Domain: Eukarya Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibians
Jan 17, 2016
Domain: EukaryaKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: Amphibians
Characteristics
• Most have:– 4 legs– Moist skin– No scales– Aquatic larvae– Double loop circulatory
system– Exchange gases through
skin and lungs
Good Eats
• Larvae– Frog – herbivores– Salamander - carnivores
• Adults– Both frogs and salamanders are predators– Salamanders use their jaws to catch prey– Frogs catch prey with their tongues
Excretion
• Kidneys filter waste from the blood
• Wastes are stored in the cloaca
• Land living – urea• Water living -
ammonia
Breath of Fresh Air
• Larvae– Exchange gases
through skin and gills
• Adults– Breathe through
their lungs, mouths, and thin, moist skin
Getting their blood flowing
• Double-loop circulatory system
• Keeps the oxygen rich and oxygen poor blood separate
The heat is on
• Ectotherms – get their body heat from the environment
• When they get hot they burrow in the mud to cool off
• When they get cold they hibernate
Making new frogs
• Female frogs lay eggs to be fertilized by males in the water
• Eggs are covered in a jelly-like substance that helps them stick to plants in the water
Growing up green
• During metamorphosis, the tadpole changes from gill-breathing to lung-breathing.
• The legless herbivore becomes a four-legged carnivore.
• The 2 chambered heart changes into a 3 chambered heart
Frogs vs. Toads
• Frogs have moist, smooth skin, while toads have bumpy, dry skin
• Frogs have more powerful legs
• Toads have glands that release poison to discourage predators
Salamanders vs. Newts
• Long, slim bodies with necks and tails
• Salamanders: 4 legs, moist skin, lay eggs in water, must live near water, feed on worms, frog eggs and insects
• Newts: aquatic throughout their lives
Caecilians?
• Wormlike• No legs• Burrow in soil• Eat worms• Live in tropical forests
(si SILH yenz)