Amphibia 1

Amphibia and their characteristic features

poison gland (makes toad

ear drum distasteful to predators) nostril
powerful
hind legs

webbed feet
Frog Toad

Amphibia are vertebrates, represented in the UK by frogs, toads and newts. In other countries there
are also salamanders. Amphibia can survive both on land and in water. In water they obtain oxygen
by absorbing it through their skin. On land they can breathe through their skin but they also use their
lungs. Although, in the UK, amphibia can spend a great deal of time on land, they have to return to
water to reproduce.
Frogs swim by using their powerful hind legs. The
water
nostril webbed feet increase the surface area that pushes
surface
against the water. At the surface, their eyes and
nostrils are above the water line. They can remain
under water for prolonged periods, taking in
dissolved oxygen through their skin which is richly
supplied by a network of blood capillaries.
capillary
vessels

pigment cell

Newt

Newts swim by wriggling their bodies and

thrusting with their long tail Capillaries in frog skin (under microscope)

Breathing air. The frog draws air in through its nostrils

and pumps it into the lungs by movements
of its mouth floor.
Body temperature. Amphibia are often described as
‘cold-blooded’ but, in fact, their temperature varies
1 with that of their surroundings.
Feeding. A frog has an extensible tongue with a sticky
surface. It can flick the tongue out to catch an insect
resting on a leaf or even in flight. The food is mainly
worms, slugs, beetles and other insects.
2 3

© D.G. Mackean