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Description

Burrowing toads are nowadays one of Nea’s mascots, and can be found all over the planet - from its iconic desertic landscapes to more temperate and tropical settings, a traveler is most certainly guaranteed to find one of these animals, especially during times of heavy rain. Descendants from a diverse pool of fossorial amphibians, Nea is home of a wide variety species of these curious creatures, taken from all of Earth’s continents. In fact, as everything in Nea, these amphibian’s history of colonisation of the planet is nothing short of extraordinary.

Burrowing frogs were among the first amphibians introduced on the planet – given their habits, they could in theory withstand Nea’s higher surface temperatures, by burrowing deep in the ground, be it to escape the heat of the day or simply to survive (as it was the case of the species more adapted to life on desert landscapes, that dig a burrow in which they lie dormant until na heavy rain makes them spring back into activity). Thus, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the planet’s colonisation, Nea’s Extraplanetary Wildlife Commitee (NEW-C) comissioned an international group of scientists and scholars with the purpose of finding suitable burrowing species, one from each earthly continent. After a careful period of deliberation, 6 candidates were chosen: from Europe the European Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates cultripes); from the Americas the Mexican Burrowing Toad (Rhinophrynus dorsalis); from Asia the Indian Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis); from Africa the Cape Rain Frog (Breviceps gibbosus); and from Oceania the Crucifix Toad (Notaden bennettii). Due to popular demand, another species was chosen from Australia – the Turtle Frog (Myobatrachus gouldii), due to its uncanny and unique resemblance to a turtle.

Animal releases were carried out throughout the next decade, with hundreds of frogs being introduced in Nea’s amphibian free landscapes.

Species facts:

Booted Toad: Given that name due to the dark pattern on its legs, the Booted toad is descendant of the original Crucifix Toads. No longer doning their well defined crucifix that made the species so popular, the colourful patterns on this frog now extend to its limbs. It is thought that this happened due to popular demand of these species as exotic pets. Due to the highly advertised release campaigns, large numbers of animals were highly sought after and captured for their colorful pattern, seen as a symbol of good luck – frogs donning the best crucifix pattern were then captured, leading to a reduction of the frequency of this phenotype in the population's gene pool, leaving less desirable patterns in the wild. This has since been reverted, with laws prohibiting capture of these animals, and the crucifix pattern is slowly reapearing in wild populations. It’s not rare, however, to find these amphibians in small patches of vegetation or gardens near settlements, result of specimens that were released or escaped shortly after being captured. An interesting fact about this frog is that it exudes a substance commonly refered as “frog glue” - the glue has been found to be stronger than available non-toxic medical adhesives and was the subject of further study, that lead to the development of new types of medical suture-glues. The glue is a protein-based pressure-sensitive adhesive that functions even in wet conditions, and is thought to aid frogs avoid predators, catch insects and even mate (since frog couples attach to each other using this thick substance). It lives in semi-arid regions, burrowing itself in the ground to moisturize its skin and avoid the heat and dry conditions, wrapping itself inside a coccon-like structure, resurfacing when heavy rain pours.

Greater Turtle Frog: Chosen as an aditional candidate for colonisation due to popular demand, this unique frog shares an uncanny resemblance with a stuby turtle - one of the reasons it's still such a popular Neanean animal. Also nicknamed as “desert turnip” this species of amphibian have short muscular limbs to help them dig into the sand but, unlike most frogs, they dig forwards, also bearing resemblance to a turtle. They feed on small insects like termites or ants, so the adaptation of the muscular limbs is useful when trying to break into colony mounds. On Nea they became a bit larger and more robust than their terrestrial counterparts, and some population pockets across desert oasis no longer spend large ammounts of time underground, instead only retreating to their burrows in occasions of extreme heat or drought. This species of frog is also well suited to life on Nea, in that its one of the few frog species that doesn’t need water to spawn, instead laying their eggs deep in their lairs, where fully formed little frogs hatch make their way out of the burrow.

Neanian Spadefoot Toad: Inhabiting sandy soils in the temperate forests, woodlands and shrub areas of Nea, this descendant of the European Spadefoot Toads are extremely prolific. Their skin patterns evolved to mimic Nea’s forest undergrowth, making this species hard to find, yet very common, being the most common burrowing frog on the planet. Also nicknamed the "shovel-foot toad", they have hardened protrusions on their wide, shovel-like hind legs to aid in digging, which is the source of the common name. They emerge from the ground during periods of rain and breed in pools, which are usually temporary. However in some areas they spend all the year in the surface, only retreating to their burrows to rest or escape harsh dry conditions in periods of drought - this is an indication that the burrowing behaviour seems to be optional, and that when provided enough moisture and water, they can opt not to spend long periods underground.

