#ArtYourAmphibian2020 - Contest Winners Bandana

#ArtYourAmphibian2020 - Gabriela A.F. & Omar R.P. All top five #ArtYourAmphibian design winners in 2020! Gabriela Alves Ferreira e Omar Rojas Padilla, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Master's Candidate From the artists: First, we would like to say that it was difficult to choose just one species from each order. We are passionate herpetologists and we see unique beauty in each of the representatives of this beautiful group. As it was not possible to place all amphibian species within the small area of ​​the pin, we decided to appeal to the emotional side. The monkey tree frog (Phytecopus azureus) was one of the first species that I (Gabi) came into contact with when I started working with amphibians, so I have a great affection for this species. The salamander, Ambystoma laterale, with its bluish tones highlighted in brown skin, is the Caudata that we like the most. And, Caecilia thompsoni, due to its unique shape, absence of appendages and its "hidden" life, represents Gymnophiona very well. The design is something simple and seeks to convey the mission of AmphibiaWeb, which in addition to showing relevant information about the life and conservation of each species, also presents taxonomic information about them. Primeiramente, gostaríamos de dizer que foi difícil escolher apenas uma espécie de cada ordem. Somos herpetólogos apaixonados e vemos belezas ímpares em cada um dos representantes desse belo grupo. Como não foi possível colocar todas as espécies de anfíbios dentro da pequena área do pin, decidimos apelar para o lado emocional. A rã-macaco (Phytecopus azureus) foi uma das primeiras espécies com as quais eu (Gabi) entrei em contato quando comecei a trabalhar com anfíbios, por isso tenho um grande carinho por essa espécie. A salamandra, Ambystoma laterale, com seus tons azulados destacados na pele marrom, é a Caudata de que mais gostamos. E, Caecilia thompsoni, devido à sua forma única, ausência de apêndices e sua vida "oculta", representa muito bem os Gymnophiona. O desenho é algo simples e que busca transmitir a missão do AmphibiaWeb, que além de mostrar informações relevantes sobre a vida e a conservação de cada espécie, também apresenta informações taxonômicas sobre elas. Ali North, University of Plymouth & ZSL Institute of Zoology, PhD Candidate From the artist: The Suriname toad Pipa pipa is weird and wonderful! Whilst locked indoors amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, I've been reminding myself that there is an amazing natural world out there, even if we can't get out and see it. I've spent some of my spare time researching an A-Z of amphibians from across the globe and I've become fascinated by this species. What a brilliantly peculiar animal. This amazingly camouflaged toad is flat like a pancake and can be found sitting at the bottom of murky streams waiting for its dinner to float past. The toad lacks a tongue, so relies on its long sensory fingers and large mouth to help capture its prey. The most peculiar aspect of the toad however lies within its reproductive cycle. Fertilized eggs are pushed onto the back of the female where the skin grows up and around them, protecting them as they develop. After several months, miniature versions of the toad push up and out of the mothers back, and scurry off into the big wide world. Madness! Nina McDonnell, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Research Assistant From the artist: This design celebrates amphibian diversity and important developments in our understanding of amphibian biology from the last 20 years. Each of the three species represented comes from a different taxonomic order and region. The American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is a charismatic anuran from eastern North America. With its stout legs and warty skin, it is one of my favorite species to encounter in the field. American toad tadpoles can aggregate in large groups that carpet pond bottoms or swarm across the surface in mesmerizing shoals. The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) is native to the Pacific Northwest. In addition to its vibrant and highly variable coloration, this salamander is notable for its startling vocalizations and tail-waving behavior, employed to deter the encroaching predator or probing herpetologist. The third species featured is Ichthyophis glutinosus-- a caecilian from Sri Lanka. Great progress has been made in the classification of caecilians in the past 20 years; however, with many of their mysteries still unsolved, we can look forward to learning more about this fossorial group in the times to come. A DNA double helix and assorted microbes (not to scale) are also incorporated in the design to represent developments in amphibian biology from the past two decades, including revised phylogenies and exciting discoveries about the role of the skin microbiome in amphibian health. Anne Chambers, University of Texas at Austin, Graduate Student From the artist: I wanted to highlight the spectacular morphology of frogs found across the globe. Here, there are representative species from five continents, and I tried to illustrate them in such a way that they mimic old-fashioned portraits of historical figures. (including Atelopus ignescens, Triprion spatulatus, Notaden bennettii, Theloderma corticale, Sclerophrys channingi) Anne Chambers, University of Texas at Austin, Graduate Student From the artist: When it comes to infrequently seen, less well-loved, and not as traditionally 'charismatic' amphibians, this quotation by Wallace in The Malay Archipelago comes to mind: "It seems sad that such exquisite creatures should live out their lives and exhibit their charms only in these wild inhospitable regions. This consideration must surely tell us that all living things were not made for man." The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) lives in seldom seen places, tending to their young for months, living out their lives away from people, in quiet solitude. Their biology is fascinating: there is a huge amount of genetic structuring within the species, and their closest relatives are the giant salamanders of Asia.