelli"},{"caption":"Buried deep in the ground, the Chacoan horned frog lies in wait for its prey"},{"caption":"After rainfall, they start to mate"}]},{"label":"Fire salamander","area":"Central Europe","text":"With its yellow and black \u2018wasp pattern\u2019, this slightly over 20 cm-long salamander warns predators of its effective skin poison. It lives in cool and damp beechwood forests. They way it reproduces is unique: the female gives birth to living larvae and drops them off in small river streams. ","wissname":"Salamandra salamandra","lat":"53.072816667","lng":"8.3453472222","filter":"2","bilder":[{"caption":"Fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra"},{"caption":"The fire salamander lives by undisturbed forest streams"},{"caption":"The striking colour is a warning: Careful, poisonous!"}]},{"label":"Moor frog","area":"Northern Europe","text":"The moor frog is generally brown-skinned and at a length of 5-8 cm it looks like a regular frog. But during mating season, the males can turn a spectacular blue colour. These animals predominantly live in moorlands from ranging from Western and Northern Europe all the way to Siberia and even occur within the polar circle. ","wissname":"Rana arvalis","lat":"58.3113","lng":"14.6356","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Moor frog, Rana arvalis"},{"caption":"During mating season, the males of some populations turn a spectacular blue colour"},{"caption":"Couple during amplexus"}]},{"label":"Firebelly toad","area":"Eastern Europe","text":"Careful, it\u2019s poisonous! This 5 cm-long toad is found in grasslands and open landscapes ranging from East Germany to the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus. Firebelly toads are predominantly aquatic. When they feel threatened, they arch their bodies to present their red bellies as a warning to their would-be predators.","wissname":"Bombina bombina","lat":"50.414119","lng":"30.161865","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Firebelly toad, Bombina bombina"},{"caption":"The red belly warns predators of its foul taste"}]},{"label":"Northern crested newt","area":"Central Europe","text":"A real water dragon! This fairly sizable newt, measuring up to 20 cm, is found in regions ranging from Western Europe to Western Russia. During mating season, the males develop a large skin crest on their backs. They perform elaborate dances to attract female mates. The eggs are planted one by one into specially folded leaves of aquatic plants.","wissname":"Triturus cristatus","lat":"50.13611","lng":"14.38333","filter":"2","bilder":[{"caption":"Northern crested newt, Triturus cristatus"},{"caption":"The males only put their impressive ridge on display during mating season"}]},{"label":"Japanese giant salamander","area":"Japan","text":"These \u2018living fossils\u2019, measuring 1.5 m and weighing in at 20 kg, are the world\u2019s second largest amphibians after the Chinese giant salamander. They live in cool mountain streams and clear rivers. Their spawn is deposited in specially burrowed water-filled nests close to the shore. They\u2019re heavily endangered due to hunting for meat and dam-building.","wissname":"Andrias japonicus","lat":"35.20153","lng":"133.55722","filter":"2","bilder":[{"caption":"Japanese giant salamander, Andrias japonicus"},{"caption":"The Japanese giant salamander lives in forest streams"},{"caption":"A Japanese giant salamander protecting its nest"}]},{"label":"Yellow-spotted climbing toad","area":"Malaysia","text":"Normally, toads are strictly ground-dwellers, but this species, native to Southeast Asian rainforests, lives in trees. Similarly to tree frogs, it has suction pads attached to its toes. This unique toad is dependent on intact forests and has no way of adapting to disturbed biotopes.","wissname":"Rentapia hosii (Pedostibes hosii)","lat":"4.198783333","lng":"101.261388889","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Yellow-spotted climbing toad, Rentapia hosii"},{"caption":"The yellow-spotted climbing toad is the only tree-dwelling toad in the world"},{"caption":"Its colours can vary from brown to green"}]},{"label":"Red-tailed knobby newt","area":"China","text":"Knobby newts (also called crocodile newts) are a newt genus comprising about 20 known species living in the mountains of East Asia.  