CREEPY CRAWLYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The word amphibian means two-lives. Amphibians spend their lives in the water and on land.
| All amphibians begin their life in water with gills and tails. As they grow, they develop lungs and legs for their life on land. |  Bullfrog tadpole. |
 Photo Source: Corel Web Gallery |
Amphibians are cold-blooded, which means that they are the same temperature as the air or water around them. |
 Photo Source: Corel Web Gallery |
 Fire Salamander Photo Source: Wikipedia (Public Domain) User - Emilisha |
There are more than 4,000 different kinds of amphibians. Members of this animal class are frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians or blindworms. |
Amphibians lay their eggs in water, and young amphibians tend to resemble small fish.
The tadpole, or newborn frog, is born and lives in water. It has a tail that allows it to swim like a fish. It also has gills so that it can breathe under water. As the tadpole grow into a frog, it loses its gills and tail, and develops legs for moving on land. Most amphibians can both walk and swim in water.
Depending on the species of amphibian, breathing can take place in gills, lungs, the lining of the mouth, the skin, or some combination of these.
Amphibians body temperature changes with its environment. In cold climates, amphibians hibernate during the winter. For more information on amphibians see our new Amphibian Video Section. |
 |
