About Amphibians

Amphibians are vertebrates – backboned animals - along with fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. They were, in fact, the first vertebrate creatures to venture from the seas to the land way back in the Devonian Period some 350 million years ago. Many different kinds of amphibians have evolved during that time, but today they are represented by three distinct orders: Anura (the tail-less frogs and toads), Caudata (the tailed salamanders, newts, mudpuppies, hellbenders, axolotls, amphiumas, and sirens), and Gymnophiona (the legless caecilians).

Amphibians live on all continents except Antarctica. They are all smooth-skinned creatures that lack scales, feathers or hair. Amphibians are also ectotherms, which means that their internal body temperature typically remains very close to that of their surroundings.

Many species have a dual lifestyle, starting out as gill-breathing, fish-like larvae that hatch from eggs deposited in fresh water and dramatically transforming into four-legged, lung-breathing adults that routinely venture onto land. However, the lifestyles of many other amphibian species can differ significantly from this model, making this an extremely diverse and interesting group of animals.

Photo courtesy of Bill Konstant

Why Should We Care About Amphibians?

Everything in the universe is connected. Frogs, toads and salamanders are a critical component of our earths natural web of life.

They play an important role in the food web and ecosystems in which they live, serving as both predator and pray, thereby maintaining the balance of nature.

They eat billions of pests per year, lending themselves as critical components to successful agriculture. By consuming pests like mosquito's, they also hello control the spread of diseases such as Malaria and West Nile Virus.

Amphibian skin contain substances that offer possible medical cures for a variety of human diseases, including AIDS.

They offer aesthetic value with their vast diversity in color, form and shape. What child isn’t mesmerized by the gigantic hypnotizing eyes of a frog or toad? Can you imagine a world without Amphibians?

Photograph courtesy of Paul Crump