Many of them are only found in very small areas \u2013 the red-tailed knobby newt in particular is only known to occur in a mountain area in Southwestern China, at an altitude of approx. 2,000 m. These sizable newts, measuring up to 20 cm, live on land and only head for water in order to spawn.","wissname":"Tylototriton kweichowensis","lat":"27.833333","lng":"103.9166667","filter":"2","bilder":[{"caption":"Red-tailed knobby newt, Tylototriton kweichowensis"},{"caption":"Red-tailed knobby newts live in cool and damp caves"},{"caption":"Red-tailed knobby newts eat worms and other small creatures"}]},{"label":"Long-nosed horned frog","area":"Southeast Asia","text":"A frog like a leaf: with its skin folds and horn-like projections, this sizable 12 cm-long frog is perfectly camouflaged on the floor of Southeast Asian rainforests. When lying motionless in the leaf litter, it\u2019s practically indistinguishable from dead leaves. Its loud calls sound a lot like a car horn.","wissname":"Megophrys nasuta","lat":"-2.7107497","lng":"103.6478479","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Long-nosed horned frog, Megophrys nasuta"},{"caption":"A frog like a leaf"},{"caption":"Long-nosed horned frogs live in the forest leaf litter"}]},{"label":"Purple frog","area":"India","text":"One of the strangest frogs in the world. When it was discovered on an Indian mountain range in 2007, a whole new family had to be established to describe it. It lives underground and surfaces at the beginning of the monsoon in order to mate. The tadpoles live in fast-flowing rock-bedded streams. They crawl onto land at night to eat!","wissname":"Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis","lat":"9.756835","lng":"77.116864","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Purple Pig frog, Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis"},{"caption":"The Purple Pig frog was discovered in southern India in 2003"}]},{"label":"African bullfrog","area":"Central to West Africa","text":"One of the largest frogs in the world (25 cm, 1.4 kg). It lives in the African savannas, where it spends the dry seasons underground in a skin cocoon. During the rainy season, it spawns on the flooded areas. If they dry out, the males dig canals to other remaining puddles of water.","wissname":"Pyxicephalus adspersus","lat":"-18.364","lng":"26.502166","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"African bullfrog, Pyxicephalus adspersus"},{"caption":"Couple during amplexus"},{"caption":"African bulldogs will eat anything that passes by"}]},{"label":"Marbled reed frog","area":"South Africa","text":"What an unbelievable wealth of colours and patterns! The appearance of these only 3 cm-long frogs varies vastly from place to place and for different ages and genders. They stick to leaves in the blazing sun during the day and live by the water at night. The dry season is spent sleeping. This species is very common in Southern Africa.","wissname":"Hyperolius marmoratus","lat":"-32.81725","lng":"28.12055","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Marbled reed frog, Hyperolius marmoratus"},{"caption":"Reed frogs like sitting in the blazing sun"},{"caption":"There are several marbled reed frog varieties with very different patterns"}]},{"label":"Taita Hills caecilian","area":"Kenya","text":"Measuring 33 cm in length, they may look like oversized worms and burrow through the forest soil accordingly, but their brood care is absolutely unique! Their young hatch from eggs and feed off of their mother\u2019s skin. To accommodate this, the female develops a fatty, nutritious skin that the young greedily scrape off.","wissname":"Boulengerula taitana","lat":"-3.39858","lng":"38.33333","filter":"3","bilder":[{"caption":"Taita Hills caecilian, Boulengerula taitanus"},{"caption":"The Taita Hills caecilians\u2019 young feed off of their mothers\u2019 skin"}]},{"label":"Volcano clawed frog","area":"Cameroon","text":"Its close relative, the xenopus, has spread throughout the world, but the volcano clawed frog only lives in a single volcanic mountain range in the Cameroonian highlands. It is completely aquatic and can only move on land for very short distances to migrate between bodies of water. ","wissname":"Xenopus amieti","lat":"5.03333","lng":"9.83333","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Volcano clawed frog, Xenopus amieti"},{"caption":"Volcano