Types Of Amphibians

Types Of Amphibians

Scientists use classification to organize all living things into groups. Amphibians are a special group of animals called vertebrates, which means they have backbones. All amphibians have some things in common, but they can look very different from each other.

There are three main types of amphibians, like three branches of a family tree. The first type is the Order Anura, which includes frogs and toads. Adult Anura do not have tails. They have long back legs for jumping and hopping. There are more than 7,000 species of Anura. Most people are familiar with frogs and toads because they are found almost everywhere in the world.

The second type is Order Caudata, which includes salamanders and newts. These amphibians keep their tails their whole lives. They have four legs that are about the same length, and they walk or swim instead of hopping. There are about 700 species of Caudata. Some salamanders can even grow lost body parts back!

The third type is Order Gymnophiona, also called caecilians. They are the least known type of amphibian, with about 200 species. Caecilians have no legs at all and look a lot like worms or snakes. They live underground or in water, where it is dark and moist.

Even though these three types look different, all amphibians share some important features. They have moist skin that helps them breathe, and they are cold-blooded, which means their body temperature changes with the air or water around them. Amphibians start their lives in water, breathing with gills. Most go through metamorphosis, changing from a larva (like a tadpole) to an adult.

Amphibians come in many sizes. Some frogs are so small they could sit on your thumbnail, while giant salamanders can grow longer than a fourth grader is tall!

Interesting Fact: The largest amphibian in the world is the Chinese giant salamander, which can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) long!