Ecological Adaptations

Abstract

Any attempt to analyse the ecological adaptations of amphibians inhabiting xeric environments in a comprehensive manner presents a formidable task, especially since amphibians live in two worlds and the factors affecting their lives differ greatly in the aquatic environment compared with the terrestrial-xeric one. (Some of these aspects concerning structure and function have been discussed previously in Chapters 3 and 5.) Foremost among the considerations involved is to decide what aspects need to be reviewed here. How important for its later life as a terrestrial adult are the ecological conditions facing a tadpole or larva in the aquatic environment? Some of these matters were discussed by Wilbur (1980). It appears that most of the experimental work has been carried out on the larval stages, perhaps because they are more accessible than adults and easy to maintain. As it is difficult to decide on the best approach, I shall consider here the ecological adaptations in general of amphibians from xeric habitats to both environments in which they live.