clawed frogs are ideally camouflaged among the underwater leaves"},{"caption":"Volcano clawed frogs are underwater acrobats"}]},{"label":"Madagascar tomato frog","area":"Madagascar","text":"\u2018Tomato frog\u2019 is a very apt name for this almost completely round, bright-red frog, measuring up to 10 cm. Its colour warns its predators of its poisonous slimy discharge that can cause skin rashes for humans. These animals live buried in the mud of the rainforests on the Eastern Malagasy coast. ","wissname":"Dyscophus antongilii","lat":"-15.43156","lng":"49.74359","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Madagascar tomato frog, Dyscophus antongilii"},{"caption":"The tomato frog is only found in a small area in Madagascar"},{"caption":"Tomato frogs during amplexus"}]},{"label":"Golden mantella","area":"Madagascar","text":"A bright orange beauty that only lives in a small forest area on Madagascar. Its entire habitat only spans 10 km\u00b2! Due to a recent increase in mining operations in the area, the 3 cm-long diurnal ground-dwelling frog has become critically endangered. Fortunately, it is regularly bred in captivity in terrariums.","wissname":"Mantella aurantiaca","lat":"-18.93282","lng":"48.42076","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Golden mantella, Mantella aurantiaca"},{"caption":"Golden mantellas only have a tiny range, but within it, they\u2019re surprisingly common"},{"caption":"Golden mantella with frogspawn"}]},{"label":"Australian green tree frog","area":"Australia","text":"Who could fail to be charmed by this pudgy frog with its wide grin? The Australian green tree frog is very common in Northern Australia and New Guinea. Despite its fairly large 12 cm-long body, this tree frog is a proficient climber and is often caught living in people\u2019s houses. This makes it a popular pet.","wissname":"Litoria caerulea","lat":"-24.46222","lng":"148.606111","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Australian green tree frog, Litoria caerula"},{"caption":"Australian green tree frogs are very popular due to their friendly looks"},{"caption":"Froglet"}]},{"label":"Turtle frog","area":"Australia","text":"A strange creature! But this odd, flat-figured frog, whose 5 cm-long body really looks a lot like a turtle shell with fat legs protruding from it, is perfectly adapted to life in the deserts of Central Australia. It spends almost all year underground and feeds off of termites.","wissname":"Myobatrachus gouldii","lat":"-33.03333","lng":"117.716667","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Turtle frog, Myobatrachus gouldii"},{"caption":"The turtle frog spends most of its life buried in the ground"},{"caption":"One of the strangest frogs in the world"}]},{"label":"Solomon Island leaf frog","area":"Solomon Islands","text":"Perfectly camouflaged in the South Pacific! This 10 cm-long frog lives on the forest floor. With its triangular head, skin ridges and its pointy snout, it perfectly mimics a dead leaf. It lays its eggs in little holes in the ground.  The juveniles pass through all the larval stages within the egg and hatch as fully formed froglets.","wissname":"Cornufer guentheri","lat":"-5.91667","lng":"154.85612","filter":"1","bilder":[{"caption":"Solomon Island leaf frog, Cornufer guentheri"},{"caption":"Solomon Island leaf frogs are perfectly camouflaged in the leaf litter"},{"caption":"A real Pacific Islander"}]}],"zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"The World of Amphibians","text":"Amphibians can be grouped into three separate amphibian orders: \r\nthe anurans, i.e. frogs and toads, with about 6,000 known species, the caudates, i.e. salamanders and newts, with about 600 known species, and the legless caecilians with about 200 species.