
Full Answer
What are the main features of an amphibian?
The characteristics of the organisms present in class amphibia are as follows:
- These can live both on land and in water.
- They are ectothermic animals, found in a warm environment.
- Their body is divided into head and trunk. ...
- The skin is smooth and rough without any scales, but with glands that make it moist.
- They have no paired fins. ...
- They have two pairs of limbs for locomotion.
- They respire through the lungs and skin. ...
Why are amphibians considered to be unique evolutionary?
Why are amphibians considered to be a unique evolutionary group? No other group of animals has this special skin. Most amphibians undergo a unique change from larvae to adults, called metamorphosis. All amphibians are ectotherms (what used to be called “cold-blooded”), a trait they share with invertebrates, fish, and reptiles.
What animal is an amphibian?
Amphibians are vertebrate animals in the class Amphibia. After hatching from their eggs, most amphibians go through an aquatic larval stage, before metamorphosizing into their adult, air-breathing forms. The class Amphibia contains three orders: Anura (frogs), Urodela (salamanders), and Apoda (caecilians).
What is the difference between fish and amphibians?
Differences between Amphibians and Fish. 1. In amphibians, when young have gills, then most develop lungs as they grow. Fish have gills. 2. Amphibians live part of life in water and part on the land. Fish always live in water. Write down the similarities between Amphibians and Fish.

What amphibian means?
1 : any of a group of cold-blooded vertebrate animals (as frogs and toads) that have gills and live in water as larvae but breathe air as adults. 2 : an airplane designed to take off from and land on either land or water.
Why is it called amphibian?
All amphibians spend part of their lives in water and part on land, which is how they earned their name—“amphibian” comes from a Greek word meaning “double life.” These animals are born with gills, and while some outgrow them as they transform into adults, others retain them for their entire lives.
What is an amphibian example?
FrogsSalamand...AxolotlCaeciliansLabyrintho...MicrosauriaAmphibian/Lower classifications
Is snake an amphibian?
Reptiles include turtle, lizard, crocodiles, snakes while amphibians include frogs, salamander, toads, newts. They both are Ectothermic i.e cold-blooded.
What does the word "amphibian" mean?
The noun amphibian has its roots in the words amphi, meaning "of both kinds," and bios, meaning "life.". The word is used for the class of animals that spend part of their lives in water and part on land. The word can also be used as an adjective to describe the animals that live this way.
What is an amphibian?
amphibian Add to list Share. amphibian. An amphibian is a cold-blooded vertebrate animal that is born in water and breathes with gills. As the larva grows into its adult form, the animal's lungs develop the ability to breathe air, and the animal can live on land. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are all amphibians.
What are some fossil amphibians that resemble lizards?
Ichyostega. early tetrapod amphibian found in Greenland. caudate, urodele. amphibians that resemble lizards. salamander. any of various typically terrestrial amphibians that resemble lizards and that return to water only to breed.
What is a climbing salamander?
climbing salamander. any of several North American salamanders adapted for climbing with well-developed limbs and long somewhat squared-off toes. slender salamander, worm salamander. any of several small slim salamanders of the Pacific coast of the United States. web-toed salamander.
What is a large toothed frog?
any of various Old World arboreal frogs distinguished from true frogs by adhesive suckers on the toes. Ascaphus trui, bell toad, ribbed toad, tailed frog, tailed toad.
What is a blindworm?
blindworm, caecilian. any of the small slender limbless burrowing wormlike amphibians of the order Gymnophiona; inhabit moist soil in tropical regions. labyrinthodont. an amphibian of the superorder Labyrinthodontia. European fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra. a kind of European salamander.
What is the meaning of the word "amphibia"?
Yes, Amphibians as the name suggested is derived from the word Amphibia meaning “ life ”. Amphibian word comes from the Greek word Amphibios, that means “ to live a double life. its composition is of two words amphi meaning (both) + bios meaning (life) Creatures ‘ living both in water and on land ‘,
Why do amphibians have smooth skin?
The reason they have moist bodies and smooth skin is that they need it to survive. Amphibians have a special skin that is able to absorb water and oxygen, stopping them from getting dehydrated. This is why, even once they start living on land, amphibians usually live close to water. Some amphibians can “ aestivate “.
Why do amphibians go dormant?
This is a special ability that allows certain types of amphibian to enter a dormant state if conditions become too hot and dry. They then return to normal once cooler, wet conditions return. Some amphibians are poisonous. Poisonous amphibians release toxic chemicals through their skin to harm and scare away predators.
