Amphibians

Amphibians (am·phi·bi·an)

Etymology: The term "amphibian" comes from the Ancient Greek term "ἀμφίβιος" (amphíbios), which means "both kinds of life", "amphibian", referring to the dual life strategy of many amphibian species.

Amphibians are a group of cold-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Amphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal, or freshwater aquatic ecosystems.

Characteristics

Amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this. The young generally undergo metamorphosis from larva with gills to an adult air-breathing form with lungs. Amphibians use their skin as a secondary respiratory surface and some small terrestrial salamanders and frogs lack lungs and rely entirely on their skin.

Classification

The three modern orders of amphibians are Anura (the frogs), Caudata (the salamanders), and Gymnophiona (the caecilians). The number of known amphibian species is approximately 8,000, of which nearly 90% are frogs.

Related Terms

Anura: The order of amphibians that includes frogs and toads.
Caudata: The order of amphibians that includes salamanders.
Gymnophiona: The order of amphibians that includes caecilians.
Metamorphosis: The process by which amphibians develop from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages.
Vertebrates: Animals that have a backbone or spinal column, including amphibians.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Amphibians
Wikipedia's article - Amphibians

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