Vertebrate Zoology - Practical Course - V. V. Kuibida - 2007

MODULE 2. Class Amphibia

Amphibians of the Pereiaslav Region

The batrachofauna of the Pereiaslav region is represented by 11 species. The order Caudata (tailed amphibians) includes permanent inhabitants of ponds, ditches, and shallow standing-Water bodies: the smooth newt (Triturus vulgaris), also known locally as irytsia, and the warty newt

(Triturus cristatus), also referred to as the great newt, water lizard, and great irytsia. Newts (especially the warty newt) are often caught on hooks by crucian carp anglers and are frequently mistaken for lizards. However, these animals belong to different classes and have significant structural and developmental differences. For instance, newts undergo a larval stage in their development. The larvae, much like frog tadpoles, breathe through gills, whereas adult specimens use Lungs and Skin.

Among tailless amphibians (Anura), a well-known species is the fire-bellied toad or European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina), also known locally as dzherelianka, kumkavka, kholodushka, likaryk, and krynychka. Both the scientific and vernacular names of this small toad reflect how our ancestors utilized this species and its characteristic features. The toad's skin produces a secretion with antibiotic properties. Therefore, in ancient times, when sending a mowers' crew to the hayfields, people would drop a toad into a jug of milk, and the milk would not sour for a long time—hence the vernacular name kholodushka (chiller). Obviously, no actual cooling of the milk took place, but Antibiotics from the skin mucus killed lactic acid Bacteria, thereby inhibiting the souring process. A similar effect was observed when dry toad skin powder was applied to wounds for faster healing, or used to treat throat inflammation by inhaling over the animal. Living in wells or springs, the fire-bellied toad protects them from pathogenic bacteria, making it a welcome inhabitant of water bodies.

Terrestrial amphibian species inhabit orchards and kitchen gardens: the common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus), also known as zemlianka; the green toad (Bufo viridis), or zelepania; much less frequently, the common toad (Bufo bufo); while forests are home to tree frogs — European tree frogs (Hyla arborea), also locally called rakhkavka, dozhvivka, krakavka, rakania, and raika.

The skin of spadefoots smells of garlic. Every morning these toads burrow into the ground and emerge every night to hunt. Air and moisture penetrate the burrows they dig, thereby improving soil fertility. Interestingly, the spadefoot tadpole can grow up to 17 cm, yet upon transforming into a young toad, it shrinks to 1.5–2.5 cm. An adult toad reaches only 7–8 cm in length. From a human perspective, is it not wondrous — you grow, grow, and then shrink in size!

Toads also possess fascinating characteristics. When a young dog or other predator seizes a toad in its Teeth, the pressure causes the poison glands to release a bitter, caustic, burning secretion that induces vomiting. An experienced predator avoids contact with a toad and reacts cautiously upon encountering its defensive posture, wherein it inflates its body and rises on straightened legs. Humans need not fear toads, nor is there any need to pick them up. Toads consume A large number of agricultural, garden, and orchard pests, making them our welcome neighbors.

A wealth of interesting information can be gleaned from the etymological analysis of historical names for amphibians. A telling example is found in the vernacular names for toads. The term baba (Verkhratsky, Poch. V) arose from associations between the amphibian's warty skin and the wrinkles of an old woman. Ivan Verkhratsky writes regarding this: "presumably because it is warty, wrinkled like an old woman's face" (p. 22). Subsequent names reinforce this motivation associated with skin texture: (karapania — Verkhratsky Poch. V), (zhydivska zhaba, koropavka, korostavka, karapavka, shkarapanie or karapanie, pogana zhaba, poganka — Verkhratsky Poch. VI) — derived from koropavyi meaning "rough, warty". On the other hand, the vernacular name for a tadpole, babur (ESUM-1), and the descriptor for a pot-bellied appearance reflected in the lexeme babukhaty, can be traced back to the hypothetical Proto-Slavic ROOT *bab- meaning "to swell up, to bloat, to be spherical". Indeed, the primary element in the toads' defensive behavioral strategy is inflating the abdomen while raising the body, which gave rise to such idiomatic expressions as: "Puffed up like a toad", "Swelling like a toad on a puddle bank", "Swell up, toad, as much as you like, you'll still never be an ox", and others.

The so-called "true frogs" include green species: the marsh frog (Rana ridibunda), the pool frog (Rana lessonae), also known locally as zhaba-zelena and kreketukha, as well as their interspecific hybrid, which is classified as a distinct form, the edible frog (Rana kl. esculenta); and brown species: the moor frog (Rana arvalis), locally called zhaba bolotiana and sykva, and the common frog (Rana temporaria), known as naduvaka.

Certain physiological features of true frogs and the beliefs surrounding them are simply astounding. Curiously, their eyes assist in pushing food down into the Pharynx, and they can only see moving objects. They have four digits on their forelimbs and five on their hindlimbs. Popular beliefs that frogs cause warts on human hands are untrue, and overall, they are non-venomous. Without delving into detailed species identification, venomous toads can be distinguished from non-venomous true frogs by the following features: their skin is bumpy, as if covered with "warts"; their hindlimbs are short and weak; they do not jump; and their habitat is primarily terrestrial (orchards, gardens, fields, forests, etc.). In contrast, true frogs have smooth skin, are capable of jumping, and live near water.

