amphibians
Frogs and salamanders
Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates that typically begin life in water with gills, then develop lungs for life on land—frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts.
The word comes from Greek roots meaning "both lives," capturing this dual existence.
Amphibians are sensitive to pollution and serve as environmental indicators.
The adjective amphibious describes anything operating in both water and on land: amphibious vehicles, amphibious assault.
Immature aquatic amphibian
- frogletImmature tailless hopper
- larvaImmature feeding stage
- transformationThorough change in form
- life cycleOrganism's full developmental sequence
development · growth · stages · spawn · eggs · juvenile · adult · neoteny
Leaping, croaking amphibians
- tadpolesLarval amphibians
- newtsSmall semiaquatic salamanders
- salamandersTailed amphibians, often aquatic
- axolotlPermanently larval salamander
mudpuppy · gills · ponds · swamps · wetlands · marshes · bog · stream
Leaping, croaking amphibians
- toadsWarty tailless amphibians
- salamandersTailed amphibians, often aquatic
- newtsSmall semiaquatic salamanders
- axolotlPermanently larval salamander
mudpuppy · tree frogs · poison dart frogs · bullfrogs · cane toads · sirens · red-eyed tree frog
Temperature set by surroundings
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
- thermoregulationMaintaining stable internal heat
- moist skinHydrated outer layer
- hibernationProlonged winter dormancy
estivation · parotoid glands · toxins · regeneration · osmoregulation · desiccation
Warty tailless amphibians
- salamandersTailed amphibians, often aquatic
- burrowingDigging to create shelter
- forest floorGround beneath trees
- woodlandsTreed land, not dense
leaf litter · soil · hibernation · estivation · moisture · burrows · undergrowth · damp
Having a tail
- orderMethodical arrangement or request
- classGrouping by shared traits
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- genusTaxonomic rank above species
genera · families · classification · phylogeny · herpetology · chordates · vertebrates · tetrapod
Water-saturated terrain
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
endangered · pollution · habitat loss · decline · invasive species · food chain · predator · prey
tadpole
Immature aquatic amphibian
- frogletImmature tailless hopper
- larvaImmature feeding stage
- transformationThorough change in form
life cycle · development · growth · stages · spawn · eggs · juvenile · adult · neoteny · metamorphose
frogs
Leaping, croaking amphibians
- tadpolesLarval amphibians
- newtsSmall semiaquatic salamanders
- salamandersTailed amphibians, often aquatic
axolotl · mudpuppy · gills · ponds · swamps · wetlands · marshes · bog · stream · riparian
frogs
Leaping, croaking amphibians
- toadsWarty tailless amphibians
- salamandersTailed amphibians, often aquatic
- newtsSmall semiaquatic salamanders
axolotl · mudpuppy · tree frogs · poison dart frogs · bullfrogs · cane toads · sirens · red-eyed tree frog
ectothermic
Temperature set by surroundings
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
- thermoregulationMaintaining stable internal heat
- moist skinHydrated outer layer
hibernation · estivation · parotoid glands · toxins · regeneration · osmoregulation · desiccation
toads
Warty tailless amphibians
- salamandersTailed amphibians, often aquatic
- burrowingDigging to create shelter
- forest floorGround beneath trees
woodlands · leaf litter · soil · hibernation · estivation · moisture · burrows · undergrowth · damp · nocturnal
caudata
Having a tail
genus · genera · families · classification · phylogeny · herpetology · chordates · vertebrates · tetrapod · taxonomic
wetlands
Water-saturated terrain
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
conservation · endangered · pollution · habitat loss · decline · invasive species · food chain · predator · prey · insectivore
- life formsorganisms, organism, lifeforms, animal, creatures
- zoologymammals, reptiles, birds, insects, fish
- Cladesmammals, birds, reptiles, insects, spiders
- ecosystem componentsnative plants, native species, endemic species, food web, food chain
- biologycells, DNA, cell, biology, gene
- creaturesanimals, animal, mammals, mammal, birds
amphibiansendotherms
Organisms producing internal heat
mammals · birds · fish · amniotes · land dwellers