All About Amphibians

Question: What do adult frogs and toads lack?

Answer: Adult frogs and toads are tailless. Their eyes are large and well developed. They have short, thick bodies and four legs. Frogs use their long, powerful back legs for leaping and swimming.

Question: What keeps tree frogs from falling?

Answer: There are about 550 species of tree frogs found around the world, but mostly in the Western Hemisphere. They have suckerlike adhesive disks on their feet for climbing.

Question: Which of these amphibians has a tail?

Answer: Salamanders have tails. Most salamanders have a small head, a short body, and four legs. If a salamander loses its tail or a leg, it can usually grow a new one.

Question: Which of these do amphibians not have?

Answer: Amphibians do not have hair or feathers. Their skin takes in oxygen. In other words, amphibians breathe through their skin. Most kinds also breathe through lungs or organs called gills.

Question: Which of these do many amphibians eat?

Answer: Frogs, toads, and salamanders eat mainly small boneless animals such as insects, worms, and spiders. Some large salamanders and frogs eat small birds and mammals. Most caecilians eat worms.

Question: How many basic groups of amphibians are there?

Answer: There are three basic groups of amphibians. The first consists of frogs and toads. The second consists of salamanders. The third is made up of wormlike creatures called caecilians.

Question: What characteristic do all frogs have?

Answer: All frogs produce poisonous skin secretions, though most do not affect humans. But the brightly colored dendrobatids’ (poison frogs) secretions are potentially lethal.