Bubble squeaker: Like the name suggests, this species of burrowing frog descendant from the Cape rain frog inflates into a baloon up to twice its original body size when threatenned, and lets out a mennacing (for the frog at least it may sound so) squeaking sound, as air leaves their respiratory tract. They do not require water sources to spawn, just like the Greater turtle frog, and their young don’t go through the tadpole phase either - in fact, these frogs will and do drown if they can't escape even a small shallow pool quick enough. Interestingly, females of this species lay guard to their nest/lair until the froglets are old enough to scurry about on their own. They also exude a sticky, glue like substance (just like the Booted Toad), that helps males get a grip on their back while mating. They are the most spread out burrowing frog across Nea, and may be found on areas of shrubby vegetation, and even suburban areas. These frogs have a huge impact in the aeration of Nea's soils, and their constant burrowing allows movement of nutrients and smaller critters through the substrate, which in turn create small, yet bustling ecosystems. Their burrowing sites are thus easily located, be it by spotting mounds of loose dirt or sand, or simply by searching for small patches of bushes or shruby undergrowth. Large "colonies" up to 2 hacres in radius have been identified in some parts of Nea's semi-arid and even drier regions, proof of this frog's incredible endurance and breeding prowess, perfectly suited to the dry colony planet. Notably however, despite its sucess, this species became smaller in size than its terrestrial counterpart - the reasons for this change however, still remain uncertain. One theory suggests that this is due to predation by Ring Tail Cats, since their introduction in Nea was coincidental to the decline of the frequency of bigger specimens - while smaller individuals are less noticeable and can find shelter easier, larger specimens have a hard time going unnoticed. The Ring Tail Cats seem to have developed a strategy to rid the frog of the sticky substance it exudes - although this behaviour hasn't been witnessed as of yet, researchers think that these cunning mammals relatives of the racoon have learned to drown the hapless amphibians in water pools, since it's not rare to find dead and half eaten frogs floating in small waterholes.

Diamond-Back Burrowing Toad: Descendants of the Mexican burrowing toad, these frogs have developed a more pronounced, and brighter pattern on their backs, after which this neanian species has been named after. There are slight differences in the patterns of the northern and southern populations, with specific phenotypes having been deliberatly selected so that the northern population would have a less bright, less spotted and more yellowish pattern (Rhinophrynus cirrhus maculata), and the southern population a brighter, wider, more orange and heavily dotted one (Rhinophrynus cirrhus ignivexillum). Examples of these two different phenotypes wera also originally found on Earth: LINK LINK . Like its terrestrial counterpart, burrowing toad is genetically unique in a number of ways being the most evolutionarily distinct amphibian species – for exemple, a fruit bat, polar bear, killer whale, kangaroo and human are all more similar to one another than this species is to any other amphibian. Its feet have horny, shovel-like appendages which, along with the short, powerful legs, aid it in digging deep holes – in Nea, these lairs are permanent, and they retreat to their safety when drier conditions arise. Another unique characteristic of this frog, is that its tongue is projected directly out the front of the mouth, instead of being flipped out, as in all other frogs.

Mud Plum: By far the rarest burrowing frog on Nea, the Mud Plum descendant from the Indian Purple Frog had a troubled start on the new planetary colony – hence the suggestive name, problematicus. The first and second wave of introductions failed miserably, and upon further research it was found that the diet of the frog was the problem – the Mud Plum, like its terrestrial counterpart, and unlike most burrowing frogs (which feed on the surface) spends most of its life underground, only coming out during heavy rain season, time when it mates and breeds, laying eggs in hill streams that are formed after monsoons, and then drain to main rivers. It spends most of the year feeding on small critters that are burrowers themselves – problem is, the species already present in Nea at the time that were initially thought to provide enough food, dwelled closer to the surface than the frog did, thus making it hard for the amphibians to find enough food - in other words, the frog burrowed too deep to find food, which sadly wasn't available. The commitee thought about dropping this candidate as a possible colonist, but due to their popularity and exotic purple coloration the decision was dropped at the last minute, claiming that such a species would be the perfect subject case for further evolutionary investigations. In fact, scientists are currently developing a new, genetically engineered Mud Plum, capable of withstanding larger periods above ground, and with a more varied diet (which is comprised almost exclusively of termites or ants, small enough to fit their diminute mouth - they hunt them using their tongue and a special buccal groove) Nowadays the frog has enough food to sustain a stable population (after the introduction of the species they prey upon), and its number are slowly rising. Its original purple colour has become darker and more pronounced on Nea, a fact that has made this species even more popular than it already was.

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For 's contest.