\r\n\r\nAll amphibians are vertebrates with water-permeable, glandular skin with no scales, feathers or fur. They lay eggs without a protective calcareous shell, the spawn. Larvae hatch from these eggs, which breathe through gills and often look completely different to their parents. Only after metamorphosis do they take on the appearance of the adults and become lung-breathing animals. Therefore, they are easily distinguishable from reptiles, even though newts and lizards look very similar at first glance. But reptiles have dry, scaly skin and no larval state.","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"A typical frog: the common water frog (Rana esculenta)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Cane toad, Bufo marinus: the over 500 toad species (Bufonidae family) belong to the anurans"},{"video":false,"caption":"Fire-bellied toads make up the smallest group of anurans with only ten species, such as the Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Predominantly terrestrial caudates are called salamanders (pictured here: tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Predominantly aquatic caudates (pictured here: Kaiser\u2019s spotted newt, Neurergus kaiseri) are called newts; but from a scientific standpoint, there\u2019s no difference between newts and salamanders."}]}]},"scene1_5":{"video":"","meta_title":"Interview on biodiversity","name1":"PD Dr. Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del","beruf1":"Curator for herpetology, Museum of Natural History in Berlin ","vita1":"As an ecologist, he is interested in the conservation of biodiversity and its ecological functions. He heads a work group at the Museum for Natural History in Berlin with the aim of developing a sustainable system to extract frog proteins.","quote1":"Frogs can do absolutely anything!","name2":"Dr. med. vet. Frank Mutschmann","beruf2":"Veterinary specialist for herpetology and parasitology, Berlin","vita2":"Frank is working more than 25 years as a veterinarian in the field of amphibian and reptile medicine. He has published a textbook on amphibian diseases, described 2 new amphibian parasites and the first detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Europe. He is leading a specialized laboratory which is dealing with \u201ccold blooded vertebrates\u201d. ","quote2":"These animals have developed very different forms. Some of them are very colourful and can sing like a canary. They are truly fantastic class of animal.","name3":"PD Dr. Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del","beruf3":"Curator for herpetology, Museum of Natural History in Berlin ","vita3":"As an ecologist, he is interested in the conservation of biodiversity and its ecological functions. He heads a work group at the Museum for Natural History in Berlin with the aim of developing a sustainable system to extract frog proteins.","quote3":"An estimate of about 10,000+ amphibian species is realistic.  We already know of more amphibian species than mammals.","zusatzinhalt":""},"scene1_4":{"video":"","meta_title":"Metamorphosis","headline":"Metamorphosis","subline":"Their fishlike, gill-breathing larvae turn into lung-breathing terrestrial amphibians. <br \/>\r\nThe marsh frog undergoes the entire amphibian evolutionary cycle in fast-forward.","video_headline":"Metamorphosis, an evolutionary achievement by amphibians","video_subline":"PD Dr Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del views metamorphosis as a vital part of evolutionary history. It is the ability to get the optimum out of both worlds, thereby giving amphibians an evolutionary advantage. ","video_caption":"PD Dr. Mark-Oliver R\u00f6del, Curator for herpetology,  Museum of Natural History in Berlin ","labelvideo1":"Interview","labelvideo2":"Metamorphosis","items":[{"label":"The frogspawn","text":"During springtime, the water is teeming with spawn clutches, each containing hundreds of frog eggs. Tadpoles grow in a matter of days within the soft gelatinous eggs before leaving their protective shell.","bilder":[{"caption":"An agile frog on freshly spawned egg clutches."},{"caption":"Each egg is covered by a thick gelatinous shell."},{"caption":"Quite the busybodies: moor frogs spawning."}]},{"label":"Newly hatched tadpole","text":"Young tadpoles don\u2019t have any limbs or fins. Like little fish, they swim in the open water, propelled only by their wide tail. \r\nThey still breathe through their gills. ","bilder":[{"caption":"Some tadpoles form large swarms, known as clouds."},{"caption":"Algae-eating tadpoles."},{"caption":"Speed is everything: dead tadpoles in a dried-out pond."}]},{"label":"The hind legs","text":"The tadpoles feed on algae and aquatic plants. After about ten weeks, their hind legs start to develop. They\u2019re still tiny when they first begin to grow. ","bilder":[{"caption":"The next major step is accomplished: the hind legs have sprouted!"},{"caption":"Grass frog tadpole with hind legs."