Welcome! Here's a little information about who we are and why we're here
 Livingunderworld.org is an ongoing web project dedicated to the preservation of
wild and captive amphibians. We are a non-profit, educational website,
whose purpose is to make available accurate, and organized amphibian
information for breeders, professional herpetologists, or those just curious
about amphibians. Livingunderworld.org attempts to cater to a wide audience, and is therefore made
simple and easy to navigate, and includes plenty of resources for further
information. The site is comprised of a collection of
contributed and original materials pertaining to amphibians, including species accounts,
identification information, trends in classification, range maps, photos, articles, links, and more.
Although there are a few "remnant" care sheets for captive animals, the main focus of
the site is aimed at the biological, ecological, and taxonomic aspects
of amphibians. In fact, we hope to turn the site completely in this
direction over the next few years. We would like to see Livingunderworld.org
become a useful reference tool for persons of all paths and stages,
from professional herpetologists and zoologists, to photographers
and authors, to college and high school students, and everything in
between. Contributed materials are always welcome; please
contact us for
contribution instructions.
Photos can also be posted in the Member
Galleries section. All contributions are greatly appreciated, and are posted with complete
acknowledgements to the owner or copyright holder, including name and web
site links (where applicable).
The name "
Living Under World" is a metaphoric one that
represents how amphibians have been historically perceived; that is, as unsightly
creatures
that essentially exist beneath the human world. Unfortunately, amphibians are
not a particularly celebrated group of animals among many people, and are
sometimes treated as nuisances, or simply unimportant creatures. This is a
rather unfortunate misconception because amphibians play important roles in the ecosystem,
and contribute to the health of the
planet. Not to mention that as a whole, amphibians are an amazing group
of animals, with innumerous special adaptations. There are more than 5,000
recognized amphibian species, ranging in size from a few millimeters to
several feet, and varied in coloration from drab brown to fluorescent
colors, and deep, rich hues. Amphibians also differ markedly in shape and
physical appearance, from the typical frog or salamander, to the strange, worm-like caecilians. Some
species are so different from what most know as a frog or salamander, that
they wouldn't even be recognized as an amphibian at all!
Problems in the Wild
Wild populations of an astounding number of species are
declining on a global level in response to pollution and the greenhouse
effect, habitat destruction, and human encroachment. We are currently working on extensive sections about
conservation and amphibian declines that will hopefully be available in the
near future. In the meantime, we recommend each and every user to pay a
visit to the following sites for some essential reading:
CITES
:: IUCN (red list)
:: DAPTF
:: USFWS ::
ARC
:: Frogs.org ::
Global
Amphibians Assessment.The Pet Industry also Plays a Role
Although we would like our site to focus mainly on the preservation of
wild amphibians through the spread of information and awareness, we also promote the captive propagation of amphibians as a method of
preserving our wild populations. Amphibians are often mass
collected for the pet trade, with the majority of those purchased either
dying or experiencing health problems. Because of hobbyist demands, the
"rare" species are exploited whenever possible with no regard for
the impact that over-collection has on wild populations. In 2004 alone,
thousands of Asian caudates were collected and distributed throughout the
world. These animals are highly sensitive species, and many arrived to their
final destinations in poor condition. Most of those that survived the initial
exportation will likely never be bred in captivity because of their rather
particular requirements. The same types of situations are true for dozens of
anuran species. It only makes sense that if such species were readily
available as captive bred offspring, there wouldn't be such a demand for them,
which would would make it monetarily impractical for collectors to
continually exploit wild populations.
Unfortunately, the amphibian trade industry is rapidly growing, and may well
become as popular as the reptile or fish market in the future. There is a surprising number of persons that snatch them up for almost any
price, no matter how inhumane or damaging their collection is, and without
regard to their abilities to care for and breed them in captivity. We hope that
our attempts
to guide those that have captive amphibians in the right direction, with
regard to captive care and propagation, will result in those species becoming
common
among the hobbyists, making it absurd to purchase wild animals, and thus
preserving those wild animals. Of course, we do not know everything
about every species, and so cannot provide propagation information for the
vast majority of species. Fortunately, there are several reputable websites
dedicated solely to caring for amphibians in captivity. We sincerely hope that all hobbyists show
responsibility by purchasing only captive bred offspring, and
refrain from purchasing
animals without the serious intent to breed them. In any event, the hobbyist world presents a win-lose situation for
amphibians, for as the
number of experienced and knowledgeable keepers increases, so too increases
the popularity of captive amphibians, as well as the demand for certain coveted
species. This trend seems popular among those trying to
climb their way up what has become a social ladder where those with
the rarest or most coveted animals are at the top rung. Rare
and endangered animals often show up on the black market, where they're
snatched up at a premium by persons who do not care about the life of the
new conversation piece they've just purchased, or the survival of its kind
in the wild. This is exploitation at its extreme, and a nearly identical
situation exists with rare and nearly extinct
amphibians. The only real difference is that amphibians often fly under the
radar of protective authorities, while more mainstream species, such as
Pandas or Bengal Tigers, are recognized immediately.
