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Article  Video  Webinar 

Amphibian Medicine

View the RACE-approved recording of this live 1-hour webinar event, presented by Gregory Lewbart, MS, VMD, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM). Amphibians are a fascinating and extremely important taxonomic group of animals. Amphibians are valued as environmental sentinels, biomedical research subjects, public display animals, private pets, and even as a human food source. Class Amphibia is divided into three orders and 75 families, containing 8,530 species. This presentation focuses on anatomic and physiologic characteristics shared by this diverse group as well as important disease conditions.

Article 

Amphibian Handling and Restraint

Part of the Herptile Handling Teaching Module, this review article addresses handling and restraint of amphibians, a diverse group that consists of over 8,000 extant species belonging to three orders: Anura (frogs and toads), Caudata or Urodela (salamanders, newts, and sirens), and Gymnophiona or Apoda (caecilians). Transport, defense mechanisms that may prove hazardous to handlers, potential dangers for the patient, and specific capture, handling, and restraint techniques are reviewed. Equipment needed, including personal protective equipment, is also discussed as well as measures to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.