},{"caption":"Common water frog tadpole just before the growth of its front legs."}]},{"label":"The great transformation","text":"After about three months, the front legs start to develop as well. Now the tail slowly starts to recede into the body, and the lungs develop in preparation for the transition onto land.","bilder":[{"caption":"The final sprint: marsh frog tadpole with front legs."},{"caption":"Tadpoles shortly before transitioning to land."},{"caption":"European tree frog during metamorphosis."}]},{"label":"The transition onto land","text":"As soon as the shift from gill-breathing to lung-breathing is completed, the young frog crawls out of the water onto land. Its diet also switches to \u2018adult food\u2019.","bilder":[{"caption":"Wood frog on land. The tail serves as a first emergency ration."},{"caption":"Success!"},{"caption":"The transition hasn\u2019t been completed yet."}]},{"label":"A leap into a new life","text":"Towards the end of summer, this astonishing transformation comes to an end. The tadpole has developed into a froglet. It has become a miniature copy of its parents and can begin its life as a frog.","bilder":[{"caption":"Young grass frog."},{"caption":"Darwin\u2019s frog father with recently transitioned froglets."},{"caption":"A small tail stump is all that remains of this young white-lined leaf frog\u2019s life as a tadpole."}]}],"zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"Forever Young","text":"No rule without an exception: the amphibian metamorphosis is a transformation from a gill-breathing larva into a lung-breathing adult. But some amphibians forgo this transition. The most famous example is the Mexican axolotl. At the end of its larval state, it only undergoes a very incomplete metamorphosis and retains its larval form even after reaching sexual maturity, including its external gills that it breathes through for its entire life. The reason for this is the development of its environment, which has proven hostile to amphibians. The Mexican highlands became increasingly hotter and more arid until there were no more suitable habitats left for the axolotl salamanders. So over time, they stopped transitioning onto land and just remained underwater in their larval nesting place. This phenomenon of remaining in a permanent larval state is known as neoteny. It is also known to persist in certain other caudate species, including olms, various cave salamanders and sirens.\r\n","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"The axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, retains its larval form for its entire life"},{"video":false,"caption":"The lesser siren (Siren intermedia) doesn\u2019t undergo a full metamorphosis, it keeps its gills even as an adult"}]}]},"scene1_2":{"video":"","meta_title":"The Transition from Water to Land","voretwa":"About","jahren":"years ago","zeitalter1":"Pleistocene","zeitalter2":"Pliocene","zeitalter3":"Miocene","zeitalter4":"Oligocene","zeitalter5":"Eocene","zeitalter6":"Paleocene","zeitalter7":"Cretaceous","zeitalter8":"Jurassic","zeitalter9":"Triassic","zeitalter10":"Permian","zeitalter11":"Carboniferous","zeitalter12":"Devonian","zeitalter13":"Silurian","zeitalter14":"Ordovician","hotspot1":"Fishapod","hotspot1_detail_head":"The \u2018missing link\u2019 between fish and salamanders","hotspot1_detail_text":"375 million years ago, a strange being was swimming through the primordial ocean. It had fins, scales and gills like a fish, but it also had a flattened body with eyes placed on top of its head like a salamander. It had ribs to support it for when it occasionally crawled onto land. The fishapod, discovered in 2006, is the long sought-after missing link in the evolution from fish to the first amphibians. It\u2019s the first ancestor of all terrestrial vertebrates, the tetrapods.","hotspot1_detail_caption":"The fishapod, Tiktaalik roseae: a link between worlds","hotspot_1_zeit":"375 million years ago \/ Devonian","hotspot2":"Ichthyostega","hotspot2_detail_head":"The first amphibian species in history ","hotspot2_detail_text":"About 370 million years ago, in the Devonian Period, the Ichthyostega developed. It was no longer a fish. The four-legged salamander-like animal was one of the first terrestrial vertebrates. It was already capable of spending some time out of water. Its feet were still fin-like but were