In Conclusion
 We still have much to learn about these intriguing and amazing creatures,
and our knowledge of the world of amphibians changes on a daily basis as species
are discovered, re-classed, re-examined, and redefined. The map at right shows an overlapping distribution
of all three amphibian orders, Anura, Caudata, and Gymnophiona, and puts into perspective the
existing and potential diversity of amphibian species. Amphibians are
virtually everywhere on our planet, and have adapted to circumstances in
nearly every niche imaginable, making them truly amazing animals.
Thanks for Visiting Livingunderworld.org,
we hope you enjoy our growing site!
Navigation and Organization of the Site
Livingunderworld.org is an ongoing web project that attempts to encompass
may aspects of the world of amphibians. Beginners may find this site a
little overwhelming, as it is generally organized according to taxonomic
names. However, a little time and effort spent perusing will prove
eventful, as there are many portals to information, such as the search
engine, inclusion of common names where available, and links to other
sites of information. The search engine
is particularly useful for those new to amphibians, as it allows quick access to
information, and can be used with common, as well as taxonomic names.
Overview
On the home
page, there are links to the main sections contained within
livingunderworld.org, numbered 1-10. Of these links, the 1-5 are perhaps
the most important, and certainly the most visited. These are the sections
for the three amphibian orders, Anura (frogs), Caudata (salamanders), and
Gymnophiona (caecilians), the photo galleries, and the biology and
physiology section. The remaining links pertain to amphibians as a whole,
and include amphibian articles, folklore, glossary, FAQ, and external
links. Also found on the home page are links to our terms of
use/disclaimer, complete list of works cited, works in progress, contact
information, updates and additions, as well as an internal search engine.
We've recently added a Member
Galleries section, where registered members can post photos of
amphibians or general nature photos.
Amphibian Order Sections
Information pertaining specifically to amphibians is organized according
to amphibian order. Within each amphibian order section, additional
information pertaining to the particular order is provided, such as
species accounts, range maps, conservation information, taxonomic models,
articles of interest, and more. Within each amphibian order section
resides a species database organized in hierarchical manner,
according to taxonomic designations, beginning with suprafamily or
subgenus, followed by family and subfamily, genus, and finally species. Subfamilies and tribes are also included in
the species databases, and subspecies are described in the actual database
entry, where available. Information contained in the databases varies from
species accounts, range maps, physical description, taxonomic history,
photos, conservation information, and captive care and breeding.
Information available in the species database is broadly indicated by the
following icons:
  
 , which
represent a printable PDF file, species account, an illustration, a
range map, and one or more photos, respectively.
Photo Galleries
Livingunderworld.org
contains a wealth of photos, which are often used for identification
purposes. We wanted to make the galleries easily accessible to all users,
regardless of expertise level, and therefore thought it best to include a
section devoted solely to photos. This eliminates the need to traverse
dozens of databases, and sort through other information just to find the
photos. Livingunderworld.org's galleries are
extensive, with new additions incorporated often. Most all of the photos
originate from generous contributors not directly affiliated directly with
Livingunderworld.org, including professional photographers, herpetologists
and other amphibian experts, and amphibian breeders, which has made for a
growing accumulation of rare and unique photos, as well as those suited
for identification purposes in the field. In addition to sections for the
three amphibian families, Livingunderworld.org's gallery section also includes
separate galleries for young amphibians, and amphibian habitats. The young
amphibian gallery includes embryonic, larval, and juvenile stage photos,
at varying levels of maturity, and is organized in such a way that the
viewer should see a general course of development for each
species. The habitat gallery includes wild and captive habitats. Biology
& Physiology
The biology section is still a work in progress, but is anticipated to be
the most in depth, public work available on the internet. As is the trend
for the entire site, the biology section is organized according to
amphibian order.
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