8.04 Safari Quest Three—Amphibians

Hello! Welcome to Ecuador, the country of my people, the Zapara. I'm Bartolo Dávalos, but you can call me Bart. I'll be your guide while you're here and for your next Safari Quest too!

On your amphibian Safari Quest, you'll see many animals—some are in danger of becoming extinct. Like these animals, my people are in danger of becoming extinct. There were once over two hundred thousand Zapara in this area of South America. Over time, as we have been in contact with modern cultures and mixed with other native cultures, much of our tradition and tribal knowledge has been lost. For example, there are only a handful of people, fewer than ten, who speak our original language.

I am proud to say that I'm working with our tribal elders to help preserve our ways. As a people, one of the things we're most proud of is our knowledge of the rainforest and its creatures.

The rainforest is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet—rivaled only by the coral reef in species diversity. Many species of plants and animals that live here have yet to be discovered. You'll spend only a short time with me and the Zapara, but I hope to show you a wonderful world and help you find that special amphibian you are looking for.

In this activity, you will: discuss the structure, function, and advantage of a three-chambered heart understand the terms ectodermic and endodermic as related to the concept of being cold-blooded describe the reproductive strategies of amphibians relate the special adaptations of amphibians to their success

Let the Quest Begin

To get started, open, save (as an .rtf), and print the Amphibian Field Guide.

• You'll complete the Amphibian Field Guide and submit it as a page to be included in a field guide that BioVentures Unlimited is preparing for its tour guests.
• Make sure to look it over carefully before you get started.
• You can complete some information along the way as you explore.
• You will want to wait on some information until you've selected an amphibian to include in your field guide.

As a way of discovering just what kinds of animals belong to class Amphibia, watch these two short video clips.

Add these four questions to your Travel Log and seek the answers as you view the clips! (Notes Page)

1. What are the three groups of amphibians?
2. What does it mean to say that an animal is an ectotherm?
3. How is an amphibian's internal skeleton important to its survival?
4. Why must amphibians live near water?

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You might be thinking that amphibians aren't a very exciting group compared to fish and invertebrate animals. However, they're very important ecologically. As we canoe our way into the reserve, I'll fill you in on just how important they are. As you continue your quest for the amphibian, we'll travel to Ecuador's Limoncocha Biological Reserve. We'll be heading into some wet areas, so get your slogging boots, your insect repellent, your field guide, and let's get started!

Move on to the BioVenture tab to continue this Safari Quest.