already attached to legs, although these were still fairly inflexible. That meant these prehistoric animals couldn\u2019t walk yet. Instead, they used their limbs as crutches to pull their bodies through the mud.","hotspot2_detail_caption":"The first amphibian species in history: Ichthyostega","hotspot_2_zeit":"370 million years ago \/ Devonian","hotspot3":"Frogamander","hotspot3_detail_head":"Half frog, half salamander: the \u2018frogamander\u2019 Gerobatrachus","hotspot3_detail_text":"290 million years ago, a number of amphibian species had already made a home for themselves on land. They moved further and further inland and conquered new terrestrial habitats. But the salamander anatomy wasn\u2019t ideal for every mode of living. They began to diverge into two major groups: the caudates (salamanders) and the anurans (frogs). The frogamander displays features common to both frogs and salamanders, making it their last common ancestor.","hotspot3_detail_caption":"Half frog, half salamander: the \u2018frogamander\u2019 Gerobatrachus","hotspot_3_zeit":"290 million years ago \/ Cisuralian","hotspot4":"Triadobatrachus","hotspot4_detail_head":"Triadobatrachus massinoti, the world\u2019s first frog","hotspot4_detail_text":"About 250 million years ago, long before the arrival of the dinosaurs, a ten-centimetre-long amphibian with a flat, compact body emerged on the supercontinent Pangaea. Unlike its salamander-like ancestors, it only had a small tail supported by six vertebrae. Triadobatrachus is regarded as the world\u2019s first frog. It was already a strong swimmer with its powerful legs. One can clearly see how they prefigured their descendants\u2019 jumping legs","hotspot4_detail_caption":"Triadobatrachus massinoti, the world\u2019s first frog","hotspot_4_zeit":"250 million years ago \/ Early Triassic","hotspot5":"Tailed frog","hotspot5_detail_head":"A representative of the past","hotspot5_detail_text":"Tailed frogs are one of the world\u2019s oldest frog species. Their nine vertebrae are evidence of their evolutionary relationship with salamanders \u2013 modern frogs only have five to eight. The males\u2019 \u2018tail stump\u2019, on the other hand, is actually an extension of the cloaca and is used for procreation, because they live in fast-flowing streams. Their sperm would just be swept away if they tried to secrete it into the water like other frogs. Tailed frogs are the only frogs to have developed this kind of internal fertilisation.","hotspot5_detail_caption":"Ascaphus truei from the Northwestern USA is the world\u2019s oldest frog","hotspot_5_zeit":"Until now \/ Quaternary","zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"True Pioneers of Evolution","text":"The first life forms to populate the land were plants and invertebrates. A feeding frenzy for larger predators with little competition. These temptations enticed the amphibians\u2019 ancestors to become the first vertebrates to transition onto land. This required special adaptations. Their fish fins had to become more flexible so they could be used to crawl. To breathe the oxygen in the air, they had to develop lungs. Eyelids protected their eyes from drying out in the open air. Amphibians were the first animals to develop a tongue, which they use to catch their prey and moisten it, making it easier to swallow.  \r\nBut amphibians have also retained a number of aquatic features. Their skin is permeable to water, and they don\u2019t have any scales, fur or feathers. They can absorb water from their environment, e.g. from the moist layers of the desert soil. But amphibians can never return to their ancestral home in the ocean: they can\u2019t survive in saltwater because it absorbs the water from their body through osmosis.","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"Eyelids (as seen here on the waxy monkey frog, Phyllomedusa sauvagii) were first used to protect the eyes from drying out on land"},{"video":false,"caption":"Frogs (e.g. the African bullfrog, Pyxicephalus adspersus, pictured here) were the first animals to develop a tongue to catch prey on land and moisten it, making it easier to swallow"},{"video":false,"caption":"Even the dry skin of the cane toad (Rhinella marina) is permeable to water"}]}]},"common":{"video":"","teilen":"Share","fallback_headline":"From the First Leap to Global Diversity","fallback_subline":"Dear