Amphibians

By Marty Jaffe

What is an Amphibian?

-The word amphibian comes from the Latin word amphibious meaning two or double lives because they can live on land and in the water unlike humans, which without the proper equipment cannot survive under water for extended periods of time.

-Amphibians are born as tadpole-like creatures from eggs layed in the water.

-Next they develop organs which are necessary for terrestrial dwelling.

-They mature on land or spend the remainder of their life on land.

-They return to water annually to breed.

- Amphibians are vertebrates meaning that they have a backbone (or spinal cord) because they go on land as well as water, so on the land they need support to be able to move unlike the water, where you can be held up by its pressure.

-Amphibians are cold-blooded creatures, meaning that they cannot control or maintain a consistent internal temperature but rather change to the tempature of their surroundings so to heat themselves they go to warmer areas and to cool themselves they go to cooler areas

Bibliography:

Tyning, Thomas. A Guide to reptiles and amphibians. Boston: Little brown and company, 1990

Miller, Jessica. “Caecilians.” 2000. 4/5/2007. http://www.livingunderworld.org/gymnophiona/

“Caecilians.”2007. Smith. 4/5/07

http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/edge/Field_guide_caecilians.htm

Images from

<http://www.nearctica.com/nathist/amphib/newt.htm>

<http://mastuvu.typepad.com/.../2006/05/f_the_frogs.tml>

<http://www.omahazoo.com/home/archives.htm>

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/photos/nature/salamanders.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/guides/Sourland.htm&h=355&w=247&sz=23&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=n3f8bNlnsEgJNM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=84&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsalamanders%2B%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

http://cluster3.biosci.utexas.edu/courses/herpetology/photos/ichthyophis.sp.gif