Common names of amphibians are interesting not only because in many cases they provide an accurate insight into their biology, habitats, and use in folk medicine, but also due to their close connections with geographical names, anthroponyms, myths, legends, and incantations of the Ukrainian people. Thus, numerous geographical names in Ukraine are associated with batrachonyms, for example, the Zhabyna (Zhabykha) River, a right tributary of the Orlytsia River (Sula basin). The Zhabyne Oko River, literally meaning 'Frog River,' also belongs to this basin. O.S. Stryzhak points out the reflection of the animal world in river names, including metaphorical designations of the character of a certain part of the riverbed resembling an eye. The researcher compares the hydronym 'Volove Oko' with a lake in the village of Tsybli in the Pereiaslav region (Kyiv Oblast). As for the name 'Zhabyne Oko,' apart from indicating the local fauna, it conceals a subtle irony implying: 'A river fit only for frogs to live in.'

The processes of toponym and anthroponym formation have much in common. Since the Introduction of Christianity in Kyivan Rus, alongside native Slavic or folk given names, church-Christian personal given names of Greek, Latin, and Old Hebrew origin were also introduced. In the competitive struggle between these Two Types of names, the church-Christian ones prevailed, while traditional Slavic names left their mark in modern surnames and nicknames. Examples of given names and name-nicknames with lost onymic semantics were studied by M.O. Demchuk. For instance, such native Slavic personal given names in the everyday life of Ukrainians in the 14th–17th centuries as Petro Zhaba, Mykhailo Zhabka, undoubtedly originate from batrachonyms. In the 'Register of the Zaporozhian Army of 1649,' which first systematized Cossack surnames, Zhabokrytsky is recorded in a sotnia of the Pereiaslav Regiment, while in the 'Index to the Publications of the Temporary Commission for the Review of Ancient Acts, Established by Highest Authority under the Governor-General of Kyiv, Podolia, and Volhynia (from 1845 to 1877): Personal Names,' we find Zhabych, Zhabinsky, Zhaboklytsky, Zhabokrytsky, and others.

Although amphibians are the most vulnerable among vertebrates due to their high dependence on habitat conditions, only five of their species are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. All of them belong to the Western Ukraine region and, accordingly, are absent in the Pereiaslav region. However, at the international level, practically all amphibian species are rare and included in various conservation lists and conventions. An example is the Bern Convention, which serves as a vital instrument for preserving biological and landscape diversity on the European continent.

The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats was initiated in 1979 in Bern. It operates under the auspices of the Council of Europe in the field of conserving biological and landscape diversity on the European continent. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine 'On Accession to the 1979 Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats,' albeit with certain reservations regarding species that are objects of local harvesting and are not endangered in our country. The Convention consists of 23 articles and has four Appendices. Appendix I lists flora species, and Appendix II lists fauna species that require special conservation measures. Appendix III includes species whose exploitation is regulated, and Appendix IV lists prohibited means and Methods of killing fish, birds, and mammals.

Currently, 4 amphibian species found in our region are listed in the Bern Convention (Appendix II). Appendix II signifies that these animals require special protection in Europe and Ukraine.

✵ Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus), order Caudata. Other Ukrainian names: great crested newt, water lizard, great irytsia. Also listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of six species of the genus Triturus in the fauna of Ukraine. A sparse species in the water bodies of the Pereiaslav region. It is necessary to protect the habitats where these animals live from destruction and pollution, and to prevent their uncontrolled harvesting.

✵ Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina bombina), order Anura. Other Ukrainian names: common fire-bellied toad, red-bellied toad. Also listed in the IUCN Red List. One of two species of the genus Bombina in the fauna of Ukraine. In our region, it is a common species inhabiting various types of water bodies.

It is necessary to protect the habitats where the species lives from destruction and pollution.

✵ Common Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus), order Anura. Other Ukrainian names: earth toad, brown toad, garlic toad, common earth toad. The only representative of the genus Pelobates in the fauna of Ukraine. A fairly common species in the Pereiaslav region. Most frequently encountered in agricultural landscapes. It is necessary to protect the natural habitats of the species from destruction and pollution.

✵ Green Toad (Bufo viridis), order Anura. Another Ukrainian name: zelepania. One of three species of the genus Bufo in the fauna of Ukraine. A common species in both natural and cultural landscapes of the Pereiaslav region. Does not yet require special conservation measures.

✵ European Tree Frog (Hyla arborea), order Anura. Other Ukrainian names: tree frog, rain frog, quacker, rkania. Listed in the IUCN Red List. The only representative of the genus Hyla in the fauna of Ukraine, represented by the nominotypical subspecies. A sparse, locally rare species in our area. Always found near water bodies. It is necessary to protect the habitats where the species lives from destruction and pollution.

✵ Moor Frog (Rana arvalis), order Anura. Other Ukrainian names: squeaker, marsh frog. One of six species of the genus Rana in our fauna. Belongs to the group of brown frogs, represented in Ukraine by three species. A common, locally abundant amphibian species in the Pereiaslav region.