visitor. <br><br>Unfortunately, our interactive application can not be displayed on mobile devices and your browser. <br><br> Please use a desktop computer with a current version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge to view our content. <br><br> Many thanks, <br>Frogs & Friends","fallback_cta":" ","share_chapter1_title":"Frogs & Friends \u2013 Chapter 1 \u201cTHE FIRST LEAP\u201d","share_chapter2_title":"Frogs & Friends \u2013 Chapter 2 \u201cCLEARLY SPECIAL\u201d","share_chapter3_title":"Frogs & Friends \u2013 Chapter 3 \u201cA SPECIES VANISHES\u201d","extracontent":"Additional information","scroll_to_continue":"Scroll","scroll_to_start":"Scroll","site_name":"Frogs & Friends - Interactive Excursion","page_title":"Frogs & Friends - Interactive Excursion","page_description":"Experience the fascinating and endangered world of amphibians in a 20-minute-long interactive excursion.","share_default_description_fb":"Experience the fascinating and endangered world of amphibians in a 20-minute-long interactive excursion.","share_default_description_tw":"Frogs & Friends \u2013 An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians.","share_chapter1_description_fb":"An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians. Everything began with a leap from water onto land. Travel 380 million years back in time and experience the first steps on land and the phenomenon of metamorphosis!","share_chapter1_description_tw":"Frogs & Friends \u2013 An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians.","share_chapter2_description_fb":"An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians. Flying frogs, lungless salamanders, toads in desert sand \u2013 amphibians are true masters of adaptation. Discover their extreme habitats!","share_chapter2_description_tw":"Frogs & Friends \u2013 An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians.","share_chapter3_description_fb":"An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians. 41% of all amphibian species are endangered. Learn more about the threat factors and find out what you can do to help!","share_chapter3_description_tw":"Frogs & Friends \u2013 An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians."},"scene2_1":{"video":"","meta_title":"The Glass Frog","zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"The Glass Frog","text":"There are about 150 species of glass frogs living in the rainforests and cloud forests of Central and South America. Scientifically, they are classified as a separate family (Centrolenidae) of frogs. They are tree-dwellers and have suction pads on their toes that they use to safely climb along leaves and branches. Most species are relatively small, measuring 1.5-3 cm. \r\nThe skin on their upper side is usually green-coloured, often featuring white or yellow spots or streaks. Their ventral side is transparent, clearly revealing the organs underneath (heart, digestive system and maturing eggs in the female).\r\nMost species attach their egg clusters to leaves hanging over water. The males even practise brood care and consistently check on the spawn to moisten it when necessary.","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"The glass frogs\u2019 ventral side is transparent (pictured here: Hyalinobatrachium iaspidiense)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Glass frog from the Bolivian rainforest"},{"video":false,"caption":"The glass frogs\u2019 large, protruding eyes are striking (pictured here: Teratohyla pulverata) photo by: Tobias Eisenberg"},{"video":false,"caption":"The upper side can have a variety of greenish skin tones, and some species feature yellow or white spots (pictured here: Cochranella granulosa) photo by: Tobias Eisenberg"},{"video":false,"caption":"The egg clutches are usually attached to leaves hanging over water (pictured here: Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum)"},{"video":false,"caption":"Glass frog males guard the egg clutches (pictured here: Hyalinobatrachium valerioi) photo by: Tobias Eisenberg"}]}]},"scene2_0":{"video":"","meta_title":"Clearly Special","subline":"The amphibian body is the result of millions of years of adaptation. Glass frogs from Central America even allow an inside view of their body through their transparent abdomen. ","zusatzinhalt":""},"ch2":{"video":"","meta_title":"Clearly