Professional Documents
Culture Documents
S
ince the 1950s, the role that amphibians play in soci-
General Information
ety has greatly expanded. Captive salamanders and
tadpoles that have fascinated young children for ages AmphibiaTree (National Science Foundation)
are now making their way into homes as family pets. In http://texas.amphibiatree.org
addition, with the expanded interests of the veterinary com- Information intended to keep visitors abreast of the most
munity, these pets are better cared for and live longer than recent amphibian-related research, including published
ever before. Similarly, frogs that have filled the soup bowls abstracts and forums for discussion of such materials.
of ethnic cuisine for centuries have recently become the AmphibianWikipedia
focus of cutting-edge scientific research. It is expected that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibian
these animals will help unravel the mysteries of human Foundational information regarding the natural his-
development. Nevertheless, not all of this earned attention tory, classification, physiology, and conservation of
amphibians.
Amphibians
Michael W. Nolan, B.S., is a graduate student in the Aquatic Medicine http://www.wildanimalsonline.com/amphibians/
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Vir- A brief overview of amphibian physiology and a list of links
ginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Poly-
to web pages containing information about selected
technic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA. Stephen A. Smith,
D.V.M., Ph.D., is a Professor of Aquatic Medicine/Fish Health and Direc- common amphibian species.
tor of the Aquatic Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sci-
Living Underworld
ences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of
Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, http://www.livingunderworld.org/
Blacksburg, VA. Links to general information pages for the amphibian orders
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Stephen A. Smith, Anura, Caudata, and Gymnophiona.
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VMRCVM, Vir-
ginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Duck Pond Drive, Blacks- The Wildfowl and Wetlands TrustDown the Frog and
burg, VA 24061-0442, or email stsmith7@vt.edu. Toad
Guidelines for Use of Live Amphibians and Reptiles in Xenopus laevis Frog Colony Care
Field Research (Clemson University) http://www.xlaevis.com/
http://www.clemson.edu/research/orcSite/ARCforms/ Information about housing, rearing, and care of Xenopus
doc/AmphibiansReptilesGuidelines.pdf laevis and, to a lesser extent, Xenopus tropicalis.