Amphibians Lily Landen

What are Amphibians? Fun Fact Amphibians breathe through there skin. Amphibians are animals that live both on land and in water throughout their life. They usually have soft, moist skin that is protected with a layer of mucus which makes them feel all slimy and slippery. They have to live near water to keep there skin from drying out. There are three groups of amphibians frogs and toads, newts and salamanders, and caecilians. All amphibians are vertebrates , which means they have a back bone or spine. Unlike a worm who has no spine and is able to twist around in knots. Amphibians are cold blooded and go through metamorphosis which means they are not mammals. Metamorphosis is the cycle that happens once a baby is born to when it is looking like its parents. Some species take under a week to go through metamorphosis and others take years. Fun Fact Amphibians breathe through there skin.

Frogs and Toads Fun Fact Frogs and toads are the most populated group out of the three. There are about 4,000 species alive today. Modern adult frogs and toads have four legs but don t have tails. About 80 percent of this family live in the tropic. Frogs and toads have a large range of habitat. Some of the place they live are deserts, mountains, forests, and savannahs. Frogs and toads have long powerful legs which they use for jumping and that’s how they are very hard to catch. Frogs and toads eat insects, spiders, fish, or other small animals that they catch with there long, sticky tongue. Frogs and toads have many enemies or predators such as foxes, bats,  rats, birds, fish, raccoons, turtles, snakes, and humans. To protect them selves from these predators frogs and toads use different techniques depending on the specie. Some frogs and toads have poisonous glands in there skin others use there color to tell the predator that they may be poisonous or wont taste well. Fun Fact Frogs don’t drink through there mouth they drink through there skin. This is a poisonous dart frog. You can tell by its bright colors.

Newts and Salamanders Salamanders are often mistaken for lizards. They have soft moist skin that covers there body's just like frogs and toads. But newts and salamanders have tails. They have no claws and scale which is why they are so soft. These animals are only found in South America and temperate climates of northern Africa, Asia, and Europe. They live under stones in streams and under logs and leaves in moist forests. There are three different salamander they are, aquatic (always live in water), semi aquatic (live on land and water), and terrestrial (live only on land). Even though terrestrials don’t go in water they don’t live far from it. Salamanders usually only come out when it is night that is why you don’t see them a lot. They still normally stay under leaves and rocks, but they will come out during heavy rain and pursue their pray away from their shelter. Fun Fact Salamander means “Fire Love”

Caecilians Fun Fact Caecilians have dozens of needle sharp teeth. Caecilians are legless amphibians. They look kind of likes slick snakes and large worms. They have no arms or legs and it is hard to tell which end is their butt and which end is their heads. They usually come in colors like gray, black, brown, yellow, and orange. Some species have tiny fish like scales but most have skin folds called annuli. Most caecilians are burrowers which means they mostly live under ground and transport through tunnels they've made in the ground. They make the tunnels with there hard, thick, pointy skull that push through the soft dirt that they live in. Because they live under ground they don’t need to hear and see that much that why there eyes are so tiny and you cant see there ears well. Some species of caecilians don’t live under ground they live in water. 25 percent of the Caecilians species lay eggs that is guarded by the mother. Most caecilians eating is mostly unknown but scientist believe they eat insects near there habitat. Fun Fact Caecilians have dozens of needle sharp teeth. This is a caecilian. Can you see its eyes?

Amphibians Even though all these animals are amphibians they are so different. They all have different cool features that are cool and even sometimes weird. Now that I know all this next time a see a amphibian with bright colors ill know to stay away. That’s why I Think amphibians are so cool!

Cool Frogs and Toads

Cool Newts and Salamanders

Cool Caecilians

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/three-types-of-amphibians.html http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/amphibians