Amphibians

Karina AtanasovaSiyana Markova

10/7

What does “amphibian” mean?• “amphibian” (Greek) = both ways of life

• Life in water and on land as well 1

Etymology

Life Cycle

• egg in water aquatic larvae development of lungs and limbs adult

• Metamorphosis is observed 1

Digestion

• take food through the mouth

• frog has a long tongue with which it grabs insects for example

• digestive system – stomach and intestines 10

Reproduction

• Sexually

• Eggs fertilized out of mother’s body (eggs are also called “spawn”)

• Eggs layed in moist environments • Eggs dehydrate quickly because they

don’t have shells 1

Characteristics

• Symmetry: bilateral 2

• Born in water but end up living on land. 1

• Skin: has glands; no feathers or hair; permeable and allows water and gas exchange (estivation = they “hide” during the summer so that their skin is moist; similar to hibernation when the body functions “slow down”) 8

• Eggs: no shell or membranes=> it should be kept in a moist environment. 1

• Use gills to get oxygen from the water 1

• Amphibians are cold blooded (ectothermic) 3

RepresentativesRepresentatives

Toad• Latin Name: Bufo Bufo• Habitat: Fields, hedgerows, gardens and

woodlands• Food: Worms, slugs and insects.• Range: throughout England, Scotland and

Wales, but not in Ireland.• Locomotion: Jumping;

hopping; swimming; burrowing;

Climbing 4

Common Frogs• Latin Name: Rana temporaria• Habitat: Shallow fresh water, including brooks,

springs, and ponds• Food: insects, slugs and small worms• Range: Southeastern Canada; eastern U.S.;

Central and Northern Europe, including Great Britain and Ireland

• Locomotion: Jumping; hopping;

swimming; burrowing; climbing 5

Smooth (Common) Newt

• Latin Name: Triturus vulgaris• Habitat: near ponds and streams; spend the

winter under stones or logs (places with warmer temperature)

• Food: Slugs, worms and insects• Range: Found throughout the UK; Southeastern

Canada and eastern U.S.• Locomotion: creeping;

swimming 6

Salamanders• Latin name: Salamandra• Habitat: usually under stones• Food: insects, spiders, worms• Range: North America, parts of South America,

Asia, Europe, North Africa,• Locomotion: creeping, walking 13

Human Interactions/Uses of Amphibians; Common Ancestors

• Humans use some amphibians (frogs) for food

• Amphibians share a common ancestor with mammals (Paleozoic era – about 300 MYA), that share common ancestors with humans 1

Fun Facts • Certain frogs can jump up to 20 times their

own body length in a single leap. • Some frogs and salamanders have tongues 10

times the length of their body.• Most frogs can change their color to match

their surroundings.• In most species of frogs only the male croaks

because croaking attracts female frogs during mating season. 7

• The biggest frogs reach 1m in length, while the smallest are 12mm. 9

Vocabulary• Amphibians = organisms that live both on land and in water• Gills = an anatomical structure that helps the aquatic organisms to get

oxygen from the water• Estivation = the process of hiding in the summer (resembles

hibernating) in order for the amphibians to be moist• Metamorphosis = an extreme change in body form from one life stage

to the next (tadpole to frog)• Ectothermic = cold blooded• Herpetology = the study of amphibians and reptiles• Spawn = amphibian eggs• Terrestrial = living on land• Hibernation = the process of “slow down” of the body functions• Caudata = amphibians that have tails 8

WORKS CITED

1. Campbell, Neil, Jane B. Reece, et al. Biology. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, 2008. Print.

2. MCWDN. “Animals. AMPHIBIANS.” MCWDN, Web. 23 March 2010. <http://www.mcwdn.org/Animals/Amphibian.html>

3. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. “Amphibians and Reptiles.”, Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, 6 July 2006, Web. 23 March 2010. <http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/biota/herps/amphibians.htm>

4. UK Safari. “Common Toads.” UK Safari, G. Bradley 2006, Web. 23 March 2010. <http://www.uksafari.com/toads.htm>

5. UK Safari. “Common Frogs.” UK Safari, G. Bradley 2009, Web. 23 March 2010. <http://www.uksafari.com/frogs.htm>

6. UK Safari. “Smooth Newts.” UK Safari, G. Bradley 2006, Web. 23 March 2010. <http://www.uksafari.com/smoothnewts.htm>

7. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. “Fun Facts about Amphibians.” Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Web. 23 March 2010. <http://www.clemetzoo.com/forfrogs/learn/funfacts.asp>

8. Amphibian Unit. “Amphibian Vocabulary.” Mr. Gemperline’s 5th Grade Website, Web. 23 March, 2010. <http://sites.google.com/site/gemperline312/amphibian-vocabulary>

9. Amphibian: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article “Amphibian.” Absolute Astronomy, 2010, Web. 23 March, 2010. <http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Amphibian>

10. WebSpawner – petcentralamphibians. “Amphibians.” WebSpawner, 2002, Web. 23 March, 2010. <http://www.webspawner.com/users/petcentralamphibians/>

11. Yahoo! Kids. “What is an Amphibian?” Yahoo! Kids, 2010, Web. 23 March, 2010. <http://kids.yahoo.com/animals/amphibians>

12. Yahoo! Kids. “Amphibians Trivia.” Yahoo! Kids, 2010, Web. 23 March, 2010. <http://kids.yahoo.com/animals/amphibians/amph-woamphibians>

13. HowStuffWorks. “Salamander.” HowStuffWorks, 2010, Web. 29 March, 2010. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/amphibians/salamander-info.htm>

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