What is a Gymnophiona?
Gymnophiona – Caecilians (The less well-known) limbless blind serpentine amphibians
How do amphibians breathe?
Amphibians live underwater and breathe through gills at one stage of their life, and live on land breathing through lungs at a later stage.
What does it mean when an amphibian is cold blooded?
Cold-blooded means that an amphibian can’t generate its own body heat. Instead, their temperature varies with the temperature of the surrounding environment.
What is aquatic and terrestrial?
Aquatic means in water. Amphibians begin their life living underwater, breathing through gills and swimming with tails. Terrestrial means on land. At a later stage of life, amphibians develop lungs and legs and move out of the water to live on land. Probably the best known example of an amphibian is the frog. ...
What is an amphibian?
amphibian. ( æmˈfɪbɪən) n. 1. (Animals) any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Amphibia, typically living on land but breeding in water. Their aquatic larvae (tadpoles) undergo metamorphosis into the adult form. The class includes the newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecilians. 2.
What is an amphibious vehicle?
A tracked or wheeled vehicle that can operate both on land and in water. [From New Latin Amphibia, class name, from Greek, neuter pl. of amphibios, amphibious : amphi-, amphi- + bios, life; see g w ei- in Indo-European roots .] American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
What is the name of the class of vertebrates that hatch as an aquatic larva?
1. Any of various cold-blooded, usually smooth-skinned vertebrates of the class Amphibia, characteristically hatching as an aquatic larva with gills and then transforming into an adult having air-breathing lungs. Frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians are amphibians.
What is a frog?
1. a creature that spends part of its life on land and part in water. Frogs are amphibians. 2. a vehicle designed to move on land or in the water. 3. an aircraft designed to fly from land or water.
What does the word "double life" mean?
This double life is also at the root of their name, amphibian, which, like many scientific words, comes from Greek. It is made up of the Greek prefix amphi-, meaning "both" or "double," and the Greek word bios, meaning "life.". Both these elements are widely used in other scientific words in English: bios, for example, ...
Is an amphibian a fish?
Word History Amphibians are not quite fish and not quite reptiles. Like fish, they spend part of their lives living in water and breathing with gills; like reptiles, they usually spend another part of their lives breathing air with lungs and able to live on land. This double life is also at the root of their name, amphibian, which, ...
Is light at night harmful to amphibians?
Summary: Washington D.C [USA], June 2 (ANI): While exposure to light at night might be convenient for human beings, it has a harmful effect on the amphibian population , recent findings suggest.
What is an amphibian?
Amphibians are ectothermic, tetrapod vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Thus amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, ...
Where did the word "amphibian" come from?
The word "amphibian" is derived from the Ancient Greek term ἀμφίβιος ( amphíbios ), which means "both kinds of life", ἀμφί meaning "of both kinds" and βιος meaning "life". The term was initially used as a general adjective for animals that could live on land or in water, including seals and otters.
How big are frogs?
Members of the family Bufonidae are known as the "true toads". Frogs range in size from the 30-centimetre (12 in) Goliath frog ( Conraua goliath) of West Africa to the 7.7-millimetre (0.30 in) Paedophryne amauensis, first described in Papua New Guinea in 2012, which is also the smallest known vertebrate.
What is the origin of amphibians?
The relative scarcity of fossil evidence precludes precise dating, but the most recent molecular study, based on multilocus sequence typing, suggests a Late Carboniferous/ Early Permian origin for extant amphibians. The temnospondyl Eryops had sturdy limbs to support its body on land.
What are the defense mechanisms of amphibians?
Amphibians have soft bodies with thin skins , and lack claws, defensive armour, or spines. Nevertheless, they have evolved various defence mechanisms to keep themselves alive. The first line of defence in salamanders and frogs is the mucous secretion that they produce. This keeps their skin moist and makes them slippery and difficult to grip. The secretion is often sticky and distasteful or toxic. Snakes have been observed yawning and gaping when trying to swallow African clawed frogs ( Xenopus laevis ), which gives the frogs an opportunity to escape. Caecilians have been little studied in this respect, but the Cayenne caecilian ( Typhlonectes compressicauda) produces toxic mucus that has killed predatory fish in a feeding experiment in Brazil. In some salamanders, the skin is poisonous. The rough-skinned newt ( Taricha granulosa) from North America and other members of its genus contain the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX), the most toxic non-protein substance known and almost identical to that produced by pufferfish. Handling the newts does not cause harm, but ingestion of even the most minute amounts of the skin is deadly. In feeding trials, fish, frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals were all found to be susceptible. The only predators with some tolerance to the poison are certain populations of common garter snake ( Thamnophis sirtalis ). In locations where both snake and salamander co-exist, the snakes have developed immunity through genetic changes and they feed on the amphibians with impunity. Coevolution occurs with the newt increasing its toxic capabilities at the same rate as the snake further develops its immunity. Some frogs and toads are toxic, the main poison glands being at the side of the neck and under the warts on the back. These regions are presented to the attacking animal and their secretions may be foul-tasting or cause various physical or neurological symptoms. Altogether, over 200 toxins have been isolated from the limited number of amphibian species that have been investigated.
