The animal’s body structure may change in many other ways, too. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar. Altogether there are more than 4,000 species, or types, of amphibian. This means that their body temperature is always about the same as the temperature of their surroundings. For example, poison may make the amphibian taste bad or hurt the predator’s mouth. This makes them very sensitive to. Frogs, toads, and salamanders eat mainly small boneless animals such as insects, worms, and spiders. The axolotl is a Mexican salamander that never outgrows the larval stage of growth. Britannica does not review the converted text. Amphibians are cold-blooded. This helps protect an amphibian from other animals that want to eat it. Free online activities and games for kids. The larva stage may last from several weeks to five years, depending on the species. Amphibian definition is - an amphibious organism; especially : any of a class (Amphibia) of cold-blooded vertebrates (such as frogs, toads, or salamanders) intermediate in many characters between fish and reptiles and having gilled aquatic larvae and air-breathing adults. They live part of their lives in water and part on land. They generally have a short body, webbed fingers and toes, bulging eyes, and no tail.

This website uses cookies to help deliver and improve our services and provide you with a much richer experience during your visit. Types of Amphibians Most amphibians can be classified as a frog, salamander, or caecilian.

Some large salamanders and frogs eat small birds and mammals. Frogs use their long, powerful back legs for leaping and swimming. Adult frogs and toads are tailless. Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops.
The second group consists of salamanders, including newts and mud puppies. Amphibians were the first vertebrates to appear on land. Most of the animals known as amphibians can live on land or in water.

Frogs are best known for their amazing jumping … In the second phase the larva develops into the adult form. In most species, the animal loses its gills and develops lungs. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
However, they vary greatly in length, from less than 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) to more than 60 inches (150 centimeters). They are born in the same form as adults, only smaller. Learn a new word every day.

New Latin Amphibia, taxon including frogs and salamanders (from neuter plural of amphibius amphibious) + -an entry 1. Other types live only in water. Most amphibians are relatively small. Most amphibians have moist skin. In the first phase the amphibian lives in the water in an immature form called the larva. Most caecilians eat worms. Caecilians - Caecilians are amphibians that don't have legs or arms.