Amphibians are Cool!
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| Litoria splendida, Magnificent Tree
Frog © Kevin Johnson |
Amphibians are vertebrates (back-boned animals) which generally spend part of their lifecycle in the water, and part on the land. Amphibians are ectotherms (or cold-blooded), meaning that their body temperature is regulated by their environment, as opposed to mammals and birds who are considered endotherms (or warm blooded), meaning that their bodies can regulate their own temperature from inside.
Amphibians have moist, soft skin that is covered by a layer of mucus for protection. Their skin requires some sort of moisture to help them breath. Yes, that's right, amphibians not only breathe through their nostrils, or in some cases, gills, but they can also breath through their skin! Some amphibians don't even have lungs, but instead require their moist skin to respirate or breath!
