Amphibian Vertebrates Game, Frog, Salamander and Newt

Amphibians are animals with backbones or spinal columns. This means they are vertebrates as opposed to invertebrates which do not have backbones. They spend part of their lives in water, but part of their lives are on land. They are cold-blooded and so cannot regulate their body temperature. Instead, they depend on sunlight for warmth. They also cannot cool themselves off on their own, so they seek shade in their burrows. In cold weather, they become sluggish, and their limbs lose elasticity. Amphibians are the crown group of vertebrates. The three major groups of living representatives of this group are the salamander, frog and newt. Amphibians have a complex life cycle. Frogs, for instance, lay their eggs in water. Their babies grow into tadpoles and froglets that live in water. However, when they grow into adult frogs, they lose their tails and live on land. Amphibians are widespread throughout the world. Diversity varies greatly by region. However, some areas of the world have a great diversity of amphibians. For example, the rainforests of Central and South America have a wide variety of frogs such as the poison dart frog, axolotls on Mexico and salamanders. But other areas of the world have little or no information about them. Amphibians have unique body structures. They have moist skin which helps them absorb oxygen. Their protracted tongue makes it easy for them to catch and eat bugs. Their diet can be interesting. Most amphibians such as frogs and toads are carnivores, meaning they eat other animals or insects. A few are herbivores, meaning they eat only plant material, and some are omnivores, meaning they will eat both. Since amphibians are generally small, they are more likely to eat invertebrate prey such as insects, spiders and snails. Read Less