Amphibians
By: Sierra Smith
Phylum Chordata: Class Amphibia
General Description:
Class of vertebrates that include frogs, toads, salamanders, newts,etc. They are cold-blooded tetra-pods, but they do not form an amnion. They have smooth skin and no claws.Frog/ Oophaga sylvatica
Axolotl/ Ambystoma mexicanum
Blue poison dart frog/ Dendrobates tinctorius azureus
Characteristics:
- they have a backbone
- cold-blooded
- half of their lives are spent in water and on land
- their skin is permeable
- most go through metamorphosis
- can't regulate body temperature
- the body makes it easier to swim through water and hold prey
- the skin is thin and moist that allows water to travel through them
- the front legs are short to keep the front of the body off the ground
- mouth is large for the ability to catch and eat large prey
- the hind legs are long to be able to jump large distances and change directions quickly
Circulation: moves oxygen-poor blood from the heart and takes oxygen to the lungs and skin, then it moves oxygen-filled blood back to the heart.
Nervous: they have a strong nervous system. They have transparent eyelids, they have eardrums, taste buds, and a sense of smell in their nasal cavity.
Reproduction: the eggs pass through the cloaca of a female and exit the female's body for the male to fertilize.
Movement: depending on if they have legs or not, some walk, jump, and swim.
Excretion: amphibians excrete through feces and urine, but also through their sweat glands
Fun Facts
- frogs swallow their food whole
- frogs can't live in salt water
- all amphibians have gills, some will always have them, but some only have gills as a larvae
- you cannot get warts from touching a toad
- a group of frogs is called an army
- the population of amphibians is decreasing
- amphibians are very sensitive to water pollution and air pollution
- their skin absorbs water and air
- some have teeth and some do not have teeth
- the brightly colored ones are most likely poisonous
Poison Dart Frog/ Dendrobatidae
Indian Bullfrog/ Hoplobatrachus tigerinus
Rainbow Poison Dart frog/ Dendrobatidae
Works Cited:
Weizhao, Yang, et al. " Genetic Signals of High-Altitude Adaption in Amphibians: A Comparative Transcriptome analysis." BMC Genetics. vol. 17, 03 Oct. 2016,pp. 1-10. EBSCOhost.doi:10.1186/s12863-016-0440-z.
Deng, Keng and Yi Wang. "A second-order characteristic line scheme for solving a juvenile- adult model of amphibians." Journal of Biological Dynamics, vol.9, Jul. 2015 Supplement, pp. 51-63. EBSCOhost, doi:10-1080/17513758.2014.935967.