Special"},"scene1_1":{"video":"","meta_title":"The Tailed Frog","zusatzinhalt":[{"headline":"Ancient \u2013 But Still State of the Art","text":"One might assume that a tailed frog\u2019s tail is a mere vestige of the evolutionary development from salamander-like proto-amphibians to modern-day tailless frogs. But that isn\u2019t true. The tailed frog does in fact have a lot in common with its caudate ancestors \u2013 this is clearly evidenced by the nine free back vertebrae running through its skeleton. Modern frogs only have five to eight. \r\nBut the tailed frog\u2019s tail is actually a highly specialised adaptation to its habitat in fast-flowing mountain streams. The male\u2019s seed would just be swept away by the current if they practised external fertilisation like other frogs, so the males possess an extended cloaca up to one centimetre in length \u2013 the \u2018tail\u2019. They use it to directly insert their sperm into the female\u2019s cloaca. This makes them the only frogs to have developed internal fertilisation.","bilder":[{"video":false,"caption":"Tailed Frog, Ascaphus"},{"video":false,"caption":"Tailed Frog, Ascaphus"}]}]},"scene1_0":{"video":"","meta_title":"The First Leap","subline":"Amphibians were the first vertebrates to make the leap from water to land. They undergo this development again and again within their life cycles, and their supreme adaptability has allowed them to spread throughout the world. ","zusatzinhalt":""},"ch1":{"video":"","meta_title":"The First Leap"},"menu":{"video":"","frage":"When was the last time you listened to a frog concert?","antwort1":"Only recently","antwort1_text":"That\u2019s great, a lover of high art. Who knows when you\u2019ll have another opportunity. 43 % of amphibians worldwide have already become endangered.","antwort2":"It\u2019s been a while, but not that long ago.","antwort2_text":"This musical experience used to be a common feature of any summer night. Sadly, 43 % of all amphibians are endangered today. ","antwort3":"A frog concert, that sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Does it really exist?","antwort3_text":"The world is made of sound. And the rhythmic croaking of amphibians is an important part of the symphony of life. Every year, you can hear them sing. Still. So you\u2019d better hurry up if you ever want to hear it for yourself. Because 43 % of amphibians worldwide are endangered.","antwort4":"It\u2019s been ages, I must have been really young.","antwort4_text":"It\u2019s true, amphibians are becoming more and more silent. A lot has changed since your childhood days. Today, over 43 % of species are endangered.","item_1":"The First Leap","item_1_text":"This proto-frog began its journey 380 million years ago.","item_2":"Clearly Special","item_2_text":"A frog made of glass? Some animals allow deep insights into the astonishing abilities of amphibians.","item_3":"A Species Vanishes","item_3_text":"It shines like gold and is almost impossible to miss. Sadly, the golden toad is symptomatic for the tragic plight of amphibians.","outro":"Conservation Projects","outro_text":"There are many ways for you to get involved. Learn about some of the conservation projects launched to safeguard amphibian survival.","ajax_url":"https:\/\/webdoc.frogs-friends.org\/cms\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php","wp_nonce_field":"19059abdf1"},"splash":{"video":"","headline":"From the First Leap to Global Diversity","subline":"An interactive excursion into the fascinating world of amphibians","headphone":"Please put on headphones for the best experience.<br \/>\r\nThis web documentary is about 20 minutes long","browser":"Optimised for the current versions of Chrome, Safari and Firefox","or":"This web documentary can be viewed on tablets, laptops and desktop computers","privacyNotice":"This website uses cookies in accordance with the terms set out in our privacy statement. You can define the conditions under which cookies are saved \/ access is granted via your browser settings.","ipadNotice":"Dear visitor ,<br \/>\r\nour interactive web documentary is currently still being optimized for the use on tablets .<br \/>\r\nTherefore, please use a desktop computer and a recent version of Chrome , Safari or Firefox .<br \/>\r\nThank you very much,<br \/>\r\nFrogs & Friends","start_button_1":"Start","start_button_2":"Fullscreen"}});