What is the nervous system of amphibians?
It is believed amphibians are capable of perceiving pain. The brain consists of equal parts, cerebrum, midbrain and cerebellum. Various parts of the cerebrum process sensory input, such as smell in the olfactory lobe and sight in the optic lobe, and it is additionally the centre of behaviour and learning. The cerebellum is the center of muscular coordination and the medulla oblongata controls some organ functions including heartbeat and respiration. The brain sends signals through the spinal cord and nerves to regulate activity in the rest of the body. The pineal body, known to regulate sleep patterns in humans, is thought to produce the hormones involved in hibernation and aestivation in amphibians.
What is the circulatory system of juvenile amphibians?
Juvenile amphibian circulatory systems are single loop systems which resemble fish. 3 – Two chambered heart. Red indicates oxygenated blood, and blue represents oxygen depleted blood. Amphibians have a juvenile stage and an adult stage, and the circulatory systems of the two are distinct.
What is an amphibian?
amphibian. any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Amphibia, typically living on land but breeding in water. Their aquatic larvae (tadpoles) undergo metamorphosis into the adult form. The class includes the newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecilians.
What is the root of the word "amphibian"?
This double life is also at the root of their name, amphibian, which, like many scientific words, derives from Greek. The Greek prefix amphi- means both, or double, and the Greek word bios means life.
What amphibians breed in Chinaj?
A Year in the Fields | John Burroughs. The only other amphibian at Chinaj known to breed in the pools is Bufo valliceps valliceps. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala | William E. Duellman. SEE MORE EXAMPLES.
What makes an amphibian unique?
By the time the amphibian is an adult, it usually has lungs, not gills. What makes amphibian s unique is that they live a “double life.”. They shone blue or ultraviolet light on 32 species of amphibian s. The new finding suggests that this biofluorescence is widespread among amphibian s.
What is the class of animals that can land and take off from both water and land?
The class includes the newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecilians. a type of aircraft able to land and take off from both water and land. any vehicle able to travel on both water and land. adjective. another word for amphibious. of, relating to, or belonging to the class Amphibia.
How many species of amphibians shone blue light?
They shone blue or ultraviolet light on 32 species of amphibian s.
What is an amphibious plant?
an amphibious plant. an airplane designed for taking off from and landing on both land and water. Also called amtrac. a flat-bottomed, armed, military vehicle, equipped with both tracks and a rudder, that can travel either on land or in water, used chiefly for landing assault troops.
What is the name of the amphibian?
The name amphibian, derived from the Greek amphibios meaning “living a double life,” reflects this dual life strategy—though some species are permanent land dwellers, while other species have a completely aquatic mode of existence. Banded fire salamander ( Salamandra terrestris ).
What is an amphibian frog?
For the article summary, see Amphibian summary . Amphibian, (class Amphibia), any member of the group of vertebrate animals characterized by their ability to exploit both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
How many species of amphibians are there?
Approximately 8,100 species of living amphibians are known. First appearing about 340 million years ago during the Middle Mississippian Epoch, they were one of the earliest groups to diverge from ancestral fish-tetrapod stock during the evolution of animals from strictly aquatic forms to terrestrial types. Today amphibians are represented by frogs ...
Do amphibians evolve from fishes?
Though some aspects of the biology and anatomy of the various amphibian groups might demonstrate features possessed by reptilian ancestors, amphibians are not the intermedi ate step in the evolution of reptiles from fishes. Modern amphibians are united by several unique traits.
Do squid have a hearing system?
They typically have a moist skin and rely heavily on cutaneous (skin-surface) respiration. They possess a double-channeled hearing system, green rods in their retinas to discriminate hues, and pedicellate (two-part) teeth. Some of these traits may have also existed in extinct groups.
