Kelp Bay
Amphibians are scarce in Alaska. Today we were lucky enough to find miniature examples of Alaska's only toad species - Bufo borealis - the boreal toad. The little toadlets are the result of a springtime embrace called amplexis. The male simply clings to the female, which stimulates her to lay many long continuous strands of eggs while he simultaneously covers them with his sperm. The eggs soon hatch into tadpoles and development continues until metamorphosis is complete and the tiny replicas of the adult can now set forth on their perilous terrestrial journey through life.
The only other amphibians currently present in Alaska include two frog species, two salamanders, and one newt. This is not necessarily just a function of cold temperatures, but perhaps also of time. Eventually, other poikilothermic (cold-blooded) animals may invade these extreme northern climes. The toads need to be very hardy in order to survive here, and have been seen climbing over snow banks in the early spring to reach their breeding ponds after having spent the coldest months protected in burrows.
Worldwide, amphibian species have been declining for as yet undetermined reasons. Theories include habitat degradation, pollution, pathogens, and climate change. Most likely it is a combination of factors that are affecting these vulnerable vertebrates.
Amphibians are scarce in Alaska. Today we were lucky enough to find miniature examples of Alaska's only toad species - Bufo borealis - the boreal toad. The little toadlets are the result of a springtime embrace called amplexis. The male simply clings to the female, which stimulates her to lay many long continuous strands of eggs while he simultaneously covers them with his sperm. The eggs soon hatch into tadpoles and development continues until metamorphosis is complete and the tiny replicas of the adult can now set forth on their perilous terrestrial journey through life.
The only other amphibians currently present in Alaska include two frog species, two salamanders, and one newt. This is not necessarily just a function of cold temperatures, but perhaps also of time. Eventually, other poikilothermic (cold-blooded) animals may invade these extreme northern climes. The toads need to be very hardy in order to survive here, and have been seen climbing over snow banks in the early spring to reach their breeding ponds after having spent the coldest months protected in burrows.
Worldwide, amphibian species have been declining for as yet undetermined reasons. Theories include habitat degradation, pollution, pathogens, and climate change. Most likely it is a combination of factors that are affecting these vulnerable vertebrates.