Description

Burrowing toads are nowadays one of Nea’s mascots, and can be found all over the planet - from its iconic desertic landscapes to more temperate and tropical settings, a traveler is most certainly guaranteed to find one of these animals, especially during times of heavy rain. Descendants from a diverse pool of fossorial amphibians, Nea is home of a wide variety species of these curious creatures, taken from all of Earth’s continents. In fact, as everything in Nea, these amphibian’s history of colonisation of the planet is nothing short of extraordinary.

Burrowing frogs were among the first amphibians introduced on the planet – given their habits, they could in theory withstand Nea’s higher surface temperatures, by burrowing deep in the ground, be it to escape the heat of the day or simply to survive (as it was the case of the species more adapted to life on desert landscapes, that dig a burrow in which they lie dormant until na heavy rain makes them spring back into activity). Thus, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the planet’s colonisation, Nea’s Extraplanetary Wildlife Commitee (NEW-C) comissioned an international group of scientists and scholars with the purpose of finding suitable burrowing species, one from each earthly continent. After a careful period of deliberation, 6 candidates were chosen: from Europe the European Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates cultripes); from the Americas the Mexican Burrowing Toad (Rhinophrynus dorsalis); from Asia the Indian Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis); from Africa the Cape Rain Frog (Breviceps gibbosus); and from Oceania the Crucifix Toad (Notaden bennettii). Due to popular demand, another species was chosen from Australia – the Turtle Frog (Myobatrachus gouldii), due to its uncanny and unique resemblance to a turtle.

Animal releases were carried out throughout the next decade, with hundreds of frogs being introduced in Nea’s amphibian free landscapes.

Species facts:

Booted Toad: Given that name due to the dark pattern on its legs, the Booted toad is descendant of the original Crucifix Toads. No longer doning their well defined crucifix that made the species so popular, the colourful patterns on this frog now extend to its limbs. It is thought that this happened due to popular demand of these species as exotic pets. Due to the highly advertised release campaigns, large numbers of animals were highly sought after and captured for their colorful pattern, seen as a symbol of good luck – frogs donning the best crucifix pattern were then captured, leading to a reduction of the frequency of this phenotype in the population's gene pool, leaving less desirable patterns in the wild. This has since been reverted, with laws prohibiting capture of these animals, and the crucifix pattern is slowly reapearing in wild populations. It’s not rare, however, to find these amphibians in small patches of vegetation or gardens near settlements, result of specimens that were released or escaped shortly after being captured. An interesting fact about this frog is that it exudes a substance commonly refered as “frog glue” - the glue has been found to be stronger than available non-toxic medical adhesives and was the subject of further study, that lead to the development of new types of medical suture-glues. The glue is a protein-based pressure-sensitive adhesive that functions even in wet conditions, and is thought to aid frogs avoid predators, catch insects and even mate (since frog couples attach to each other using this thick substance). It lives in semi-arid regions, burrowing itself in the ground to moisturize its skin and avoid the heat and dry conditions, wrapping itself inside a coccon-like structure, resurfacing when heavy rain pours.

Greater Turtle Frog: Chosen as an aditional candidate for colonisation due to popular demand, this unique frog shares an uncanny resemblance with a stuby turtle - one of the reasons it's still such a popular Neanean animal. Also nicknamed as “desert turnip” this species of amphibian have short muscular limbs to help them dig into the sand but, unlike most frogs, they dig forwards, also bearing resemblance to a turtle. They feed on small insects like termites or ants, so the adaptation of the muscular limbs is useful when trying to break into colony mounds. On Nea they became a bit larger and more robust than their terrestrial counterparts, and some population pockets across desert oasis no longer spend large ammounts of time underground, instead only retreating to their burrows in occasions of extreme heat or drought. This species of frog is also well suited to life on Nea, in that its one of the few frog species that doesn’t need water to spawn, instead laying their eggs deep in their lairs, where fully formed little frogs hatch make their way out of the burrow.

Neanian Spadefoot Toad: Inhabiting sandy soils in the temperate forests, woodlands and shrub areas of Nea, this descendant of the European Spadefoot Toads are extremely prolific. Their skin patterns evolved to mimic Nea’s forest undergrowth, making this species hard to find, yet very common, being the most common burrowing frog on the planet. Also nicknamed the "shovel-foot toad", they have hardened protrusions on their wide, shovel-like hind legs to aid in digging, which is the source of the common name. They emerge from the ground during periods of rain and breed in pools, which are usually temporary. However in some areas they spend all the year in the surface, only retreating to their burrows to rest or escape harsh dry conditions in periods of drought - this is an indication that the burrowing behaviour seems to be optional, and that when provided enough moisture and water, they can opt not to spend long periods underground.