Do amphibians breed in water?
Many amphibians are obligate breeders in standing water . Eggs are laid in water, and the developing larvae are essentially free-living embryos; they must find their own food, escape predators, and perform other life functions while they continue to develop. As the larvae complete their embryonic development, they adopt an adult body plan that allows them to leave aquatic habitats for terrestrial ones. Even though this metamorphosis from aquatic to terrestrial life occurs in members of all three amphibian groups, there are many variants, and some taxa bear their young alive. Indeed, the roughly 8,100 living species of amphibians display more evolutionary experiments in reproductive mode than any other vertebrate group. Some taxa have aquatic eggs and larvae, whereas others embed their eggs in the skin on the back of the female; these eggs hatch as tadpoles or miniature frogs. In other groups, the young develop within the oviduct, with the embryos feeding on the wall of the oviduct. In some species, eggs develop within the female’s stomach.
What is the life cycle of an amphibian?
Another special feature of most amphibians is their egg-larva-adult life cycle. The larvae are aquatic and free-swimming—frogs and toads at this stage are called tadpoles. At a certain size, the young develop limbs and lungs. Some also lose their tails.
What amphibians are brightly colored?
Others fight bacteria or fungal infections. And at least one—in each species—is used for defense. To warn potential predators, the most toxic amphibians are also the most brightly colored. Curare [kyoo-RAW-ree], for example, is found on the skin of colorful poison dart frogs.
Why are amphibians dying?
As a result, amphibians are the first to die off when their habitats are disturbed or contaminated with chemicals like weed killers. This is the main reason over half of all frog species are in danger of extinction.
What are the two groups of animals that need water?
About Amphibians. Amphibians are small vertebrates that need water, or a moist environment, to survive. The species in this group include frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. All can breathe and absorb water through their very thin skin. Amphibians also have special skin glands that produce useful proteins.

Overview
Amphibians are ectothermic, tetrapod vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Thus amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to b…
Classification
The word amphibian is derived from the Ancient Greek term ἀμφίβιος (amphíbios), which means 'both kinds of life', ἀμφί meaning 'of both kinds' and βιος meaning 'life'. The term was initially used as a general adjective for animals that could live on land or in water, including seals and otters. Traditionally, the class Amphibia includes all tetrapod vertebrates that are not amniotes. Amphi…
Evolutionary history
The first major groups of amphibians developed in the Devonian period, around 370 million years ago, from lobe-finned fish which were similar to the modern coelacanth and lungfish. These ancient lobe-finned fish had evolved multi-jointed leg-like fins with digits that enabled them to crawl along the sea bottom. Some fish had developed primitive lungs that help them breathe air when the stagna…
Characteristics
The superclass Tetrapoda is divided into four classes of vertebrate animals with four limbs. Reptiles, birds and mammals are amniotes, the eggs of which are either laid or carried by the female and are surrounded by several membranes, some of which are impervious. Lacking these membranes, amphibians require water bodies for reproduction, although some species have developed variou…
Anatomy and physiology
The integumentary structure contains some typical characteristics common to terrestrial vertebrates, such as the presence of highly cornified outer layers, renewed periodically through a moulting process controlled by the pituitary and thyroid glands. Local thickenings (often called warts) are common, such as those found on toads. The outside of the skin is shed periodically mostly in on…
Reproduction
For the purpose of reproduction most amphibians require fresh water although some lay their eggs on land and have developed various means of keeping them moist. A few (e.g. Fejervarya raja) can inhabit brackish water, but there are no true marine amphibians. There are reports, however, of particular amphibian populations unexpectedly invading marine waters. Such was the case with the Black …
Life cycle
Most amphibians go through metamorphosis, a process of significant morphological change after birth. In typical amphibian development, eggs are laid in water and larvae are adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. Frogs, toads and salamanders all hatch from the egg as larvae with external gills. Metamorphosis in amphibians is regulated by thyroxine concentration in the blood, which stimu…
Genetics and genomics
Amphibians are notable among vertebrates for their diversity of chromosomes and genomes. The karyotypes (chromosomes) have been determined for at least 1,193 (14.5%) of the ≈8,200 known (diploid) species, including 963 anurans, 209 salamanders, and 21 caecilians. Generally, the karyotypes of diploid amphibians are characterized by 20–26 bi-armed chromosomes. Amphibians have also very large genomes compared to other taxa of vertebrates and correspon…