Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Amphibians
To identify an animal as an amphibian, it should have each of these characteristics:
- Amphibians have a backbone. They are vertebrates.
- Amphibians are cold-blooded. They cannot regulate their own body temperature.
- Amphibians spend at least part of their lives in water and on land.
- Amphibians do not have scales and their skin is permeable (molecules and gases can pass through).
- Amphibians have gills for at least part of their lives. Some species have gills only as larvae, while others can have gills throughout their lives.
- As adults amphibians may have lungs, gills, or breathe through their skin.
- Most amphibians go through metamorphosis.
Amphibians are frogs, toads, salamanders, caecilians and newts. Some common amphibians are bullfrogs, American toads, mole salamanders and hellbenders.
Click here to see native North Carolina Frogs and Toads.
Click here to see native North Carolina Salamanders.
Citation: http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/amphibians-reptiles-and-fish.aspx
Amphibian Eggs
•Eggs without shells
–Yolk to nourish the embryo
–Covered in jelly coating to protect
biodiversitybasics 