Bubble squeaker: Like the name suggests, this species of burrowing frog descendant from the Cape rain frog inflates into a baloon up to twice its original body size when threatenned, and lets out a mennacing (for the frog at least it may sound so) squeaking sound, as air leaves their respiratory tract. They do not require water sources to spawn, just like the Greater turtle frog, and their young don’t go through the tadpole phase either - in fact, these frogs will and do drown if they can't escape even a small shallow pool quick enough. Interestingly, females of this species lay guard to their nest/lair until the froglets are old enough to scurry about on their own. They also exude a sticky, glue like substance (just like the Booted Toad), that helps males get a grip on their back while mating. They are the most spread out burrowing frog across Nea, and may be found on areas of shrubby vegetation, and even suburban areas. These frogs have a huge impact in the aeration of Nea's soils, and their constant burrowing allows movement of nutrients and smaller critters through the substrate, which in turn create small, yet bustling ecosystems. Their burrowing sites are thus easily located, be it by spotting mounds of loose dirt or sand, or simply by searching for small patches of bushes or shruby undergrowth. Large "colonies" up to 2 hacres in radius have been identified in some parts of Nea's semi-arid and even drier regions, proof of this frog's incredible endurance and breeding prowess, perfectly suited to the dry colony planet. Notably however, despite its sucess, this species became smaller in size than its terrestrial counterpart - the reasons for this change however, still remain uncertain. One theory suggests that this is due to predation by Ring Tail Cats, since their introduction in Nea was coincidental to the decline of the frequency of bigger specimens - while smaller individuals are less noticeable and can find shelter easier, larger specimens have a hard time going unnoticed. The Ring Tail Cats seem to have developed a strategy to rid the frog of the sticky substance it exudes - although this behaviour hasn't been witnessed as of yet, researchers think that these cunning mammals relatives of the racoon have learned to drown the hapless amphibians in water pools, since it's not rare to find dead and half eaten frogs floating in small waterholes.

Diamond-Back Burrowing Toad: Descendants of the Mexican burrowing toad, these frogs have developed a more pronounced, and brighter pattern on their backs, after which this neanian species has been named after. There are slight differences in the patterns of the northern and southern populations, with specific phenotypes having been deliberatly selected so that the northern population would have a less bright, less spotted and more yellowish pattern (Rhinophrynus cirrhus maculata), and the southern population a brighter, wider, more orange and heavily dotted one (Rhinophrynus cirrhus ignivexillum). Examples of these two different phenotypes wera also originally found on Earth: LINK LINK . Like its terrestrial counterpart, burrowing toad is genetically unique in a number of ways being the most evolutionarily distinct amphibian species – for exemple, a fruit bat, polar bear, killer whale, kangaroo and human are all more similar to one another than this species is to any other amphibian. Its feet have horny, shovel-like appendages which, along with the short, powerful legs, aid it in digging deep holes – in Nea, these lairs are permanent, and they retreat to their safety when drier conditions arise. Another unique characteristic of this frog, is that its tongue is projected directly out the front of the mouth, instead of being flipped out, as in all other frogs.

Mud Plum: By far the rarest burrowing frog on Nea, the Mud Plum descendant from the Indian Purple Frog had a troubled start on the new planetary colony – hence the suggestive name, problematicus. The first and second wave of introductions failed miserably, and upon further research it was found that the diet of the frog was the problem – the Mud Plum, like its terrestrial counterpart, and unlike most burrowing frogs (which feed on the surface) spends most of its life underground, only coming out during heavy rain season, time when it mates and breeds, laying eggs in hill streams that are formed after monsoons, and then drain to main rivers. It spends most of the year feeding on small critters that are burrowers themselves – problem is, the species already present in Nea at the time that were initially thought to provide enough food, dwelled closer to the surface than the frog did, thus making it hard for the amphibians to find enough food - in other words, the frog burrowed too deep to find food, which sadly wasn't available. The commitee thought about dropping this candidate as a possible colonist, but due to their popularity and exotic purple coloration the decision was dropped at the last minute, claiming that such a species would be the perfect subject case for further evolutionary investigations. In fact, scientists are currently developing a new, genetically engineered Mud Plum, capable of withstanding larger periods above ground, and with a more varied diet (which is comprised almost exclusively of termites or ants, small enough to fit their diminute mouth - they hunt them using their tongue and a special buccal groove) Nowadays the frog has enough food to sustain a stable population (after the introduction of the species they prey upon), and its number are slowly rising. Its original purple colour has become darker and more pronounced on Nea, a fact that has made this species even more popular than it already was.

--------------------------------------------

For 's contest.